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Ever find yourself face to face with your fur baby enjoying the view but not the smell? Dogs can suffer from bad breath just as humans can. While I would never a expect a dog’s breath to smell “good”, it should not be insufferable to be within a couple feet of their face.
Why Does My Dog’s Breath Stink?
If you’re noticing a sudden change in your dog’s breath, it could be indicative of an underlying health issue that requires attention. The most common cause of bad breath in dogs is dental disease, but systemic diseases can lead to a change in odor of the breath as well, including issues like diabetes or kidney disease. Not to mention, if your pup is eating something with a foul odor, like another pet’s poop, this bad odor can sit on their breath too.
Common Causes of Dog Bad Breath
The most common causes of malodorous breath stem from the oral cavity itself.
Dental Disease: This encompasses problems from poor oral hygiene to build up of tartar and plaque to a tooth infection. Imagine if we as humans didn’t brush our teeth on the regular—we would have some horrendous breath. Now think about how frequently the average pet parent brushes their dog’s teeth. There’s a reason they get significant tartar build up so quickly, which needs to be addressed with routine professional cleanings before it leads to periodontal disease and infected teeth. This will cause an even worse odor and may require extraction to treat.
Unsupervised Snacking: If your dog is chewing on or ingesting things with a foul odor such as trash, dead animals or feces - their own or another pets! – this can lead to bad breath, as these things coat the tongue and teeth. The best way to manage this is to monitor your pet and prevent them from indulging in these, shall we say, "unconventional" treats.
In addition to odors stemming from the oral cavity itself, systemic diseases can lead to bad breath as well. If you notice any of the symptoms noted below, set up an appointment with your vet to get your pup checked out.
Diabetes: Diabetes in dogs is caused by a lack of insulin production leading to blood glucose dysregulation. In severe cases, diabetes can progress to diabetic ketoacidosis in which the body produces excess ketones as an energy source. These ketones, specifically acetone can give the breath a fruity or sweet smell. This is often accompanied by symptoms like increased drinking, increased urination, and weight loss.
Kidney Disease: The kidneys are responsible for filtering out toxins and waste from the bloodstream. When they are not functioning adequately, this can lead to a buildup of toxins that should be excreted into the urine, sometimes manifesting as an ammonia-like odor on the breath. Patients may also have a poor appetite, experience increased drinking and urination, and weight loss.
Liver Disease: If your dog suddenly has a foul odor from their mouth in the absence of dental disease and this symptom is accompanied by a poor appetite, vomiting or yellowish skin or gums, liver disease could be to blame.
Treatment and Prevention – How to Get Rid of Dog Bad Breath
While there is no simple dog bad breath remedy, managing a dog’s bad breath revolves around finding and addressing the underlying cause. A new foul odor from your dog’s oral cavity should prompt you to lift their lip and look inside. The best prevention of dental disease involves a multifaceted oral hygiene routine. I recommend a combination of regular teeth brushing, dental chews, and professional cleanings as needed. Ideally, we would brush our canine’s teeth daily, as we do our own, with a toothpaste formulated for dogs. Even I can fall short of this with my own dog, but I brush his teeth at least weekly.
Some dogs will just refuse to let their owners brush their teeth. Starting young, gradually working up to more frequent brushing and positive reinforcement are key, but in those that are just not amenable to brushing there are other options. There are approved dental diets and chews or treats formulated to reduce dental tartar and help maintain healthy teeth. There are water additives that can be used to help reduce plaque and battle bad breath as well. Think like mouthwash for humans, but it is safe to be ingested by our dogs.
The above oral hygiene management strategies are not intended to replace professional dental cleanings performed by a veterinarian but rather are intended to slow the progression of dental disease so that hopefully a professional cleaning is not needed as often. Proper use of brushing, dental chews and water additives helps owners avoid having to navigate the dog dental cleaning cost and procedure as often.
When to Visit a Vet for Your Dog’s Breath
At the first notice of a change in the odor of your dog’s breath, step one is to peek inside their mouth. If there is no evident source, consider instituting the above management strategies to see if the odor of the breath improves. If there is no improvement after a couple of weeks, or there is obvious dental disease more severe than what brushing can resolve, a veterinary visit is warranted.
If the change in breath is accompanied by other symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea or lethargy, or your dog has a loose tooth, skip the at home management attempt and bring your pet in to be checked by their veterinarian. Underlying issues that can cause these symptoms and bad breath, like diabetes and kidney or liver disease require prompt diagnosis and management. Bloodwork will be required for diagnosis of these systemic issues. Having pet insurance set up for your pup can help ease the financial burden of these sometimes-unexpected scenarios, allowing you to provide the gold standard of medicine for your pet.
Bad Breath in Dogs
Bad breath in dogs can be caused by a variety of issues from dental disease to ingestion of something malodorous, like feces to an underlying systemic disease. As pet owners, it is our job to be proactive when it comes to maintaining both our dog’s oral and overall health. Addressing bad breath early is the best way to maintain oral hygiene and manage underlying disease before it progresses in severity or before teeth extraction may be necessary. Pet dental insurance should be part of your regular pet insurance and helps pet parents feel at ease when it comes to paying for dental injuries and diseases, while routine dental maintenance falls under a pet wellness plan. However, it's important to note that not all pet insurance covers dental issues. Embrace pet insurance is different – they understand the importance of oral health and include dental coverage in all plans. At your pet’s annual visit, your veterinarian will check their mouth for signs of bad teeth or excessive plaque and will help you establish when a professional cleaning is necessary.
By addressing bad breath early and establishing a good dental hygiene routine, you can ensure a lifetime of happy snuggles, playful games, and of course, slobbery kisses that won't make you reach for the air freshener. Now grab a dog-friendly toothbrush and toothpaste as it is never too late to start regular oral hygiene maintenance for your furry friend!