I adore my dogs. When they are puppies you want to be right in their face and sweet talking to them. And as time goes on you love your dog even more, but find you are not enjoying being near your dog due to increasingly bad breath. And there is nothing worse than family and friends visiting and you want them to love your dog but they are chased away by the bad odor. I want my dogs mouths, coats and skin to be clean and fresh always.
Bad breath also called Halitosis is generally caused by two things: dental problems or poor digestion.
Well that's awful. Poor puppies. What can we do to make them feel better? We know we should have been taking care of their teeth but they haven't been the most cooperative. And this is the number one cause of bad breath. We offer them biscuits that clean their teeth and rope that should floss their teeth. None of my dogs cares for those toys. So what do I do?
I had to take a good look at my dogs' teeth. The 6 yr old had yellow/brown back teeth, clearly a dental problem and her breath is the worst. I don't give them cooked bones so I knew there could be none stuck between their teeth, it was just a matter of lack of dental hygiene.
There are many products on the market to assist you with dental hygiene. I like Dentacetic. Small wet pads that smell of cloves. However, my dogs did not agree. And that is only topical. Leba III can be sprayed onto the teeth and remove plaque. It seems to work and whiten the teeth but again this is topical. There are actual dental instruments for dogs to give your dog a teeth cleaning. If your dog will hold still for that...wonderful!
The ideal way to go about this is to start when they are puppies. But if you have an older dog or have adopted a rescue dog, Kudos to you. But how do we get the dog used to teeth cleaning?
I began by playing with my dogs with a dry terry cloth. Once they were not suspicious of that I wet it and again played with them. As I played I actually swiped the teeth with the wet cloth and then resumed playing. My son actually rubs their ears while I work on their teeth which seems to sedate them somewhat. I also am not averse to using Rescue Remedy to keep them calm. I have four dogs so this is a major undertaking. I even used a "treat" afterwards until they became satisfied with praise.
I eventually used the Dentacetic pads which they squirmed a bit but allowed me to clean their teeth finally. The breath afterwards is quite nice. Now my dogs allow me to actually brush their teeth with a "finger brush." It has very soft bristles and you can actually feel the dogs mouth so that you are not too rough and get all the nooks and crannies. There are plaque guards that can be put in their drinking water that also has a minty smell. Now my dogs respond to praise and strut around like fashion models.
Whatever you do, be sure to do something. Especially for smaller dogs who tend to have dental problems more often than the larger dogs.
If you have a dog with bad breath and have taken care of their breath and see no inflammation or stained teeth, you need to consider poor digestion as the cause of the breath problem.
You can give your dogs digestive aids such as digestive enzymes, ginger snaps or Chlorets. I also read about a product called Chlorowin, made by Wintec, Inc (314.257.5400) a digestive aid with chlorophyll, mint and a liver for palatibility (Source: Vet's Guide to Natural Remedies for Dogs, Martin Zucker) Follow label instructions as to dosage.
Peppermint oil is an anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory. It will not cure periodontal disease but it will help with the breath. It is suggested to put a few drops in a cup of distilled water and use as a mouth spray. Sounds easy enough.
There is one other cause of bad breath without evidence of dental disease. If you see a red flare, or line above the teeth or even an entire oral cavity that appears inflamed, you may be dealing with a problem caused my imbalances in the endocrine and immune system that often leads to food allergies. That's another topic altogether.
The lesson is start dental hygiene immediately. The younger the better. In smaller dogs it is imperative.
Tune in for the next blog on Caring for your dog with natural remedies brought to you by Noble Canine.
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| Football player kisses his little dog with good breath & great dental health |
Bad breath also called Halitosis is generally caused by two things: dental problems or poor digestion.
Well that's awful. Poor puppies. What can we do to make them feel better? We know we should have been taking care of their teeth but they haven't been the most cooperative. And this is the number one cause of bad breath. We offer them biscuits that clean their teeth and rope that should floss their teeth. None of my dogs cares for those toys. So what do I do?
I had to take a good look at my dogs' teeth. The 6 yr old had yellow/brown back teeth, clearly a dental problem and her breath is the worst. I don't give them cooked bones so I knew there could be none stuck between their teeth, it was just a matter of lack of dental hygiene.
There are many products on the market to assist you with dental hygiene. I like Dentacetic. Small wet pads that smell of cloves. However, my dogs did not agree. And that is only topical. Leba III can be sprayed onto the teeth and remove plaque. It seems to work and whiten the teeth but again this is topical. There are actual dental instruments for dogs to give your dog a teeth cleaning. If your dog will hold still for that...wonderful!
The ideal way to go about this is to start when they are puppies. But if you have an older dog or have adopted a rescue dog, Kudos to you. But how do we get the dog used to teeth cleaning?
I began by playing with my dogs with a dry terry cloth. Once they were not suspicious of that I wet it and again played with them. As I played I actually swiped the teeth with the wet cloth and then resumed playing. My son actually rubs their ears while I work on their teeth which seems to sedate them somewhat. I also am not averse to using Rescue Remedy to keep them calm. I have four dogs so this is a major undertaking. I even used a "treat" afterwards until they became satisfied with praise.
I eventually used the Dentacetic pads which they squirmed a bit but allowed me to clean their teeth finally. The breath afterwards is quite nice. Now my dogs allow me to actually brush their teeth with a "finger brush." It has very soft bristles and you can actually feel the dogs mouth so that you are not too rough and get all the nooks and crannies. There are plaque guards that can be put in their drinking water that also has a minty smell. Now my dogs respond to praise and strut around like fashion models.
Whatever you do, be sure to do something. Especially for smaller dogs who tend to have dental problems more often than the larger dogs.
If you have a dog with bad breath and have taken care of their breath and see no inflammation or stained teeth, you need to consider poor digestion as the cause of the breath problem.
You can give your dogs digestive aids such as digestive enzymes, ginger snaps or Chlorets. I also read about a product called Chlorowin, made by Wintec, Inc (314.257.5400) a digestive aid with chlorophyll, mint and a liver for palatibility (Source: Vet's Guide to Natural Remedies for Dogs, Martin Zucker) Follow label instructions as to dosage.
Peppermint oil is an anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory. It will not cure periodontal disease but it will help with the breath. It is suggested to put a few drops in a cup of distilled water and use as a mouth spray. Sounds easy enough.
There is one other cause of bad breath without evidence of dental disease. If you see a red flare, or line above the teeth or even an entire oral cavity that appears inflamed, you may be dealing with a problem caused my imbalances in the endocrine and immune system that often leads to food allergies. That's another topic altogether.
The lesson is start dental hygiene immediately. The younger the better. In smaller dogs it is imperative.
Tune in for the next blog on Caring for your dog with natural remedies brought to you by Noble Canine.
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