How to Prevent Bad Breath in Pets

By eHow Pets Editor

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Bad breath may be a sign that your cat or dog has a buildup of bacterial growth in the form of plaque, or possibly a more serious condition, such as gingivitis.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Dog Bones
Dog Deodorant
Dog Toothpastes
Doggie Toothbrushes
Cat Treats
Kitty Toothbrushes

Step1

Understand that brushing your cat's or dog's teeth is the best method for preventing bad breath and other dental problems (see related eHow 'Brush Your Dog's or Cat's Teeth').

Step2

Look for abscessed teeth and other dental problems while you're brushing, and have a veterinarian properly treat any such problems.

Step3

Consider offering your cat or dog mouthwash; some mouthwashes made for pets claim that they can deter dental tartar buildup.

Step4

Consider your pet's diet. Some soft canned foods are particular offenders when it comes to bad breath. Make sure your cat or dog eats dry food in addition to soft food, unless he is elderly and needs to eat soft food exclusively.

Step5

Be sure that your veterinarian includes a dental examination and cleaning as part of your pet's regular examinations.

Step6

Consider other possible causes of bad breath'such as gastrointestinal disease'if it persists in spite of clean teeth and proper food. Bring your pet to the veterinarian for a checkup.

Tips & Warnings

Some pet foods are designed to help prevent tartar buildup and gum disease. Certain chew toys also can help prevent and remove tartar buildup.

Comments

BlondieRHS02 said

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on 6/25/2008 I have found a product called The Pet Beverage that works great with my dog. We just add it to her water everyday and in about a week, I noticed a big difference. It also takes care of her body odor and gives her a shinnier coat!

http://www.adbio.com/pet-beverage.htm

Dinger said

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on 11/20/2006 If the problem of the bad breath is not orally related then it could be due to the dog's diet and a different preventative is available. Most owners these days give their dogs dry dog food as part of their diet, which mostly keeps their teeth and mouth healthy, yet their dogs have bad breath. This we page http://www.dinovite.com/nutshell.html explains why. We found this to be totally accurate and solved our dog's bad breath by adding additional and necessary vitamins and minerals to his raw meat and reducing the quantity of dry food - which was obviously the problem due to its high percentage of yeast content. However, if you didn't wish to go to this amount of trouble, then I am sure there are products like the one on this web page and others, which are reputable and can properly provide the necessary digestion aids and anti-bacterial activity in the dog's digestive tract to achieve the same result and thereby naturally eradicate bad breath.

Anonymous said

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on 8/8/2006 Even though I brush my Chihuahuas teeth and give them plenty of raw veggies and Milkbones, they still have bad breath now and then. I found these treats called Chocolick Mints, which are made with carob so they are safe for pooches. They look like Andes mints and my Chihuahuas love them.

Anonymous said

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on 8/8/2006 When Listerine put out their new strips, my husband and I wondered if they would be safe for our dog (who has chronic halitosis)! I brush her teeth, I thought it was the food we'd been feeding her, no plaque, no gingivitis. So we asked our vet. He mentioned that he'd been recommending them to his other clients. So we've been using the mint strips ever since and they work like a charm.

Anonymous said

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on 1/25/2006 Put a drop of lemon juice (right out of the bottle) into your dogs water!
Make sure that that the lemon juice has no sugar in it, because, sugar rots dogs teeth!!
Note: this does not work with cats. Good luck!

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