Dog Breath Overpowering You? Reasons Why Your Dog's Breath Is Stinkier Than Usual

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When people have "dog breath," it usually is not a compliment. When your dog has really bad dog breath (literally!), you might want to have a vet check that out. While most dogs will automatically have smelly breath (unless you brush your dog's teeth after meals, which many owners do not), really bad breath is indicative of something else. Here is just the short list.

Dehydration

A dehydrated doggy has lots of bacteria in its mouth that gets out of control when the pooch has not had a good drink of water in a while. You can usually tell if your dog has not been drinking enough when his/her nose is not really wet or he/she seems more listless than usual. If availability of water is not the problem (i.e., a full water bowl), try making the water colder or warmer to see if your dog will drink then. If not, he/she definitely should see a vet to find out why A) he/she will not drink enough water, and B) if dehydration is contributing to his/her awful breath.

Poop Eaters

Dogs eat feces--that is just the nature of the beast. In fact, it is much rarer for a dog not to eat feces. If you have not seen your dog eat feces, he/she may still be doing it on the sly, especially if you are not closely supervising outdoor time. Some dogs will even eat the feces of other animals, including rabbit pellets, cat feces and bird feces on the sidewalk. If your pooch is a known poo eater, and suddenly becomes rather voracious about this gross habit, there may be something missing in his/her diet. As such, the increase in the ingestion of more feces will undoubtedly give your dog worse breath for obvious reasons.

Gum Disease

Dogs, just like people, get gum disease and rotting teeth. Since the majority of most dogs' diets consists of soft food, this problem is compounded by the sugars used to make the food inviting. If your doggy has rotting teeth and/or swollen and inflamed gums, he/she may also have the foulest of breath. These oral hygiene issues frequently prevent affected dogs from eating and drinking, too, so you may spot a pattern here. Even if your dog chomps down with little complaint, he/she should get a thorough dog dental cleaning from your vet--such as Brian E Hall--every couple of months to prevent gum disease, tooth decay and bad doggy breath.

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23 December 2016

Diseases in Dogs

Do you know the types of diseases that are most likely to cause death in dogs? My name is Anne, and I have owned several dogs in the my lifetime. I enjoy training, playing with, and caring for dogs of all sizes and breeds. Throughout my time as a dog owner, I have discovered that there are several illnesses that are common causes of death in dogs and that some breeds are more likely to get these diseases than other breeds. This blog will explain various common deadly diseases in dogs and give advice about how to prevent and treat these illnesses.