Dogs’ breath can often smell a bit pongy! If you’re wondering why your dog’s breath smells so bad and what to do about it, we’re here to help you take your first steps towards improving the common issue of bad breath in dogs!

It's really important to make sure your dog's teeth are cleaned on a regular basis. It's not just to rid bad smelling breath, but also to clear bacteria in the mouth and help prevent dental and gum disease. Just like us humans, there are health problems associated with poor oral hygiene, so to banish bad breath, we need to make sure their mouth is in tip top condition.

So let's get in there and find out how to deal with bad breath in dogs.

Is Bad Breath in Dogs a Sign of Illness?

The bad smell that you may notice on your dog’s breath can mean that there’s too much bacterial growth present in your dog’s mouth, digestive system or respiratory (breathing) system. Bacteria produce smelly gases and so extra bacteria in your dog’s mouth, or elsewhere in their body, can make your dog’s breath smell.

Dog bad breath can be caused by many things, but the most common cause of bad breath is dental disease or periodontal disease. Plaque build-up on teeth traps bacteria, which in turn release smelly gases, whilst also damaging your dog’s teeth and gums.

Other diseases such as liver disease, kidney disease, mouth ulcers, diabetes, mouth injuries, foreign bodies and even some tumours can result in smelly breath. But, for most serious diseases there’ll be other symptoms in addition to the smelly breath.

Your vet should be your first port of call to investigate bad breath, whether you have noticed sudden onset bad breath on your dog or whether you have noticed their breath smell slowly worsening. Your vet can help to find the cause of bad breath on your dog and formulate a suitable investigation and treatment plan.

How to Get Rid of Bad Dog Breath?

Before you or your vet can embark on a dog bad breath treatment programme, it’s important to find out why your dog has bad breath. Different causes need different approaches to treat bad breath in dogs. It’s important to treat the cause of the problem.

So, for example, if your dog has kidney disease, it may be that oral plaque and bacteria aren’t the issue and dental treatment isn’t needed, but your dog may need special food or medication to support their kidneys. If your dog has a tooth root abscess, then they’ll require dental treatment that may include, anaesthesia, x-rays, antibiotics, pain killers and even tooth extraction.

Commonly, dental disease is identified as the primary cause of bad breath, and this may be as straightforward as a build-up of plaque on the teeth. In this case, the focus needs to be on cleaning the teeth and keeping them clean at home. If a lot of plaque has built up and particularly if it has calcified to form hard calculus deposits, your dog may need expert dental cleaning at your veterinary practice. This is done using a descale and polish procedure under anaesthesia.

Descaling removes plaque and calculus using an ultrasonic scaling machine. Polishing, using a veterinary dental polishing machine and special toothpaste, helps to smooth the teeth - making it harder for new plaque to take hold. Descaling and polishing should only be performed at a veterinary surgery and dogs should always be anaesthetised for this procedure. Anaesthesia is necessary both to do the job properly and for animal welfare reasons. Descaling can be uncomfortable for the dog and an awake dog may also move, resulting in damage to the teeth or gums.

While your dog is under anaesthetic your vet can thoroughly examine and probe your dog’s teeth and gums and take dental x-rays. This enables your vet to ensure their teeth are healthy below the gum line and on the inside, as well as checking what can be seen from the outside. Teeth are a bit like little icebergs, and lots of issues can be lurking beneath the gum, out of site but painful (and smelly) all the same.

Dog Bad Breath Treatment

There are very few effective dog bad breath home remedies other than regular tooth brushing. Your veterinary practice can explain how to introduce brushing to your dog and how to brush your dog’s teeth effectively.

Some dental chews, supplements and food/water additives may be beneficial when used alongside regular brushing. Look for products with the Veterinary Oral Health Council’s seal of approval.

Not every dog is amenable to brushing and you can only do your best. If you’re unable to brush your dog’s teeth effectively, or if it’s not safe to do so, make sure they have regular veterinary dental checks. Your vet will be able to help and support you and your pet as needed.

Smelly breath can be a sign of dental problems but can also indicate other disease too. If you notice your pet’s breath is getting a bit pongy then contact your vet for a check-up. It’s never too late to start brushing your dog’s teeth or using preventative oral health care.

Everypaw Dog Insurance

Everypaw's Dog Insurance comes with 24/7 unlimited access to vets and vet nurses that can help with your pet's health, care, nutrition and behaviour. So you can rest assured your pup will be well looked after.

If you take out an Everypaw Dog Insurance policy, dental cover is included in your vet fee cover. You just need to make sure you look after your dog's teeth, take them for regular check-ups and make sure you follow your vet's advice.

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Content provided from Vetstream's Vetlexicon Canis - www.vetstream.com/treat/canis 

Vetlexicon is the world’s largest peer-reviewed online clinical reference source. All our content is written and peer-reviewed by over 1,000 of the world’s leading veterinarians, ensuring relevance, accuracy and quality.