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Is Bad Breath in Dogs a Sign of Illness?
Dog Dog Health Dog Digestion Dental Care Dental Chews & Treats
Questions
- What Causes Sudden Bad Breath in Dogs?
- How to Get Rid of Bad Breath in Dogs
There are lots of reasons why your four-legged friends might have a case of bad breath, but if all the brushing in the world doesn’t help, then you may be wondering if bad breath in dogs is a sign of illness.. There are lots of causes of halitosis in our canine companions - just as there are with us - but not all of them necessarily link back to illness. However, if you’re concerned about the whiff coming from your fluffy family member’s mouth, then continue reading for some common causes and products you can use to try to remedy their stinky breath.
What Causes Sudden Bad Breath in Dogs?
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The sudden onset of bad breath in our furry friends can be due to several different things. Some are easy to fix, while others can be more of a cause for concern and result in a trip to the vet.
Kidney Disease
Kidney disease can be a scary topic for pet owners - anyone who has had their beloved family pooch suffer will know how serious it is.
Often, by the time we spot symptoms, the issue can be quite developed, so catching kidney disease early is important - one of the earliest symptoms is smelling ammonia on their breath.
Other symptoms include lethargy, a lack of interest in food and frequent urination. If you think your pup’s breath smells like urine, a trip to the vet is vitally important to get a quick diagnosis.
Liver Disease
Similar to kidney disease, smelly breath can be a symptom of another organ struggling to function normally.
The smell that helps to diagnose liver disease is more often a musty, sweet smell - so quite different to the smell you get with kidney disease. If they’re suffering from liver disease, then you’re likely to notice other symptoms like yellowing gums, vomiting and a lack of appetite.
Diabetes
Our beloved pets can get diabetes, just like we can. Diabetes is where the pancreas either doesn’t produce insulin or it isn’t being utilised in the digestion process as it should.
Diabetes can cause very sweet-smelling breath due to all the unprocessed sugars in their blood. Symptoms of diabetes that can occur alongside bad breath include an increased appetite, frequent urination, excessive thirst and sudden weight loss.
Dental Disease
Dental disease in our pets covers a range of different issues like infections of the gums, broken and damaged teeth and a build-up of plaque - all of which can induce some pretty gnarly breath. If you smell something pungent from their mouth or they leave an unpleasant smell after licking you, the first thing you should do is check their gnashers.
Depending on their age, pups will often have some amount of plaque build-up, but if it gets bad enough to make their breath smell, it will need tackling or it can cause the gums to become sore and infected..
If they have broken teeth, these can get infected from a build-up of food and foreign objects, so if their teeth look clean besides one snapped snaggle tooth, this is likely the cause. Other symptoms of dental disease can include your pet favouring softer food or - if it gets really sore - they can go off their food altogether.
Foreign objects
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Similar to dental disease, if your pup’s mouth smells like something is decaying in there, there actually might be.
It’s not uncommon for our pooches to get things stuck in their mouths like sticks, bones or pieces of toys they’ve chewed. The space up against the roof of their mouth is notorious for this and it can go unnoticed, as they can often still drink and eat normally.
However, if it remains there, it can rub and cause the tissue around the object to become sore and infected, which is when we often notice the smell. These can sometimes be removed at home but if it’s really stuck, they might even need a vet to remove it.
Diet
Lastly, if your pup has a touch of halitosis, one of the simplest causes can be what they’ve recently had in their mouth.
If they’re on a fish-based diet, don’t be surprised to get a whiff of it after they eat. Similarly, if they’ve occupied themselves for a while with chewing on a bone, their breath can retain the musky, meaty smell bones usually have.
If you smell faeces on their breath then, chances are, they have probably developed a taste for either their own or other animal’s waste and you’re smelling the after effects of that. Just like when we eat garlic the smell can linger in our mouth, your dog’s breath will likely smell of anything they’ve recently put in theirs!
How to Get Rid of Bad Breath in Dogs
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There are lots of different ways to treat bad breath in dogs. The first of those includes getting their oral health checked by their vet. Additionally, a health professional can rule out any major diseases which may need medicating. Some diseases like diabetes can’t be cured, but can be helped with medication so your pet can continue living a comfortable life.
If left untreated, dental and gum issues can cause some nasty infections and lead to your pet needing a course of antibiotics or go under anaesthetic for a dental procedure to clean or remove teeth. As with most things health-related, prevention is by far the best cure. Regularly checking your pup’s teeth is an important part of their routine so you’re not surprised by any plaque build-up or wedged items.
If dogs are taught to accept regular teeth cleaning, it can help to reduce the build-up of bacteria. Teeth brushing takes some training and getting used to, so if you have an older dog who is struggling to be introduced to this, make sure they still have lots of things to chew to aid in removing any plaque.
You can buy chews and bones for them to gnaw on and help clean their teeth. Some are specifically designed with ridges to help keep teeth clean and breath fresh.
There are also a range of toys that promote chewing and can help with this while you introduce brushing their teeth. Toys made out of nylon are safe for both puppies and dogs, so many brands have flavoured ones to encourage chewing. The TastyBone Bacon Nylon Toy will tempt your pup to gnaw and help with their dental health.
Overall, there are several things that could be causing your pup’s bad breath, so don’t panic if you smell something less than desirable in their mouth - just be mindful that it could be something more than a little stink. Pay a visit to your nearest Jollyes Community Pet Clinic for a complete health check to make sure there’s nothing more sinister behind the pong and maintain your beloved pet’s good health!