Bad Breath

Question
Hi Kim
I have a 5 month old toy poodle. I have been told by our vet each visit that she is in great health, however, I have noticed lately that her breath is smelly. She is fed an approved dietry dry food and she is given bones/jerky to keep her teeth clean as well. Is she too young to have bad breath already? I have not noticed this with our large dogs.
Thank you in advance.
Kind regards
Courtney

Answer
Hello Courtney,
Some dogs are more prone to bad breath than others, it is just something that happens.  Make sure any bones that you give her, are tough so that she has to knaw at them, which scrapes the tartar off the teeth.  Knuckle bones are great as are Pigs ears, and Cow Hooves.  You can also brush your dogs teeth, but make sure that you use a pet approved toothpaste because regular toothpaste can cause stomach upset.  
If your dog does have alot of tartar or plaque on her teeth, you can have the Vet ultrasonically scrape the tartar off the teeth.  It is an in office visit and they usually have to put your dog under anesthesia to do the procedure.  
You can visit the Pet Kiss company by going to http://www.petkiss.com/Dental_Care_Products_By_Pet_Kis.html
I use their products and they work wonders.  

I hope this helps you some.  If you have other questions, please feel free to ask.

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim