Dog bad breath?
Has your dog got bad breath? Don't ignore it. When our dog has bad breath, it's not just unpleasant. It's normally a sign that something else is going on. Have they got plaque building up? Especially on the harder to see back teeth. A dog's dental health is important to their overall wellbeing. It can affect their behaviour and wide long-term health. They can't tell us (and can try to hide it) when their mouth is uncomfortable or painful, so we need to be pro-active with our dog's care.
Check-in with your vet
If your dog hasn't had a recent check-up, or something has changed very recently, it's always
best to start with a vet check-up to rule out anything serious. Although not as common, bad
breath can mean something is going on in their gut or with their kidneys or liver for instance,
so it's best to rule these out.
Do you need a professional clean?
So your dog is otherwise in great health, but their breath is not the nicest. What can you do to
help?
If your dog is not ready to let you brush their teeth (or the tartar build -up is too great),
you may need a professional scale and polish to get back to a healthy mouth.
Keep on top of it
Clean teeth mean fresher breath (and a generally healthier dog). Plaque can be removed through
daily brushing. If left on the teeth it starts to build up within 12 hours and hardens into
tartar. Like us, once it reaches the gum line, it can cause gum disease (periodontal
infections). This means DAILY BRUSHING. Yep, daily!
Choose a suitable toothbrush and dog-specific meaty toothpaste. If your dog is not happy having
their teeth brushed there are games you can play to make it a fun experience. But it will need a
few minutes each day.
Play games to make teeth cleaning fun
Growing their love of some carefully chosen games can make "husbandry" work so much less
stressful for them and you. This is not about wrestling your dog into submission!
A great foundation game is the Chin rest game. You are getting them to choose to rest their chin
into your cupped palm. Mark and reward at very regular intervals. Growing sustained downwards
pressure from them is your cue that they are happy with being there. Over time, you slowly grow
what you can do with them in that position. It might just be holding a toothbrush in one hand
while they chin rest in your other hand. Don't rush. Make it fun.
If your dog already enjoys playing Middle you can add in Middle with handling. If you've played
Hand touch or Nose targeting you can swap out your hand for a toothbrush. See the link at the
bottom of this blog if you need more help.
Natural ways to help
Foods that have some crunch to them will help with good friction on the teeth. I love to give my
dog a raw meaty bone once or twice a week to keep his teeth naturally clean.
Watch out for some so-called dental chews that are very processed and high in calories and not
really that effective at keeping plaque at bay. Instead, I like natural long-lasting chews of
different textures (hooves, rabbit ears, trachea, cow tails, chicken necks - the list is huge!).
If your dog likes carrots (or other firm raw veggies), you can give them a large piece that they
have to chew to help clean plaque from the surfaces of the teeth.
A powerful helping hand
-
I add the dental supplement Plaque-K9 to Bodie's daily diet. It includes 7 superfoods:
- Kelp, which contains the enzyme producing bacterium Bacillus licheniformis. To protect against tooth decay.
- Parsley contains compounds which can counteract strong smelling foods. Plus it's rich in calcium and fluorine to help tooth enamel.
- Fennel has exhibited antibacterial properties which can help inhibit plaque build-up and gum disease.
- Dill is a source of calcium, manganese and iron. Plus flavonoids know for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties.
- Chamomile is anti-inflammatory and soothes irritated gums and mouth ulcers.
- Peppermint is known for its effect on breath, but it also can reduce bacteria in the mouth.
- Fragaria is used to soften and remove tartar and dental plaque, preventing the formation of new deposits. It helps makes daily brushing (and toy/bone chewing) more effective.
