If you have a dog, it is understandable that you want to give it all of your love and affection – a dog is a human’s best friend, right?

This can be a little tricky if your dog has terrible breath. If this is a relationship problem between you and your dog, don’t fret, it can be fixed! Firstly, it is important to understand what causes a dog’s bad breath to begin with.

What’s Causing Dog Bad Breath?

A dog’s breath should never be overly bad. If it is, you should not just brush this off as normal, but consider if there is an underlying cause. There are several reasons for a dog’s bad breath.

1. The first and most common cause for your dog’s bad breath is bad oral hygiene. This can be caused by a build up of plaque in your dog’s teeth, similar to human teeth.
2. The second reason for bad doggy breath can be due to your dog’s eating habits. If your dog is a wild hunter, likes to eat poop or likes to eat trash, this could be the reason for the funky odours in poor old doggo’s mouth.
3. If your dog’s breath smells like urine, or is truly odorous, it is really important that you take your dog to the vet as this can be a symptom of a serious underlying condition.

How to Fix Bad Dog Breath

Depending on the reason for your dog’s bad breath, it is usually simple to address and fix the underlying issue and prevent it from reoccurring.

1. Typically, a routine check-up at the vet can help you diagnose your dog’s problem if you don’t already know what it is. They will be able to offer you a check-up, a dental cleaning for your dog (if necessary) and provide you further information on how to prevent bad breath in the future.
2. At home, it is important to limit your dog’s access to things such as trash and monitor their food intake.
3. Brush your dog’s teeth! Okay, this one might seem a little odd, but according to vets, you should brush your dog’s teeth every day. Remember not to use human toothpaste as it can be toxic for your dog.
4. Give your dog dental treats! These are available from pet shops and most grocery stores.
5. Some chew toys, specifically those that allow you to hide dental treats within them encourage your dog to continue chewing on them, cleaning their teeth as they chew. Bones and rawhide can also be a good way of cleaning and strengthening your dog’s teeth.
6. One specific dog bad breath remedy is through the addition of probiotics to your dog’s diet. Probiotics are a “good bacteria” that are naturally occurring in many of your dog’s organs that improve the health of the gut and the entire digestive system. This can not only lead to your dog sporting better breath, but can also improve its overall health, create a better looking coat, regulate your dog’s mood and behaviour.