You just arrived at your home. Your paw friends have been waiting to give you lots of kisses. While cuddling and kissing your dog, you have just realized your dog’s breath smells really bad! And you can’t remember the last time that you cleaned its teeth or the last time you went for a dental checkup. But is it really that serious? What causes dog breath anyway?
Yes, dog breath is a serious issue. Bad breath has lots of causes, such as poor oral hygiene, dental or gum disease, and also serious health problems like diabetes, kidney disease, and dietary deficiencies.
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What Are The Signs Of Good Oral Hygiene In Dogs?
Normal oral hygiene creates normal fresh breath. Regularly taking care of your dog’s teeth and gums in this way keeps their mouth clean and their breath good.
Dog’s teeth should be white with no layers of plaque or tartar. Gums should be pink with just a little redness. If your dog’s mouth has these two things and no bad breath, then your dog’s mouth is in good shape!
What Are The Causes Of Bad Dog Breath?
When an owner doesn’t care for their dog’s teeth regularly, problems will start to arise. After finishing their meal, lots of food gets stuck in the dogs’ teeth.
Food like this that’s left in a dog’s mouth, plus some bacteria and salt from saliva will collect and create a mass called plaque, which is part of the cause of bad breath. If left uncleaned, plaque becomes tartar, which allows bacteria to spread around the gums. This causes gingivitis, gum infection, and periodontal disease. One characteristic of all of these is bad breath.
What Can I Do If My Dog Has Bad Breath?
Okay, so you’ve just noticed your dog has bad breath. It’s important to take this seriously and not just assume it’s normal.
Firstly, schedule an appointment with your veterinarian. Your veterinarian will check your dog’s teeth and gums. If needed, your veterinarian will schedule a teeth cleaning. This is done under general anesthesia and also uses X-rays to check the teeth’s roots.
How To Prevent Bad Breath?
Thankfully, preventing bad breath in a dog isn’t difficult. It just needs some good routines and products.
The first and most important thing is brushing your dog’s teeth using a toothbrush and dog’s toothpaste. You’ll want to begin these routines as soon as possible with your dog. The younger the better because that’ll help them get used to what’s going on, which will make it easier down the road.
Second, make sure your dog is getting quality food. Quality food helps keep teeth and gums looking nice.
You can also use dental treats and products like bones, which can help with removing plaque. Besides, giving your dog something to chew on while you’re gone will give it something to do while it’s alone.
What Products Can I Use For My Dog’s Oral Hygiene?
We recommend talking to your vet about this to see what recommendations they have. However, as long as you’re using toothpaste and toothbrushes approved for dogs, you should be fine. Still, it’s worth double-checking the ingredients to make sure nothing’s in there that shouldn’t be, and you could always run your product ideas by your vet too.
In Conclusion: What Causes Dog Breath?
So, in conclusion, poor hygiene causes a dog’s bad breath, which, thankfully, is very easy to solve!
So, got any funny stories about bad dog breath? What’s the worst bad dog breath you’ve ever smelled? Let us know your thoughts and why in the comments below!