Does your dog’s breath smell fishy or less than ideal? Bad dog breath is a common issue but it should not go unaddressed.
Stinky breath can be caused by medical conditions, diet, or poor dental hygiene. If your dog is overall healthy, then there are many ways to try and eliminate the odour.
6 Tried-and-tested ways to reduce bad dog breath
Brush teeth regularly
The most obvious way to fight bad dog breath is to brush your dog’s teeth. Poor dental hygiene will lead to bad breath whether you are dog or human. Plague and tartar buildup and poor gum health create the perfect environment for bacteria to multiply and contribute to a strong odour.
Check out our recommended toothbrushing bundle.
Offer raw meaty chews
For raw feeders, giving raw meaty bones to your dog regularly can replace toothbrushing. The abrasive action of your dog’s teeth rubbing against the meat as they chew helps to clean the teeth and massage the gums.
Be sure to only feed non-weight-bearing and size-appropriate raw bones and supervise these chew sessions closely.
Encourage drinking
Drinking water not only helps rinse off food particles from your dog’s mouth after meals or treats, it also stimulates saliva production, which prevents bacteria from growing.
A few ways to encourage drinking:
- Make sure water is accessible by placing multiple water bowls around the house
- Always keep the water fresh by replacing it frequently or use a water fountain
- Use a glass bowl – Latte loves drinking water from her glass bowl more than any other bowl types
- Feed water mixed with a bit of lactose-free milk or broth
- Ensure that your dog gets enough physical exercise and water afterwards
Add a water additive
Water additives coat the mouth and neutralise bad bacteria that causes bad breath.
The catch with additives is that your dog needs to be drinking water frequently throughout the day for them to work their magic round the clock. Basically, the ingredients need to be coating the mouth to prevent odour from forming.
Bad breath may recur once you stop using the product. We personally use Teef! regularly with great results.
Feed pre- & probiotics
Bad breath can be caused by an imbalance in your dog’s gut microbiome.
One easy way to tell whether that’s the cause is by smelling your dog’s breath shortly after you brush their teeth (or when they are panting). If the bad breath is still strong and smells like it comes from further inside, then there’s no harm adding some probiotics to improve their gut health.
We highly recommend Adored Beast Love Bugs as it has helped with Latte’s bad breath tremendously.
Arrange for professional dental cleaning
For severe tartar buildup and cavities, a trip to the vet for professional dental cleaning is in order. Only a vet can safely check and clean under the gum line and remove decayed teeth. Read more on Latte’s dental cleaning experience.
Annual health checkups are crucial in letting professionals have the opportunity to check for medical conditions that may lead to bad breath and advise whether professional cleaning is necessary.
A little diligence in maintaining dental hygiene can go a long way to reduce the frequency of professional intervention. Try one or more of the solutions above and let us know how it goes!
Featured image: Photo by Ivan Babydov from Pexels
