Bad Breath in Dogs
We're all aware that bad breath is one of the worst things a dog can
have, and most all of us dog owners experience stinky kisses from our
pets every now and then. Bad breath, also known as halitosis, is caused
by excessive build-up of odor-producing bacteria inside of your dog's
mouth, lungs or even gut. Keep in mind, even if the cause of your dog's
bad breath is caused by something minor such as dental disease, gum
disease, or tartar, on-going bad breath could be a hint that your pet
may be experiencing greater dog diseases.
Your veterinarian is the best person to pinpoint the cause of the stinky breath. A physical
examination and laboratory work may be performed. Be ready to answer
questions about your dog’s diet, oral hygiene, exercise habits, and general behavior.
Your dog needs immediate treatment from your vet once it has the following:
- Unusually sweet or fruity breath could indicate diabetes, particularly if your dog has been drinking and urinating more frequently than usual.
- Breath that smells like urine can be a sign of kidney disease.
- An unusually foul odor accompanied by vomiting, lack of appetite, and yellow-tinged corneas or gums could signal a liver problem.
Treatment depends on your vet’s diagnosis. If plaque is the culprit,
your dog might require a professional cleaning. If it’s an issue of
diet, you might have to change your dog’s regular food.
If the cause is gastrointestinal or an abnormality in your dog’s liver,
kidneys, or lungs, please consult your vet about steps you should take.
To
prevent bad breath in your dogs, you need to bring your dog in for
regular checkups to make sure he has no underlying medical issues that
may cause halitosis. In addition, make sure your vet monitors and
tracks the state of your dog’s teeth and breath. Also, you can feed your dog a high-quality, easy-to-digest food. It is also recommended to add probiotics for dogs in their diet. Probiotics reduce and stop the spread of bad bacteria that may cause the unpleasant odor of their breath. Otc probiotics such as the OmNutra Pet Probiotics reduce and eliminate variety of pet health issues including bad doggy breath. It also contains 3 billion CFU per scoop unlike others that only have 1 billion CFU or less. It is also advised to brush your dog’s teeth frequently -- every day is ideal. More so, provide hard, safe chew toys that allow your dog’s teeth to be cleaned by the natural process of chewing.
