BAD BREATH IN DOGS
The Latin term for bad breath is 'halitosis', meaning 'to breathe'. If your dog has bad breath, you will definitely know about it! But do you know the cause of the odious smell?
The most likely explanation is a dental problem - tartar, plaque, gum disease etc. but there could be other more serious causes such as mouth or sinus infections, tonsillitis, and gastrointestinal problems including cancer and kidney disease. You will need to visit your vet to establish the cause of the halitosis.
However, you can do quite a lot to prevent the onset of dental disease in your dog.
Regular brushing with a special dog toothbrush and paste.
This is best started when you first get your puppy. Just slowly introduce the toothbrush but, at first, do not brush, just allow the pup to 'mouth' the brush and get used to the sensation. Gradually begin gentle brushing movements. When the pup is completely happy with this, you can introduce special dog toothpaste. This is usually meat flavoured and can be safely swallowed. NEVER use human toothpaste – they are not designed to be swallowed and your dog will almost certainly do just that!! Also most dogs will hate the taste and refuse to co-operate the next time.
If you have an older dog, the process is the same; it will just take a little longer to get them used to the idea. A tip is to use something tasty to put on the brush e.g. cheese spread, meat paste from a jar. This may sound odd but your dog will then associate teeth brushing with a tasty treat and you can eventually add a small amount of toothpaste, then gradually reduce the proportion of food and increase the toothpaste.
Diet can play an important part in reducing the formation of tartar and plaque. Bones fed RAW make excellent teeth cleaners. The small bones in raw chicken wings are very good for cleaning down the sides of teeth and keeping gums in good condition. They do need to be frozen first to kill any germs such as salmonella on the surface of the skin. Just pop them into a freezer bag and then remove and allow to defrost before feeding them to your dog. Our dogs have been having one a day for several years now with no problems whatsoever. They will also eat just about any kind of raw fruit or vegetable, carrots, peppers, broccoli, apples to name just a few. Be careful though, some food is very toxic for dogs. (see list of Poisonous Plants) - grapes and raisins are known to be toxic to dogs, causing kidney failure if eaten in sufficient quantities. Onions are also toxic in large amounts so it is probably best to avoid them.
Dental exercise can be provided with chew toys like Nylabones, flosses and rasks. These not only help to clean the teeth, they give your dog stimulation and enjoyment at the same time.
The most likely explanation is a dental problem - tartar, plaque, gum disease etc. but there could be other more serious causes such as mouth or sinus infections, tonsillitis, and gastrointestinal problems including cancer and kidney disease. You will need to visit your vet to establish the cause of the halitosis.
However, you can do quite a lot to prevent the onset of dental disease in your dog.
Regular brushing with a special dog toothbrush and paste.
This is best started when you first get your puppy. Just slowly introduce the toothbrush but, at first, do not brush, just allow the pup to 'mouth' the brush and get used to the sensation. Gradually begin gentle brushing movements. When the pup is completely happy with this, you can introduce special dog toothpaste. This is usually meat flavoured and can be safely swallowed. NEVER use human toothpaste – they are not designed to be swallowed and your dog will almost certainly do just that!! Also most dogs will hate the taste and refuse to co-operate the next time.
If you have an older dog, the process is the same; it will just take a little longer to get them used to the idea. A tip is to use something tasty to put on the brush e.g. cheese spread, meat paste from a jar. This may sound odd but your dog will then associate teeth brushing with a tasty treat and you can eventually add a small amount of toothpaste, then gradually reduce the proportion of food and increase the toothpaste.
Diet can play an important part in reducing the formation of tartar and plaque. Bones fed RAW make excellent teeth cleaners. The small bones in raw chicken wings are very good for cleaning down the sides of teeth and keeping gums in good condition. They do need to be frozen first to kill any germs such as salmonella on the surface of the skin. Just pop them into a freezer bag and then remove and allow to defrost before feeding them to your dog. Our dogs have been having one a day for several years now with no problems whatsoever. They will also eat just about any kind of raw fruit or vegetable, carrots, peppers, broccoli, apples to name just a few. Be careful though, some food is very toxic for dogs. (see list of Poisonous Plants) - grapes and raisins are known to be toxic to dogs, causing kidney failure if eaten in sufficient quantities. Onions are also toxic in large amounts so it is probably best to avoid them.
Dental exercise can be provided with chew toys like Nylabones, flosses and rasks. These not only help to clean the teeth, they give your dog stimulation and enjoyment at the same time.