Bad Dog Breath

If you own a dog and its breath smells you are probably wondering how to get rid of bad dog breath? Dogs can get bad breath just the same as humans can, and the causes are similar too. A good starting point in addressing the problem is to clean your dog’s teeth.

Oral hygiene is just as important for dogs as it is for humans. The one fundamental difference between dogs and humans is that dogs cannot clean their own teeth. That job belongs to the owner.

You can buy dog toothpaste and dog toothbrushes at the pet store. I have also seen them for sale online at the likes of Amazon UK. As for toothbrushes for pets, Amazon sell a dual kit for cats and dogs, made by CET. The toothpaste that comes with the package is flavoured differently for cats and dogs.

Buy on Amazon

The dog’s toothpaste is poultry flavoured while the cats toothpaste tastes of fish. I guess the manufacturers do this to make it easier for owners to clean their pets teeth, and to make teeth cleaning a more enjoyable experience for the animals.

The special toothbrushes are finger brushes, making it more convenient to apply. The toothpaste is mildly abrasive and is claims to inhibit the formation of plaque. Rinsing is not a problem as it is not necessary. The paste is also safe to swallow.

This information applies specifically to the CET Toothpaste and Toothbrush Kits as sold on Amazon UK and you can buy, and read more about this product, by clicking the highlighted link. Always check the manufacturers instructions before you use any product.

When it comes to the subject of your dog’s breath most people immediately think you are going to start talking about bad dog breath. And they would be correct. People don’t normally comment on how sweet a dogs breath smells. Dog owners do not need to be reminded how foul their dog’s breath can smell sometimes. This article outlines some of the common causes of this happening.

1. Diet. The food your dog eats is often linked to the smell of your dog’s breath when he or she has finished eating. Some dog foods are worse culprits than others and canned foods are well known for this. It is best to feed your dog with the best canned food you can afford as the cheaper brands tend to tend not to be so good. Better still, if you can persuade your dog to eat some raw foods or dry foods it would be better for their health too.

2. Ask yourself when you last brushed your dog’s teeth. That question might shock some people because the answer might be, never. Yes, as a responsible dog owner you do need to contribute to your dog’s oral health and this means cleaning his or her teeth, regularly. There are several good products you can buy to assist you in this task.

Toothbrushes and toothpaste is available just for dogs. My favourite is the dog finger brush. Feels a bit as if its a bit dangerous when you first start using one, but both me and my dog soon got used to the routine. Oh, and if you run out of dog toothpaste don’t be tempted to use your own as it is not meant to be used by dogs.

As with other things its best to start cleaning your dogs teeth when they are puppies, but if you are dealing with a grown dog, take small steps to begin with. Let the dog get used to what you are trying to do, and cover your hand with a towel if you need to. When you first try brushing your dogs teeth, he or she might think you are giving them something to eat, but they will quickly learn what you are trying to do. Patience and persistence are the key elements to making it work.

It is better to take steps to stop bad dogs breath than to live with it.

DISCLAIMER. This article is intended for informational purposes only. If in doubt about your dogs bad breath you should consult a veterinary surgeon.

The job of dog teeth cleaning might sound an impossible task. After all, who would fancy putting their hand into a dog’s mouth at the risk of being bitten?

Some breeds of dog are more docile than others and might not put up any resistance when you open their mouth. Other breeds just will not let you try and open their mouth so you know you are wasting your time trying.

In any case, putting your fingers near your dog’s teeth is risky at the best of times. The dog might just decide to bite you. Dogs don’t give you any advance warning, they just nip. After all, dogs cannot talk and probably have no idea what you are trying to do. They might see your action as threatening, and therefore try and bite you.

It is important to remember that dogs cannot talk so you have to adopt the right method of approach when attempting dog teeth cleaning. Try and reassure your dog that you mean her no harm. Talk calmly to her and try and be patient, giving her plenty of time to gain your trust. Dogs can sense fear, so it is important to approach this task in the right frame of mind, and give yourself time to see it through.

