Why Does My Dog Has Bad Breath ?
It’s sweet your dog wants to cozy up to you and lick your face. Except, that breath is atrocious! If you find yourself dreading your best friend’s doggie breath, you probably want to know what you can do about it because let’s face it, breath mints aren’t an option.
The thing to know about bad dog breath is that it’s more than unpleasant; it could be a sign of health problems. Your dog’s mouth is a window into their overall health because that stinky breath can signify liver, kidney, or gum disease.Fortunately, you can fend off health problems and dental disease by finding out the common causes of bad breath and ensuring your pooch gets proper dental care.
Common Causes of Bad Breath in Dogs
Sure, your dog’s breath might stink because of something they ate. Pet parents know their dog is not as selective as they’d like about what goes into their mouths.Here are five potential causes for why your dog’s breath smells:
- Periodontal Disease or gum disease is common in dogs. In fact, some veterinarians say gum disease affects majorities of dogs and cats. It shows up in red, irritated gums and darkened teeth where your dog’s teeth meet the gums.
- Tartar and plaque buildup hang out along the gum line and between the teeth, leading to dark marks on the teeth. This lack of oral hygiene leads to bad dog breath if left untreated. Besides bad breath, plaque and tartar also cause blackened, rotten teeth, cavities, and infection.The best oral health treatment is a deep dental clean at your veterinarian’s office, followed by at-home maintenance with regular brushing and dental chews.
- Eating Unsavory Things, From snarfing rotten garbage to snacking on kitty poop, our beloved dogs will eat gross things if they can get to them. To put the kibosh on such dining habits, you’ll want to keep your dog out of the trash and away from the kitty litter box.
- Kidney Disease, As you may know, the kidneys are essential to your dog’s health. The purpose of the kidneys is to filter blood and clean out toxins.When the kidneys function well, your dog eliminates the waste through his urine. However, if his breath smells like urine, that can be a sign of kidney disease because of toxins in the bloodstream.
- Liver Disease, Terrible breath can also be a symptom of liver disease, thanks to a build-up of toxins. Other symptoms of liver disease are a bloated abdomen, yellowing corneas, vomiting, and weight loss.Bacteria in the bloodstream (from ignored oral hygiene) can lead to liver or kidney disease.
How to Fix Dog’s Bad Breath & Promote Good Oral Health
Imagine how your breath might smell if you never brushed your teeth. Your best friend is the same. They also need good oral hygiene if they’re to have fresh breath and good health. Regular brushings (with beef-flavored toothpaste!), dental chews, and dental cleanings promote good oral health. For Some great Dental products Click here.
- If you start regular brushings when your dog is a puppy, you’ll have an easier time convincing them to let you brush their teeth later. Special pet toothpaste is safe for your pup to swallow and is in dog-friendly flavors like chicken and beef.
- Special dental treats help clean your dog’s teeth by reducing tartar and plaque buildup. The scraping action of tooth against chew really does help scrap the teeth clean. Dental chews are an excellent addition to your arsenal of doggie dental health aids. Check out differrent kind of dental chew here.
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- Another thing that helps is chew toys with nylon threads. Some can act as dental “floss” to reduce the plaque buildup on your dog’s teeth. Explore Chew toys here. Mint-infused chew toys and Mint infused dental products to help between brushings can also be a good solution to prevent bad breadth of your best friend.
- Water additives can also support good oral health and prevent tooth decay. These additives have enzymes that reduce plaque buildup. You can add these to your dog’s water as an extra layer of protection.