Bad breath in dogs is very common and dog owners are just getting used to it.
The term “dog breath” is often used condescendingly to refer to people with bad breath.
You would think that people use the word “dog breath” because dogs always have bad breath, but that’s not the case – bad breath can also be a sign of a health problem.
Take a moment to look at the possible causes of bad breath and what you can do to treat and prevent bad breath in dogs.
Causes of bad breath in dogs
Owners tend to refer to their dog’s bad breath as just “normal dog breath,” but there’s often an underlying reason behind a dog’s bad breath.
1) Oral hygiene and periodontal disease
The most common causes of bad breath in dogs are poor oral hygiene and periodontal disease.
Just like in humans, the accumulation of plaque and tartar can lead to the growth of bacteria that cause bad breath.
If your dog does not have the habit of chewing food and you do not regularly brush or clean their teeth, the most common cause of bad breath is plaque buildup on their teeth.
Poor oral hygiene in the long run can lead to periodontal disease. Too much plaque and tartar buildup can push the gums away from the teeth, exposing new areas for bacteria to grow.
Not only does this inflame the dog’s gums, but it can also lead to tooth decay, infection, tissue necrosis, tooth loss, and even pus formation. Needless to say, it also makes for extremely bad breath.
2) Unhealthy eating habits
Dogs can be pretty disgusting sometimes.
Sometimes their eating habits are the direct cause of their bad breath.
If your dog is constantly rummaging through the trash or approaching a decomposing animal carcass, the dog’s bad breath could be the cause of his indiscriminate eating.
Dogs seem to love cat poop, and a household with both cats and dogs will expose the dog to too many temptations.
Dogs that eat cat feces not only have a strong smell, but it is also unhygienic.
Cat poop isn’t the worst, some dogs even eat their own or other dogs’ feces – a syndrome called coprophagia, which causes bad breath in dogs and frightens their owners and owners alike. nausea.
Coprophagia is the habit of eating dog feces, their droppings, or the feces of other animals. These are the reasons why dogs have bad breath.
Although coprophagia can harm dogs through the transmission of bacteria and viruses in the feces, it is not fatal.
3) Diabetes
If your dog’s breath smells sweet or fruity, make an appointment with your veterinarian.
Sweet, fruity breath is a symptom of diabetes, a serious but treatable disease.
Consult your veterinarian about other symptoms of diabetes, such as your dog drinking more water and urinating more often. You should also arrange to have your dog examined and blood tested to determine if he has diabetes.
4) Kidney disease
When your baby eats poop, his breath smells like poop, but if his breath smells like urine, it’s not because he drank urine.
A dog’s breath that smells like urine is a warning sign of kidney disease and you should take him to the vet.
Kidney disease is considered severe and can be a symptom of another, even more serious condition.
5) Liver disease
If your dog’s breath is extremely bad and he is also vomiting, has a loss of appetite, and his gums are yellow, he may have a liver problem.
Like kidney disease, liver problems can be a sign of another serious illness and you should definitely get your dog to the vet or veterinary clinic for an emergency as soon as possible.
6) Tumor in the mouth
Oral tumors or advanced dental diseases produce large amounts of bacteria that can cause a dog’s breath to smell like garbage or sewer.
Tumors in the mouth cause a dog’s breath to have an extremely unpleasant odor. In severe cases, these oral tumors even bleed and cause an unpleasant metallic odor due to the iron content in the blood.
Dogs often develop tumors and wounds in their mouths due to poor oral hygiene.
Over time, neglecting oral health causes the gums to be damaged and eventually disappear. This condition causes teeth to fall out, gums to bleed and a tumor to grow from the socket.
Rotten meat and bacteria in the mouth will cause a dog’s breath to stink.
Digestive system diseases such as gastroenteritis can also cause bad breath in dogs.
How to treat bad breath in dogs?
How to treat bad breath in dogs depends on the cause of the disease, but fortunately, there are many treatments available today.
If plaque, tartar, and periodontal disease are the cause of your dog’s bad breath, it’s best to make an appointment with your veterinarian to see if your dog needs scaling.
