Japanese Chin with bad breath/gas

Question
Hi Jana, thank you for taking the time to read my question. I have a two year old Japanese chin that I adopted from rescue at 9 months old. By the time he was 1, I had to have a dental done on him. His gums were bleeding and my vet says he has bad teeth, even for a small breed. Since the dental I have brushed his teeth 3 times a week with enzymatic dog toothpaste. His teeth look good now, no tartar. My vet is happy with how they look. His breath though, is horrible. He also has bad gas occassionally. I know he's allergic to grains, and he is on a grain free diet of Taste of the Wild. A couple of the treats I give him have some grain (Greenies). I'm wondering if the bad breath could be related to what's causing the gas. Are there any other teeth friendly chewies I could give him that don't have grain? I don't give rawhides at all because my dogs are small and I know they can get lodged in their intestines. I do have some Missing Link powder that I bought but never really fed them. Do you think a digestive aid like that could help the gas and the breath?

Thanks!
Kelle

Answer
My first question is how do you know he is allergic to grains? What kind of grains?
Most foods have some type of grain, be it rice, bran, millet, etc. Grains are one of the least allergic foods in dogs with the exception of wheat. I see that this one doesn't but if he is still having gas and bad breath then he isn't digesting this food properly. Greenies are not know to cause bad breath but I can see them causing gas. You might want to try carrots for treats instead. I have used them for years. No gas.

Another thing is that he still could have some bad gingivitis and periodontal disease that is still healing.