If at any time I think to myself “why I am I doing this, when I could be doing something else?” all I do is tell myself that is in my dog’s best interest to clean her teeth, and that motivates me to finish the job. I am great believer in the application of positive reinforcement techniques, so I believe it is important not to punish while undertaking the dog teeth cleaning procedure. Rather, I prefer to reward each step we make together in the task. In this way, the dog learns what behaviour and actions you want from her.

There is a definite procedure to this task and I prefer to have my dog in a sitting position. As I am right handed, I position my left hand over the dog’s muzzle to stop her opening her mouth. If you then lift the lip you will be able to access the teeth, and from there it is just a matter of brushing the upper and lower teeth on both sides of the mouth.

Let your dog get used to the brush you intend cleaning her teeth with. She will also take an interest in the dog toothpaste, so give her time to have a sniff and get used to these strange objects.

If your dog lets you clean her teeth, then all is well. If she resists, then leave it for today, and try again tomorrow. Once you get the hang of what you are doing, it is soon done and the dog benefits by having healthier teeth and gums. Dog teeth cleaning is also a good way to keep dog bad breath under control.

While searching the internet for a bad dog breath home remedy I soon discovered that there is not just one “home remedy” for dog bad breath, but there are several. Whether or not they work, I do not know.

Some of them might not even be safe for your dog, and if in doubt you should always consult a qualified person first. That said, there are no doubt some safe remedies you can do at home to help control bad breath in your dog.

I would always recommend putting your dog’s health first before experimenting with this or that bad dog breath home remedy. For example, where we humans might suck a mint to get rid of our bad breath, giving one of these to our pet could be harmful.

Some of the remedies I have read about involve using herbs, mouthwashes of a certain type, cream cheese mixed with fresh chopped parsley, and these are just a few examples. I suspect may of these remedies are passed on by word of mouth and are recommended because “it worked for my dog.” That does not guarantee the remedy will work for your dog, or even that it is desirable to try it on your dog.

Looking after your dog’s teeth can help a lot in the battle against bad breath, and by using veterinary approved products to clean their teeth at home, we know that we are looking after our pet the best way we can.

While looking around the internet for bad dog breath solutions I have come to the conclusion that the best solution for dog bad breath is prevention.

Yes, it takes hard work and stick-ability, but it is the health of your dog’s teeth we are talking about here, and that takes priority. I learned that if your dog will let you put your finger in its mouth, you can use a finger brush to clean your dog’s teeth. The idea is to use gentle pressure on the teeth, and, as long as the dog is not resisting you, gently use the finger brush to rub the teeth. Finger brushes specially for cleaning dogs teeth can be purchased on Amazon using the link below.

Buy Finger brushes for dogs on Amazon UK

Using a tooth brush approved for dogs also helps remove plaque. The plaque needs to be removed in order to prevent the build up of tartar. There are also chews and bones you can buy, which help in this process. These too are available online. Other measures we can take, are to switch to a dry food as opposed to a canned food, which is better for the dog’s health. Dog toys can also help as well.

Buy Dog Chew Toys On Amazon UK

Bad dog breath in puppies can be a bit concerning for the owner, but if your puppy seems active and healthy enough, with no obvious signs of anything wrong, and his or her breath smells, it is probably only due to teething problems. Just like infants, puppies go through the teething process, which usually takes about six months.

By looking in your puppy’s mouth you can see if the gums show signs of redness or swelling. If everything checks out alright and she looks healthy enough, and can chew normally, there is probably no cause for concern. If you are not sure what to look for, or how to interpret what you see in the puppy’s mouth, ask your local vet to have a look and put your concerns at rest.

The so called “puppy breath” only lasts until the puppy matures, and it is quite usual. Puppys love to chew things because it is in their nature, and it is normal behaviour for them as they start to use their new teeth. Chewing helps them to loosen their puppy teeth.

