How To Improve The Smell Of Your Dogs Breath

7 Ways To Improve Your Dogs Breath

We all love those exuberant kisses that our dogs plant on us each and every day. However when our dog friends are suffering from breath that is less than sweet smelling, it tends to make us cringe and take cover when we see that lolling tongue headed towards us! Bad breath is a common complaint of many dog owners, so we at The Dog Guide are here with 7 suggestions to save your nose and preserve those tender moments between you and your pooch!

Dietary Suggestions

Feed Dry Food: The crunchy nature of kibble helps keep teeth clean! Don抰 moisten dry food or feed wet food if your dog is suffering from bad breath (unless directed by your Veterinarian).

Feed A Raw Diet: Gnawing on *raw* meaty bones is the absolute best diet for your dogs?teeth. Those natural motions keep teeth and gums very healthy. Of course, this diet does require a great deal of research and isn抰 something to jump into! If you are interested in feeding raw, please take a look at our article: Raw Diet: The Basics

Treats That Prevent Stinky Breath

Carrots as Treats: Baby carrots (or carrots that are cut up) are yummy, low fat treats for your dog! They are also extremely crunchy and aid in removing plaque!

Hard dog treats/biscuits: These act in the same way as kibble does – helping keep plaque away as the dog chews. Watch and make sure there are no sugars added that could encourage dental disease!

Dog Chews That Clean Breath

Greenies: Greenies are a specially shaped, chewy treat that are proven to aid in reducing tarter buildup. They are 96% digestible (which is actually a higher percentage than your average dog kibble) and are made to be consumed. The 搕oothbrush?shape of their treats is designed to access all of the nooks in your dogs?mouth! Check out the greenies website for more information.

CET Chews: C.E.T. HEXtra Premium Chews with Chlorhexidine are only available through your vet. These beef rawhides are coated with Chlorhexidine, a safe, palatable anti-microbial that is useful in controlling the buildup of plaque. These chews come in sizes for dogs under 40 lbs and over 40 lbs. Check out this website for more information on CET Chews.

Dog Hygiene For Fresh Breath

Professional Dental Cleaning: This is the *best* method of ridding your pup of his breath issues! During a professional dental cleaning your dog will be anesthetized and his teeth will be scaled and polished. Also your vet will be able to determine if your friends?foul breath could be caused by something more sinister. Bad breath can be an early warning sign of illnesses such as diabetes, kidney disease or even cancer.

Brushing Teeth: Brushing your dog抯 teeth is a great way to prevent dental issues and improve his breath. While we encourage daily brushing, we know that this is unrealistic for most pet owners. Twice a week brushing will greatly cut down the amount of plaque buildup in your dogs?mouth! Be sure to use toothpaste that is made exclusively for dogs! These come in flavors like Beef and Peanut Butter and are made to be swallowed (since dogs can抰 rinse and spit!)

Water Additives: Water Additives are a fairly new item on the market these days. These are liquids, such as fluoride, that claim to improve your dogs?breath when added to their daily drinking water. While we haven抰 tried any of these ourselves, we have heard that people are seeing some fairly decent results when using these products! Oxyfresh is one brand out there. It claims to be tasteless and odorless, so your dog shouldn抰 even notice her teeth feeling cleaner!