Your Dog Has Bad Breath

Posted on April 15, 2008
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“Your Dog Has Bad Breath!”

A rather depressing statement, especially if made by the cute dog-owner you are trying to make a good first impression on in the park. Not as bad as it would be if she said that you had bad breath, but still bad enough.

“Actually, all dogs have bad breath,” you might say, somewhat defensively. Which may not be untrue some of the time, and in fact happens often enough to give rise to the term “dog’s breath” when referring to the pong of a human’s breath.

What could cause bad breath or halitosis in dogs?
The trusty old almanac lists a number of causes, among which are:

Gingivitis (inflammation of the gums)

Periodontitis (inflammation of the tissue that surrounds the tooth)

Abscessed tooth or teeth

Bone or hair stuck in mouth

Oral ulceration

Foreign bodies in the mouth (such as plant material or grass awns)

Cancer in the mouth

Lung diseases, such as lung cancer

Severe kidney disease

Treatment of the cause, ideally by a veterinarian, leads to resolution of the symptom. There are some home measures, of course, that can be taken:

- regular daily brushing of the teeth
- daily spraying of an antiseptic chlorhexidine (0.12%) into the mouth
- dietary management as ordered by the vet. Special diet foods as recommended by the vet.
- avoid talking to that cute young lady in the park till your bad breath, as well as your dog’s, is taken care of.

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