Veterinarians recommend that you take your dog in for a dental check-up and tartar every 6 months.
Your veterinarian will conduct a blood test to confirm the dog can be sedated, and this is also an opportunity for your veterinarian to look for potential causes of bad breath in your dog.
Owners can take their dog for a blood test every 6 months to screen for dangerous diseases.
During scaling, your veterinarian may have to remove loose or damaged teeth depending on the extent of the periodontal invasion.
For uncontrolled eating, close the trash can and limit the dog’s approach to dead animal carcasses on the street. Or if you have other pets in the house, make sure the dog is not around other pet waste.
Placing another pet’s toilet out of reach is a simple solution that will help reduce dog poop. If your cat poops outside the toilet, clean it up immediately to prevent coprophagia.
Diabetes, dental, kidney, and liver disease in dogs are all conditions that need to be treated by a veterinarian.
You must be very attentive and follow your veterinarian’s instructions carefully. After the main cause is addressed, the dog’s bad breath will also disappear.
In this case, the dog’s breath is a measure of how well their health is improving.
Can dog food cause bad breath?
Veterinary dog food can also make dogs bad breath.
Meat, bones, and other foods tend to get stuck in the teeth, causing bad breath.
Sometimes food is not digested properly, creating a bad smell.
You should consult your veterinarian about the right food for your dog.
Undigested food can push stomach acid and gas up to your mouth and cause a foul odor.
It can be replaced with raw food, nut food or even dog food according to human standards.
Should dogs eat raw meat in Vietnam when the rate of intestinal parasite infection here is quite high?
Due to Vietnam’s hot and humid climate, there are quite a few parasites when compared to temperate/cold climates (like Europe). Therefore, Vietnamese veterinarians recommend that pet owners should not feed their pets raw meat. However, if your pet is dewormed regularly (every 2-3 months), this is not a problem anymore.
How to prevent bad breath in dogs! How to brush a dog’s teeth
The simplest way to prevent bad breath in dogs is to brush your dog’s teeth regularly.
Owners are advised to “learn the habit of brushing their dog’s teeth from a young age”.
Brushing your dog’s teeth reduces plaque and helps improve oral hygiene just like humans, with training, most dogs will get used to brushing.
Please choose a dog toothpaste. Never brush a dog’s teeth with human toothpaste as it may contain ingredients that are toxic to dogs like xylitol.
Provide your baby with lots of chewable toys and teeth-cleaning chews to help care for their teeth naturally.
Chewing will prevent the formation of plaque and tartar and help reduce boredom, thereby helping your baby stay healthy and happy. Just make sure you choose toys that are appropriate for your dog’s size and age.
Puppies often have a habit of biting toys into small pieces and swallowing.
Right. Recently, owners prefer edible teeth cleaning chew products over teeth cleaning toy products. Dogs will enjoy it more because this product is palatable. And eat it too, of course.
More attention should be paid to the oral health of small breeds than large breeds because they are more susceptible to periodontal disease.
Smaller dog breeds tend to have teeth that grow closer together. This promotes plaque and tartar formation, so make sure to prepare them with plenty of chewable toys from an early age and brush their teeth regularly.
Summary
The term “dog breath” is often used condescendingly to refer to people with bad breath. You would think that people use the word “dog breath” because dogs always have bad breath, but that’s not the case – bad breath can also be a sign of a health problem.
Owners tend to consider a dog’s bad breath as just “normal dog breath,” but there is often an underlying reason behind a dog’s bad breath: Oral hygiene and periodontal disease, poor eating habits healthy, diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease or mouth tumor.
If plaque, tartar, and periodontal disease are the cause of your dog’s bad breath, it’s best to make an appointment with your veterinarian to see if your dog needs scaling.
For uncontrolled eating, close the trash can and limit the dog’s approach to dead animal carcasses on the street.
Meat, bones, and other foods tend to get stuck in the teeth, causing bad breath. Sometimes food is not digested properly, creating a bad smell.
The simplest way to prevent bad breath in dogs is to brush your dog’s teeth regularly. Provide your baby with lots of chewable toys and teeth-cleaning chews to help care for their teeth naturally.