The causes of bad breath in dogs may vary from the ingestion of a smelly ingredient or a food that didn’t agree with the dog’s stomach to more severe conditions such as a tumor in the oral cavity. It’s important to see if there are additional symptoms, which may help in diagnosing the problem.
Causes of Bad Breath in Dogs
The dog breath is not known as being fresh as it is, but in some cases, a disease mat make the breath worse. The most common causes of dog bad breath may include:
- Gingivitis, which is the inflammation of the gum tissues and may be observable when you open the pet’s mouth; the gums may be red (not the usual pink) and swollen; when touching the gums, the dog may retract his head, due to pain. The condition is often caused by poor dental hygiene, which will allow the accumulation of bacteria and these will affect the gums. The disease should be dealt with to prevent the infection from affecting the alveolar bone and the ligaments
- Dental abscess, which is due to an inflammation of a tooth; you may see puss accumulated under the affected tooth
- GSPC or lymphocytic-plasmacytic gingivitis-stomatitis-pharyngitis, better known as stomatitis, which is a condition manifested through ulceration in the oral cavity; dogs that have a weakened immune system will develop this condition more often
- An object that is trapped in the dog’s nose or esophagus and starts to decompose
- Diabetes, which will make the dog’s breath have a smell that is similar to vinegar
- Kidney disease
- Liver disease
- Polyps in the mouth
- Oral tumors
Additional Symptoms of Bad Breath Conditions
The additional symptoms displayed by your pet may include:
- Red, swollen gums
- Bleeding gums
- Puss discharges in the saliva
- Loss of appetite and weight loss, may be due to the fact that the dog cannot swallow properly
- Pawing the face and mouth
- Incapacity to swallow
- Extreme drooling
- Tartar deposits on the teeth
- Sneezing
- Coughing
- Increased thirst and urination (due to diabetes or kidney disease)
- Jaundice, indicative of a diseased liver
- Visible growths in the mouth
Treating Bad Breath
Bad breath that is not caused by a medical condition may be controlled through the administration of chew treats and a regular schedule of teeth brushing.
However, more serious medical conditions have to be treated with medication or therapy. The treatment may vary and may consist of:
- The extraction of the tooth
- Antibiotics for a dental abscess and the infection of the gums
- A dental cleaning
- Removing the object that may be trapped in the dog’s system
- Surgery, to remove any polyps or tumors in the oral cavity
- Dietary changes for liver and kidney diseases
The vet will establish the best course of treatment. If the underlying condition is treated, the bad breath should disappear.