dog with kidney disease has bad breath

Bad Breath in Dogs: Causes and Treatment

You may love getting kisses from your dog as a greeting when you get home, except when theyre accompanied by bad breath. Is it normal for a dogs breath to stink?

Bad dog breath can actually be a sign of a number of health issues, and some that you would never guess could be related to your dogs breath. Understanding why your dog has bad breath is the first step in appropriately treating not only the smell but the underlying cause.

Why Does My Dog Have Bad Breath?

In the past 10 years, dental hygiene in dogs has changed from occasional tooth extractions to yearly dental examinations and routine teeth cleaning. Preventative dental care options have become widely available, as well as the knowledge of what a dogs mouth can tell us about our canine patients. Bad breath has evolved from being a nuisance for pet parents to a veterinarians tool for diagnosing certain health issues.

Here are some of the most common:

• Dental or Gum Disease: The most common cause of bad breath (halitosis) in dogs is periodontal disease. Similar to humans, dogs with crowded teeth or crooked, misaligned teeth (malocclusions) may be at a higher risk for secondary dental disease; however, most dogs will develop some tartar or plaque buildup (dental calculus) or gingivitis at some point in their life. Dental disease develops when an overgrowth of bacteria in the mouth forms a plaque, which leads to tartar buildup. Tartar can lead to inflammation of the gums (gingivitis). If enough tartar is allowed to build, hair and other debris can get stuck between a dogs gumline, adding to the development of bad breath.

• Something Stuck in Your Dogs Mouth (bone, stick, foreign body): Dogs fond of chewing on toys, ropes, and sticks are at greater risk of getting foreign material stuck in their mouths. Cloth materials tend to get stuck between the teeth, whereas sticks or other firm material such as chew toys may get wedged in the roof of a dogs mouth. Some foreign bodies, like splinters, can get stuck under the tongue or in the cheek and may be hard to see. In some circumstances, strings or linear foreign material may get hooked under the tongue, and the bad breath could be accompanied by not eating and vomiting.

• Kidney Disease: The kidneys function as the bodys filtration system. When theres underlying disease or kidney failure that causes the kidneys not to function, a dog may start to build up toxins called urea in their blood. The urea can make a dogs breath smell like ammonia or urine, which may be an indicator of serious kidney dysfunction. Excessive urea, called uremia, can cause ulceration in the mouth as well, which your vet may see on examination.

• Liver Disease: Bad breath along with yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice) in conjunction with weight loss, poor appetite, and vomiting may indicate that your dogs liver may be affected. Along with the kidneys, the liver acts as a filter for the bodys toxins. When theres a problem with your dogs liver function, toxins can build, and this can show up as bad breath.

• Diabetes: When diabetes becomes unregulated or untreated for a long enough period of time, the body starts breaking down fat, creating molecules called ketones. Dogs that are producing ketones secondary to diabetes may have an acetone or sweet smell to their breath. Dogs with diabetes often have other symptoms such as weight loss, changes in appetite, and increased thirst and urination.

• Ate Something Toxic: Certain toxins like plants can cause rancid or a rotting smell in a dogs breath. Dogs who eat cigarettes may have a nicotine odor to their breath. There are hundreds of toxins present in the environment, and being able to detect what your dog may have been exposed to could help determine the right treatment.

• Ate Something Gross (non-food item): Puppies or adolescent dogs may be more inclined to eat feces of other dogs or be curious about what is in the cats litter box. Dog breath that smells like fecal matter may be linked to simply eating poop. Alternatively, dogs who eat household objects or toys can develop rotten-smelling breath and may vomit if they arent able to digest the foreign material.

• Oral Tumors: More common in older animals, the development of oral cancers or tumors can lead to bad breath. As masses grow, they can become infected, and parts of the tissues can start to die (necrose), leading to persistent bad breath despite good dental care. The most common oral tumors in dogs are melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and peripheral odontogenic fibromas.

• Dietary Deficiencies: Feeding your dog raw or home-cooked diets may disrupt the normal balance of bacteria in the mouth or gut. Imbalances of bacteria and increased likelihood of Salmonella overgrowth in a dogs gut caused by raw diets may contribute to bad breath. If you feed your dog a raw or home-cooked diet, try to consult with a veterinary nutritionist (or if not, your regular vet) to help prevent dietary deficiencies.

