Dog Bad Breath

Dog bad breath is very common , and most owners have to deal with nauseous dog breath at least once. If your dog has bad breath, the following tips could be useful.

If you have not been brushing your dog's teeth, learning how to do this properly is one of the first things that you should do. Brushing a dog's teeth is not difficult to learn, and only takes some patience and practice. You do have to make sure that your dog gets used to the procedure. You can use one of the special flavored toothpastes that your dog may readily accept, and eventually, he may even start to look forward to it.

Frequent brushing will take care of tartar build-up, which is one of the major reasons for dental problems and dog bad breath. You can also look for a special dog breath freshener that can restrict the accumulation of tartar. Even so, this special freshener should not be considered a substitute for brushing.

Soft foods tend to leave residue that gets stuck between the teeth and gums. Once the food particles decay, they start giving out an offensive smell. See to it that you give your dog a fair amount of hard and dry foods, which can assist in the natural cleaning of the teeth. Bones and chew toys also help in keeping teeth clean.

When brushing, look for bone splinters that may have been lodged between the teeth or the gums. You may be able to remove some of them on your own. If the food particles or splinters are lodged deep within the recesses, you may have to take the dog to a veterinarian. While brushing, you should also keep an eye for abscessed teeth, reddened gums or signs of infection so that you can take action early. These problems must be addressed by a vet.

If you have been taking care of your dog's teeth while grooming, there is very little possibility of dog bad breath. All the same, regardless of the dental care that you are allowing for, make certain that a dental check-up is included every time you visit your veterinarian. An examination of the teeth, mouth and breath can actually unearth some possible future condition that may otherwise have gone undetected.

Other Things to Look Out for

If your dog has bad breath and is reluctant to eat, hurries to the food bowl but cannot eat or drops food, particularly large chunks or hard foods while eating, you have every reason to suspect that a dental condition is the cause of pain in the mouth and bad breath. Drooling and pawing at the mouth are other indications that there are problems within his mouth.

Commonly dogs can suffer from dental disease due to certain factors like improper diet, genetic predisposition and improper dental care. All these elements can lead to canine bad breath. Sometimes dog bad breath can be an indication of a metabolic disease, gastrointestinal disease or obstruction, oral cancer or stomatitis.

Lack of suitable dental care is the major reason for accumulation of tartar on the teeth, inflammation of the gums and receding margin of the gums. These cause bad breath and are also a potential risk for the development of a condition known as periodontitis. Periodontitis may lead to secondary infections or spread of bacteria to other organs.

Puppies frequently get bad breath during the process of shedding teeth. This is a temporary condition that may be accompanied by fever. This specific condition can be taken care of by brushing teeth with diluted baking soda. A dog oral breath spray can be more convenient if the young dog has not yet got used to the toothbrush.

Older dogs, especially thin and frail ones, with bad breath should be checked for kidney or liver disease, particularly since bad breath is one of the symptoms that accompany failure of these organs. Dogs with signs of organ failure or severe periodontitis require extra special care while tending to their teeth. In these instances a specialist is the right person to supply dental care as the procedure may call for anesthesia and subsequent treatment, if needed.