Food, tartar build-up, bacteria and natural organisms in the mouth are some causes of dog breath odor. Most dogs have a bit of bad breath and that is normal and can be easily treated. If your dog’s breath smells extremely bad--for example, if it smells like something is infected or rotting, you should take it to a veterinarian to make sure the dog doesn’t have an abscess or gum disease. Treating the symptoms while ignoring the cause, in that case, can have bad health consequences for your dog. In cases of regular mild dog breath, however, you can treat it at home.
Things You'll Need
- Pet toothbrush
- Pet toothpaste
- Dog breath chews
- Dog breath mints
Instructions
Use a pet toothbrush and pet toothpaste (sold at pet stores) to brush your dog’s teeth at least once a day. Bacteria, tartar and trapped food particles contribute to dog breath.
If you start brushing when the dog is a puppy, it will be easier--however, most well-trained adult dogs will allow this as well.
Feed your dog a balanced diet that is primarily dry kibble, rather than canned food or table scraps. Pet Education advises that dry kibble may help prevent tartar build-up on the dog’s teeth.
Give your dog a dental chew, rather than its regular chews. Dental chews are created to help scrape off plaque as the dog chews them.
Add a dental plaque-reducing treatment to the dog’s water. These are also available at pet stores and very easy to use. The less plaque build-up allowed, the cleaner and healthier your dog’s teeth and mouth will be--and, therefore, dog breath will be less likely.
Give your dog a dog mint. These are flavored breath mints that most dogs enjoy just as any treat, only these help keep the dog’s breath fresh.