Why Does my Dog have Bad Breath and how to prevent it ?

Spending five minutes time with your pet is enough for you to get a whiff of their breath. Once you get used to their smell and breath you will know the difference between normal and foul smelling breath.

Bad breath also known as halitosis, occurs when odor producing bacteria builds up in your pet’s mouth. This must not be ignored as it could indicate serious health issues like gastrointestinal tract, kidney or liver disease. It could also be a sign of a dental problem.

Your vet is the best person to gauge and treat your pet.

This is when the trip to the vet becomes a must for your pet:

• If your dog has been drinking water and urinating frequently, and if they have a sweet or fruity smell in their breath. This could indicate diabetes.
• If you can smell urine in their breath, it could be a sign of kidney disease.
• If they have an unusual foul smelling odor accompanied with vomiting, poor appetite, yellow coloured corneas or gums. This could be a sign of liver disease.

Treatment for bad breath depends on your vet’s diagnosis. If it is a plaque problem your pet’s teeth require professional cleaning. If diet is the issue you need to feed your pet high quality and easy to digest food. If it is a gastrointestinal, liver or kidney problem you need to follow your vet’s advice and treatment.

You can prevent bad breath in your pet by taking them to the vets’ regularly for check ups. It is also a good idea to discuss and make note of oral care and oral hygiene with your vet. Brush your pet’s teeth regularly, you can also get their teeth cleaned professionally at the vets’. Give your pet some good quality, hard and safe chew toys that allows their teeth to clean naturally through chewing. Finally, make sure you give your pet a well balanced food with sufficient water along with regular exercise.

Happy parenting!