it’s nothing to be ashamed of. Dogs often have bad breath. it’s perfectly understandable that while you’re attempting to have some sweet cuddle time with your guy his breath is just too much to take. Dealing with bad dog breath is actually a common issue, and there are numerous simple and common techniques a human can utilize to help out in the event of ‘breath gone bad.’
Some breeds just have worse breath than others. Dogs with really bad breath can actually temporarily stain things with their oral odor. Sheets, blankets, fabric on the couch or the chair he likes to sleep on can all have a lingering aroma long after your furry friend has finished up his afternoon nap. This is highly unattractive to owners and the human world has about as little tolerance for bad breath coming from their dog as they do when it comes from other humans.
How long has it been since your dog has had his teeth cleaned by the vet? A good cleaning can really help get in there and destroy the ample bacteria that can fester in a dog’s mouth. Most vets recommend an annual cleaning for all dogs to help prevent tooth decay and lost teeth. It can also be of fantastic assistance when dealing with bad dog breath.
In between cleaning, using a mild dog approved mouthwash and brushing the dog’s teeth can help keep the bacteria down and help eliminate odors. For some dogs, this will be enough to keep offensive breath under control, while other dogs won’t respond well to the brushing and mouthwash habits.
Check your pup’s diet. A diet of all canned food will usually create worse breath than that of either half dry and half canned or all dry food. Dogs need to crunch in order to help clear away the particles that can get stuck on their teeth as well as satisfy chewing urges. The more natural the dog food, the fewer bad breath problems your dog is likely to experience.
Reducing Bad Dog Breath
There are products on the market aimed at dealing with bad dog breath. Some of them will work better than others and some will be just downright gimmicky. They do market doggie breath mint treats which do provide some temporary relief from your pups odiferous kisses. However, the relief only lasts for about an hour before the usual scent you are trying to rid him of returns. There are other products on the market that claim to cleanse the teeth and eliminate bad breath odors. A more accurate claim would be they help to cleanse the teeth and assist in eliminating bad breath odors. These products don’t do the whole job but they certainly are a step in the right direction.
Take notice to the items your pup likes to chew. Rawhides, while not altogether recommended for dogs anyway for other health reasons, contribute to bad breath. So does digging around in the trash. Pups who help themselves to the smorgasbord of options we call rubbish tend to have worse breath than dogs that kindly wait for us to determine what is an acceptable edible treat. For the dog who makes a habit out of eating the stale contents of the trash, this would be a primary target in controlling his odor problem.
Some dogs will be stubborn about their breath. It will take an experimentation of the right combination of diet, cleansing products and special goodies that they chew on and even treats before the human of the household will be able to make their puppy’s breath rise to the level of at least tolerable. Other dogs will respond very well to minor changes.
With the right combination for your dog you’ll find him more tolerable to cuddle and snuggle and may even get to the point where it’s okay to breathe while he slathers you with affectionate puppy kisses. The good news is that dealing with bad bog breath is such a common chronic problem that illustrious inventors are constantly coming out with new products aimed at creating a much better mouth for you and your pooch. As these products come out, read the ingredients and try them. If something is working better than another product, chances are you can eliminate the bad breath through the ingredient that is found in the useful product. Often times these are nothing more than herbs that you can buy and add into their dog food to help maintain their better breath. Parsley often helps to eliminate bad breath odors but only for those dogs that have clean mouths and don’t eat a lot of processed foods or sticky treats.
In the meantime, your puppy loves you despite your morning breath. So hopefully the two of you can find a way to continue your cuddle time together while attempting to deal with bad dog breath.