How to Get Rid of Your Dogs Bad Breath

If your dog has bad breath, your first step is to schedule a dental exam. If you allow a veterinary professional to routinely exam your dogs mouth, they can detect dental disease and other health issues earlier.

If your dog is prone to periodontal disease, routine cleaning may be needed to help prevent excessive tartar formation and frequent dental extractions (having teeth pulled).

Here are some other ways to improve your dogs oral health and keep their breath smelling better:

• Regular Brushing: Weekly to daily brushing with canine toothpaste and toothbrushes can be the most effective way to prevent plaque formation. Many dog toothpastes are flavored to be enticing to dogs.

• Dental Treats and Products: Dental treats can either help physically remove plaque as your dog chews or may contain additives that promote a healthy oral environment. Other products like dental water additives can be used to help mask bad breath as well as promote oral health. These are typically unflavored, and you simply add a small amount to your pets water dish each day.

• Dental Diets: There are dental diets made for dogs that can help reduce plaque buildup. They use a larger kibble size and a course texture to scrape along the tooth and remove plaque as your dog chews.

The Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) can be a useful resource in picking veterinary-recommended dental diets, treats, and supplements that are safe and effective.

Featured image: iStock.com/adamkaz

Bad Breath in Dogs FAQs

Are there home remedies to treat bad breath in dogs?

The only way to completely resolve your dogs bad breath is treating the underlying cause. However, there are products that can help to lessen the bad breath and prevent it from worsening. The Veterinary Oral Health Council has a list of recommended products that may help.

Can halitosis in dogs (bad breath) be cured?

Halitosis is a symptom of an underlying medical condition, and successful treatment depends on the underlying cause. Its commonly caused by dental disease, which can be treated, but halitosis frequently returns if dental disease recurs.

5 reasons for bad breath in dogs (and how to treat it)

Bad breath in dogs isnt the most pleasant of conditions to be dealing with as a pet parent, especially if your canine companion loves nothing more than to smother you with kisses the minute you walk through the door.

While there are plenty of tips to keep dog teeth clean and healthy, its important to figure out why your beloved bundle of fluff is experiencing bad breath in the first place so that you can then choose the most appropriate form of treatment, which may be as simple as buying the best toothbrush for dogs.

Although we often just write off a dogs bad breath as part and parcel of owning a pup, its worth noting that while a certain degree of stinky breath is to be expected from time to time, a foul and persistent odor is often the sign of an underlying health issue.

Learning how to brush a dogs teeth can certainly be a useful skill when it comes to preventing plaque and tartar build-up, but other more serious conditions, such as diabetes in dogs, kidney disease, and liver disease, are all potential health issues that can cause bad breath and require specialist intervention.

Below, youll find everything you need to know about bad breath in dogs, including the most common causes, how to treat it and what you can do at home to reduce the risk of it occurring in the future.

What causes bad breath in dogs?

Doggy dental practices have come a long way in recent years with checkups and teeth cleaning becoming a routine part of those annual vet visits. Preventative dental care options are also now widely available and a dogs mouth is playing a more important role in the early diagnosis of a range of health issues.

While you may be tempted to dismiss the foul odor coming from your canine companion's mouth as just normal stinky dog breath, its something thats worth paying attention to as theres likely a very good reason behind it. Some of the most common causes of bad breath in dogs include:

1. Oral health issues

Poor oral hygiene practices and periodontal disease are the most common causes of bad breath in dogs. Just like humans, dogs who have crowded, crooked or misaligned teeth are more at risk of plaque and tartar buildup, but even pups with a perfect smile are likely to suffer from dental calculus or gingivitis at some stage in their life.

Too much plaque and tartar can actually result in the gums being pushed away from the teeth, which exposes new areas that bacteria can set up camp in. If left untreated, the gums can become inflamed and infected, and the teeth themselves may even begin to fall out. Needless to say, all of this can lead to some very nasty-smelling breath.

