Bad Breath in Dogs, The Simple Solution
The cause of bad breath in dogs (halitosis) is the very same as it is in humans, and that is largely poor dental hygiene and diet. There are other causes, such as liver / kidney issues but they are far rarer. If you suspect the latter or your dog is visibly unwell then you never regret going to the vet. For issues of dental hygiene and diet then we strongly recommend your read the article below before even thinking about the vet.
I’m Dr Conor Brady, a canine nutritionist that specialises in raw dog food. Below are some tips that highlight not only why your dog’s teeth are dirty but how to fix them. How do I benefit? Articles like this get folk on to my site. If you need specialised help you can book me for a consultation.
The majority of bad breath in dogs is a result of poor dental hygiene…
Sadly the fact remains that 9/10 dogs have some form of gum disease by three years of age. It happens that 9/10 are dry fed, a result of 9/10 vets believing and recommending dry food as a suitable food substrate for dogs.
While your vet may well believe that this is a coincidence, that this disgraceful amount of gum disease in young dogs is nothing to do with diet, as it is in humans, we are here to tell you that it absolutely is related to diet, specifically dry food and the lack of abrasion in their diet.
The modern veterinary approach of dealing with issues when they pop up is the wrong end of the telescope for dental hygiene (and pretty much every other disease you can think of) and bad dog breath.
You need to stop the issue popping up in the first place.
Cause of Bad Breath in Dogs…
The majority of bad breath in dogs is brought on by eating the wrong diet (dry food) and your dog not receiving meaty bones a couple of time a week…
If your dog doesn’t mind take a look in his mouth. Are his teeth pearly white? Or are they tainted yellow / brown? If his breath is bad we’re guessing the latter. Bad breath is one of the first indicators of gum disease that people pick up on. The yellow gunk is called tartar. Under that hard layer on millions and millions of bacteria happily living and feeding on your dog’s teeth and gums. A by-product of all this bacterial action is essentially bacteria farts, and these smell bad! That’s bad dog breath in a smelly nutshell.
If you would like to know more about gum disease, it’s dangerous side effects for your dog as well as the cause and solution to the problem then sink your pearly whites into our popular article on gum disease in dogs.
There are other causes of bad dog breath too. If there is a disturbance in the gut and food is not digested properly then you will get bad breath. Issues in this respect include a lot of debris or undigested material in the gut such as a lot of plastic etc interfere with the digestive process. Some dogs can get injured in the spine and this, in turn, can affect the energy and output in the stomach. Others may be genetically predisposed to a lack of stomach acid production, which can cause persistent bad breath. Finally, stomach function can be seriously altered by the use of NSAID’s (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) which in some cases can lead to stomach ulceration. But mainly it’s poor dental hygiene.
The Solution to Bad Breath in Dogs
In short, you need to cut out dry food. Their shape offers no abrasion on the teeth. And you need to be giving you dog raw meaty bones.
Peppermint is often used to freshen their breath but sadly dogs are not absolutely mad on the taste of it so it may need to be snuck in with something else (dropped meaty treat). The fresher it is the better. Studies show that peppermint is more effective in controlling bad breath than oral mouthwashes!
Products wise, Canident is the go-to product for bad breath in dogs. It’s a simple seaweed blend that studies show will remove the tartar on your dog’s teeth in a matter of weeks. But you don’t have to wait for all the tartar to be gone, you enjoy fresher dog breath in days. We are so sure Canident will solve the problem we offer a full, no quibble, money-back guarantee on your purchase. Check out those reviews and see for yourself!
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“DOGS NEED THIS INFORMATION!
I have always fed my dog(s) on a raw diet but all the other info has been so beneficial for me. Now the Jabbawokki dog can go back to smiling and sleeping! Thanks so much.”