As the puppy goes through the teething period make sure her chewing is directed at acceptable objects only. You do not want puppy chewing objects of value, such as carpets, curtains and expensive furniture, so it is best directed towards such things as nylon chew bones, and the various other chew toys you can buy.

One neat trick to help puppy with teething is to make up some small ice cubes, adding a few shavings of her favourite food to the ice, so that she has to chew through the ice to get to the treat. Its great for getting her to chew only the things you want her to chew.

Of the two dogs we have had, Dennis. the Chihuahua, had the worst smelling breath after his meals. You just did not want to get your nose in the firing line of his breath. It was seriously bad.

By doing a little reading up on the problem we were able to solve it. This was after reading through the many different bad dog remedies that are available.

We had been feeding him cooked mincemeat, which also happened to be his favourite meal at the time. Eating that food is what made his breath smell so bad, though we did not realise it immediately.

Don’t forget, dogs are like humans. We like lots of foods that are actually not good for our long term health, and dogs are no different. Changing to a hard food solved the problem for us as we learned it can be better for the dog’s breath and for his teeth and gums as well.

The problem with dogs is they cannot speak. Yes, they do understand us, for the most part. But try telling a dog to clean its teeth and it won’t understand what you are talking about. It will probably think you are playing some kind of new game. So you have to clean your dog’s teeth yourself. Dog’s teeth are like ours. If they are not cleaned regularly, the result is a smelly breath, leading to tooth decay and gum problems.

The solution is to use a toothbrush and toothpaste made especially for dogs. You can buy these easily enough online or in the local stores. The bad dog breath comes from bacteria, or rotting particles of food that are lodged between the teeth. Brushing your dogs teeth can help sweeten its breath and also helps to promote healthier teeth and gums.

Just like us, dogs can get gum disease as well, and we want to spare them that if we can. This is just one of many bad dog breath remedies.

If you are a dog owner you will probably agree that catching a whiff of your pets bad dog breath can almost knock you out. The smell can be so overpowering. The problem is, what to do about it.

We do not want to let the dog continue in this condition, and there are a number of steps we, as responsible dog owners, can do to help our pets.

But first, a little background of the possible causes of the bad dog breath. You might think, as I did, that the smell comes from the teeth alone. This is not necessarily true. It could also be caused by the type of food the dog is eating. So what type of food should you give your dog and that helps prevent bad dog breath?

The answer to that is that a dry food is better for the control and prevention of tartar, which is often linked with dog bad breath. You could try giving your dog raw bones, as some dog owners believe that by giving them these they help keep the dog’s breath smelling fresh. Oh, and don’t forget to keep plenty of fresh water to hand, for your dog to drink, as this also helps in the battle against dog bad breath.

photo by KB35

So what else can you do as a responsible dog owner?

Brush your dog’s teeth every day, using a brush and toothpaste. There is no doubt about it, this takes time, patience and dedication, but it does help your dog. You can buy these special products for dogs, on and off line. As part of your daily routine, try and get rid of those small particles of food that tend to get lodged between your dog’s teeth, because they will decay over time, and will result in a smelly breath.

Despite your best efforts, if the underlying problem of bad breath still exists I would take the animal to the vet for a check up, just to rule out the possibility of any underlying causes. Nothing equals the reassurance this can give you, that you are helping your dog all you can.

It might be that your dog needs a scale and polish, and the vet will do that for you, if it is deemed necessary. If that is all that is causing the bad breath the responsibility is then on you, the dog owner, to keep your dog’s teeth clean. Apart from the correct diet there are anti halitosis products for dogs that you can buy. There are chew bones, mouth sprays, dental sticks, for example, all of which can help.

Before deciding what products to give your dog, check on the ingredients first, and always read the label. Just to be safe, I would ask your vet first before giving the dog any product you are not sure about. You will, quite rightly, only want to give your dog a product that you know is safe to use.