2. Poor dietary habits

Lets be honest, as much as we love our canine companions, sometimes the things they choose to consume are downright disgusting. From why do dogs eat poop to how to get a dog to stop consuming garbage scraps, many a pet parent has found themselves despairing over the things their beloved bundle of fluff puts in their mouth when theyre not looking.

Unfortunately, that unsupervised snacking on anything from feces to household objects can lead to rotten smelling breath which can be further exacerbated if your pup is frequently vomiting up all that foreign material that their body isnt able to digest.

3. Diabetes

A serious but treatable condition, diabetes in dogs is fairly common, affecting around 1 in 300 pups. Along with symptoms like an increase in thirst and urination, bad breath that has a sweet or fruity smell to it is another key sign of the condition.

If you notice this or any other symptoms, its important to make an appointment with your vet straight away so your dog can get a full examination.

4. Kidney disease

A healthy dogs kidneys work to regulate hydration, remove toxins, maintain a normal balance of electrolytes and release hormones required to produce red blood cells.

When the kidneys arent working properly, either due to an underlying disease or kidney failure, toxins start to build up in the blood and these can cause your dogs breath to smell like urine.

If you notice your dogs bad breath has an ammonia-like quality to it, get your pup checked out by a vet as soon as possible as kidney disease and failure are both serious issues that require immediate treatment.

5. Liver disease

Alongside the kidneys, the liver acts as a filtration system that removes toxins from the body. If your dogs breath is truly awful and its accompanied by other symptoms such as yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice), weight loss, poor appetite and vomiting, liver disease could be to blame.

Just like with kidney disease, liver disease is a serious condition that can lead to seizures, coma, and even death if left untreated. Make an urgent appointment with your vet or emergency clinic if you suspect your dog may be experiencing liver problems.

How to treat bad breath in dogs

If your dog has bad breath, the first thing you need to do is to get to the bottom of whats causing it. Youll want to schedule a dental exam with your vet who will be able to give your canine companions mouth a thorough checking over and assess whether the issue is related to poor oral hygiene or periodontal disease or whether there might be something more serious going on.

For foul smelling breath thats been caused by a build-up of plaque and tartar, your vet will be able to book your pup in for a good teeth cleaning and you should notice an improvement in their breath fairly quickly after that. Theyll also be able to remove any loose or damaged teeth and provide advice and guidance on how you can look after your dogs teeth at home to prevent further problems.

If your vet checks your dogs mouth and finds their teeth and gums to be in relatively good condition, theyll likely run further tests to rule out diabetes, kidney or liver disease. Whatever the cause, your dogs bad breath should go away once the underlying issue has been treated and resolved.

Preventing bad breath in dogs

When it comes to preventing bad breath in your dog, there are several simple things you can do at home to keep those pearly whites in tip-top condition.

1. Regular brushing

Just like we humans need to brush our teeth every day to keep them healthy and looking their best, the same is true for our canine companions. Daily brushing with a specially formulated toothpaste for dogs is the most effective way to prevent plaque and tartar from forming.

Now, a word of warning - your dog probably wont like getting their teeth brushed at first, but dont worry, thats to be expected. Youll find that over time theyll get pretty good at tolerating this and it will simply become a part of their daily routine.

To help make it easier, be sure to start off slowly. Spend a few days showing your dog the toothbrush and touching their fur with it without attempting to put it anywhere near their mouth. Let them sniff it and get used to this new object.

Next, pop some toothpaste on the brush and let your dog investigate that. Repeat this for several days, once again without attempting to brush their teeth. After youve done this, try popping a bit of toothpaste on their gums so that they can get used to the taste and feel of it.

Once your dog seems comfortable with all of this, you can gently try brushing their teeth for the first time, being sure to reward them with lots of verbal praise and a treat afterwards.

2. Dental treats

The best dental chews for dogs dont just help remove plaque and tartar from your pups teeth while they chew, they also make for a great treat. Chewing is ideal for keeping the teeth and gums healthy, so be sure to provide your canine companion with plenty of chew toys and dental treats.

3. Special oral health diet

One final way that you can care for your dogs teeth at home is to swap them over to a special dental diet. The best dry dog food has a range of kibbles that have been designed with a coarse texture that will sweep away plaque and tartar while your dog chews.