Last Updated on November 27, 2021 by Marco
Have you been hanging around your dog and thinking “my puppy’s breath smells like poop”? Don’t jump to the worst conclusions! This could be a completely fixable situation.
It’s not pleasant to be around your furry friend when they smell really bad. Worse still is that the stomach-turning situation could be the sign of something more serious than originally thought. Bad breath often signals a complication in your dog’s system.
Return your puppy back to its lovable, good-smelling self! Read on to learn more about doggie’s bad breath and what you can do to turn the tide!
Dog’s Breath Smells Like Poop?
One thing to note is that this situation is not only unpleasant, but it is not normal – your dog’s breath should NOT smell like poop! You cannot just ignore the stench and hope that it will go away.
But of course, one should remain calm when they come across this situation. While you should not diagnose at home until you’ve gotten the sign-off of your veterinarian, you should also know the warning signs for some serious health issues.
Dog Dental Health
A dog’s bad breath is likely caused by poor dental hygiene. Puppy teething bad breath is something you should check out as soon as possible. There could be something amiss with their teeth, gums, or mouth in general. Watch out for these common dental disorders.
Learn more about: How Many Teeth Does A Chihuahua Have; Chi Dental Care
Plaque and Tartar
Plaque and tartar are the building blocks of poor dental hygiene not only in dogs but in other animals as well. The debris from everything food forms a film on the tooth, which we call plaque. This is usually removed throughout the course of the day, whether from chewing or brushing. However, if it is left alone for a long time, the plaque can develop into hard tartar.
Gingivitis
When the plaque and tartar settle onto the teeth, it becomes very difficult to remove through natural means. As it hardens, the tartar starts to go past the gum line and fosters bacteria that wreak havoc on the sensitive tissue. The gums will then start to become inflamed, and in severe cases cause bleeding.
Periodontitis
This late-stage condition is actually a common dental problem for canines. The bacteria in the plaque can cause damage to the teeth, gums, and even the underlying bone. Further damage could be done, resulting in rotting tooth roots and bone infection.
Dog Illnesses That Can Cause Bad Breath
Another reason that your dog could have bad breath is because of poor health in general. Some internal organs that are suffering and being ignored can be signaled by a change in your dog’s breath. This is actually quite helpful as a dog cannot communicate what exactly is ailing them.
Kidney Disease
If you’ve determined the foul odor smells like urine, this could point to a problem with the dog’s kidneys. The ammonia smell is caused by the urea that is not expelled through urination. If your dog’s kidneys are not properly filtering this from the blood, this could point to some issues with the kidneys themselves.
Liver Disease
It’s also possible that your dog has a liver disease such as hepatitis, which is the inflammation of the liver. The liver is an organ that works hard at cleaning waste from the body. The foul smell is a sign of things that should not be in our body, and thus waste is being secreted through other means such as in the breath.
Bad Diet Habits
My puppy’s breath smells like poop – if you think this, it might be easy to conclude where your puppy has been.
While not an illness per se, it’s still a condition that badly affects health. This is particularly an issue when your dog eats anything it could find. Perhaps your dog has been rummaging through your trash bins and eating whatever it could find. Another horrifying habit is eating poop – whether it’s another dog’s, a cat’s, or even their own poop. They need to be trained to stop these bad eating habits. This might cause major gut problems down the line, too.
How To Address Dog’s Bad Breath
Given that you’ve been to your veterinarian to address the possible health issues that stinky breath signals, your household might want some relief while waiting for the solutions to kick in. Here are some of the things you could do immediately that might help alleviate the bad smell in the house.
- Check your dog’s teeth, if there’s any old food stuck in the mouth. Remove and clean accordingly.
- Have your dog play with a hard chew toy. This will encourage chewing and salivating, which may hopefully wash any foul things that were clinging onto your dog’s mouth.
- Use specially formulated water additives for your dog’s food and water supply.
How To Prevent Dog’s Bad Breath
Now that you know what causes foul breath in dogs, it’s always important to consider taking the steps before it happens to your poor dog. Before it gets to the point where your dog’s breath is unbearable, here are some of the things that you can do:
- Go to your doggie dentist and get a cleaning done at least once a year.
- Start a regular tooth brushing habit with special doggie toothpaste.
- Start a diet that includes healthier food that addresses your dog’s most pressing health concerns.
- Train your dog to only eat what is in their food bowl and not anything else that they find out there, especially on walks or other outdoor activities
- Refresh your dog’s toy collection with new toys that provide chewy textures to help clean the teeth.
Conclusion
There can be a lot of different reasons for your dog’s bad breath, but one of the main reasons to investigate is health. It could be a good indicator that something is up with your dog’s health, so take the bad breath as a warning sign of things to come. You can help create habits so that you and your furry friend can have a comfortable, smell-free living experience together.
Next time you think “my puppy’s breath smells like poop”, think about the possible factors from this list.
Have you experienced dealing with your dog’s bad breath? What did you discover and how did you overcome the situation? Let us know in the comments below!
