kidney disease and bad breath in dogs
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.
Kidney Disease in Dogs: Signs, Symptoms, and Treatment
Your dogs kidneys are essential organs that filter waste products from the bloodstream. When the kidneys are weakened, either by acute or chronic kidney disease, your dogs health could suffer. Because kidney disease progresses over time, its important to learn the common symptoms so tha you can recognize them. If you catch kidney disease in dogs early on, treatment can slow down the progression and allow your dog to live longer.
What Is Kidney Disease in Dogs?
Kidney disease in dogs is sometimes called renal or kidney insufficiency because it occurs when a dogs kidneys stop doing their job as efficiently as they should. The main job of the kidneys is to help clear and excrete waste products from the blood and convert them to urine, says Dr. Jerry Klein, Chief Veterinary Officer for the AKC. If the kidneys are not working properly, these waste products can build up in the blood, causing detrimental effects.
Dogs can get either acute kidney disease, which develops suddenly, or chronic kidney disease (CKD), which develops slowly and worsens over an extended period. Both involve loss of kidney function, but they result from different circumstances. Acute kidney disease is a sudden attack or injury to the kidney, whereas chronic kidney disease is a slow, degenerative loss of kidney function, Dr. Klein explains.
What Causes Kidney Disease in Dogs?
Dr. Klein warns that kidney disease could be caused by a lot of things, including infection (such as with the bacteria that causes leptospirosis), trauma, genetics, drugs, toxins, cancer, mechanical obstructions (like kidney stones), and degenerative diseases (where the job and form of the affected body part get worse over time). Anything that decreases blood flow to the kidneys, such as dehydration or heatstroke, can cause the kidneys to fail.
Acute kidney disease in dogs can be caused by exposure to hazardous materials, including toxic plants such as lilies, certain drugs, harmful foods such as grapes or raisins, or antifreeze. Puppy-proofing your home and yard can keep your dog away from potentially harmful items or foods that could be toxic.
Chronic kidney disease in dogs is also associated with growing older. Because kidney tissue cant regenerate once its damaged, the kidneys can wear out over time. As small-breed dogs often live longer than large-breed dogs, they tend to show early signs of kidney disease at an older age10 years old or more, compared to as young as 7 for the large breeds.
What Are the Symptoms of Kidney Disease in Dogs?
The earliest signs of kidney disease in dogs are increased urination and therefore increased thirst. Other symptoms dont usually become apparent until about two-thirds of the kidney tissue is destroyed. So, in the case of CKD, the damage may have begun months or even years before the owner notices. Because of this, its common for the signs of kidney disease in dogs to seem like they came out of the blue when in fact, the kidneys have been struggling for a long time.
Other signs of chronic kidney disease in dogs to watch for include:
Dr. Klein says there are some rarer symptoms of kidney disease in dogs to be aware of, as well. On occasion, there can be abdominal painurinary obstructions or stonesand in certain instances, one can see ulcers in the oral or gastric cavity. In extreme cases, little or no urine is produced at all.
What Are the Stages of Chronic Kidney Disease in Dogs?
Kidney disease in dogs is measured in stages. Many veterinarians use the IRIS scale, which has four stages. Blood work measurements like creatinine and SDMA (biomarkers for kidney function) allow your vet to assign your dog to a particular stage which will determine the exact treatment.
Dr. Klein explains, The stages determine how well the kidneys can filter waste and extra fluid from the blood. As the stages go up, the kidney function worsens. In the early stages of CKD, the kidneys are still able to filter out waste from the blood. In the latter stages, the kidneys must work harder to filter the blood and in late stages may stop working altogether.
How Is Kidney Disease in Dogs Treated?
Dialysis (a medical procedure that removes waste products and extra fluid from the blood) is far more common in humans than in dogs, although peritoneal (kidney) dialysis can be performed in some cases. On rare occasions, surgical kidney transplant is possible in dogs.
But Dr. Klein specifies that depending on the type and stage of kidney disease, the main treatments for CKD are diet changes and administration of fluids, either directly into the veins (intravenous) or under the skin (subcutaneous). The balancing and correction of electrolytes are extremely important in the management of kidney patients, he explains.
Proper nutrition is needed, and there are many available diets formulated for cats and dogs with kidney issues, some by prescription only. Your veterinarian can help guide you to the most appropriate diet for your pet.
Because kidney disease, particularly in the late stages, can cause a dog to lose their appetite, it can be difficult to encourage your dog to eat enough. Dr. Klein advises, There are medications used as appetite stimulators available, such as the prescription drug mirtazapine. Capromorelin has recently been FDA-approved for dogs to address appetite in chronic kidney disease.
When Do You Need to Call Your Vet?
The prognosis and expected life span for a dog with kidney disease depend on the type of disease, the speed of progression, and underlying conditions present in the dog. However, the more serious the disease, the poorer the outcome. Thats why its so crucial to catch the illness early on.
According to Dr. Klein, In chronic kidney disease, there are methods, such as diets and medications, that can be used to lessen the burden of work the kidneys need to do and may help slow down the progression from one stage to the next. In acute kidney disease, there is less time and fewer choices available to prevent further damage to the kidneys and to try to jump-start the kidneys to get them to function normally.
Regular veterinary exams, including bloodwork, are an excellent way to spot kidney problems before the outward symptoms become apparent. And if you notice any of the above signs, dont hesitate to get your dog to the vet for further testing. It can make a huge difference in preserving kidney function and your dogs well-being for as long as possible.
