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No one wants their pets to have doggie breath. And no one wants to be kissed by a pet that has doggie breath. But take heart, it is preventable and treatable.
Bad breath is caused by bacteria buildup in your pet’s mouth. Before treating doggie breath, take your pet to your veterinarian to make sure there are no medical reasons causing the problem.
Often, depending on the odor, bad breath can be an indication of disease. A particularly foul odor can indicate liver problems, urine-smelling breath may mean a kidney problem, sweet smelling breath could be a sign of diabetes.
The brand of food your pet eats could be the culprit. Try a different high quality dog food, feed raw or homecook. Add parsley and digestive enzymes to the food. Give your dog crunchy veggies as treats such as raw carrot.
Wash food and water bowls daily to avoid bacteria buildup which can cause bad breath among other things.
We treat doggie breath similarly to the way we handle our own oral hygiene.
Brush your pet’s teeth at least 3 times a week, daily if possible. Use a toothpaste specially made for pets as the human kind can cause stomach upsets. Ask your vet to demonstrate the proper way to brush.
Take your pet to the vet regularly to have teeth checked. A build-up of plaque can cause doggie breath. Your vet is equipped to give your pet’s teeth a professional cleaning. It may require some time as your pet has to be anesthetized for the procedure.
Begin examining your pet’s mouth when it is very young. You can even use your finger to gently massage your pet’s gums to accustom your pet to having its teeth cleaned. You can then move on to massage with a gauze pad or cloth, eventually graduating to a toothbrush.
There are natural products available to eliminate plaque and treat doggie breath – Breath-Less Fizzies (added to drinking water) and toothpaste by Ark Naturals, PetzLife Oral Care products, Triple Pet Plaque Off, Pet Alive Oral Health Mouth Spray, Wysong Dentatreat, just to name a few.
Pfizer pharmacuetical company makes a vaccine for periodontal disease in pets. The company claims it can be used as a preventative, destroying 3 types of bacteria associated with periodontal disease. Check with your vet about using this product.
Dental infections have been linked to heart disease, so doggie breath is not a matter to be taken lightly.
(Don’t tell your cat it’s called doggie breath)
Related article: Kitty Breath – Causes & Cures
