A dog that receives love is consequently a loving dog that shows its love in many ways, such as jumping, being happy when you come home, licking you or leaning on you in an endearing way.
At this time it may be that something stands between you and your dog's affection: a strong and highly unpleasant mouth odour. If this is your case, it is important that you remedy it, because beyond being a sign that may bother you, it is a sign that indicates that your dog's oral he alth is not adequate, which is serious since a neglected oral cavity can have a negative impact on the he alth of the entire body.
In this AnimalWised article we help you solve this problem, showing you how to improve your dog's breath with homemade tricks.
What you should know about your dog's breath
The dog's oral cavity can act as a portal of entry for pathogens if not properly cared for. Did you know that it is very important to clean the dog's teeth?
A lack of oral hygiene can end up causing excess bacterial plaque and this will be the main cause of bad breath, being small dogs are the most likely to accumulate tartar on their teeth.
It is important to treat and prevent tartar in dogs as otherwise it can cause a bacterial, fungal or viral infection in the oral cavity, then the causes of bad breath go beyond the accumulation of bacterial plaque and may require urgent veterinary treatment.
Coprophagia (ingestion of feces), inflammation of the nasal passages or diabetes mellitus can also cause bad breath or halitosis in dogs.
What to do if my dog has bad breath?
If you detect that your dog's mouth smells bad, it is essential to assess its condition to as i rule out any type of infection that requires antibiotic treatment, therefore, it is necessary to go to the vet.
It would be very dangerous to treat bad breath as a simple accumulation of bacterial plaque if there really is some type of infection, although it is true that the owner can visually examine the animal's mouth in search of lesions or secretions, assessment should be performed by a he althcare professional.
Once the presence of an infection or other pathology has been ruled out, we can use various home tricks to naturally improve our dog's breath, then we'll show you what they are.
Home remedies for dog bad breath:
1. Parsley
We cannot offer our dog parsley continuously or in high doses as it could be toxic, however, give it sporadically and in moderate amountsis an excellent remedy for bad breath.
Can be used in two ways:
- Cut a small stem of parsley into small pieces and add it once a day to the dog's food
- Boil several stems of parsley in water to create an infusion, let cool and put it in a spray bottle to spray the infusion directly into the animal's mouth
two. Carrot
If you get your dog to entertain himself by gnawing on a carrot, you will see how bad breath gradually disappears. In addition, this food will provide him with very important nutrients, such as carotenoids, powerful antioxidants that protect his body against free radical damage.
The simple act of gnawing a carrot stimulates the release of saliva and allows food debris to be removed from the oral cavity.
3. Homemade Peppermint Treats
Surely your pet loves treats for dogs, in addition, they are very positive as a reward and reinforce good behavior, being a very useful tool for learning.
You can make homemade treats to improve your dog's breath, you will need the following ingredients:
- Water
- Oatmeal
- Mint leaves
The preparation is very simple, you must mix the oat flakes and water in a bowl until you have a dough of good consistency, then you must wash and chop the mint leaves to add them to the mixture.
Finalmente Form small balls, keep in the fridge and you can give them to your dog several times a day to fight effectively and easily bad breath.
Food and hydration are fundamental
If your dog normally suffers from bad breath and no pathology has been detected that could be causing it, it is important that you do everything possible to reduce the accumulation of bacterial plaque.
To do this, dry feed is more convenient than wet feed, since dry feed has a more abrasive effect.
It is also essential that you periodically change the water in the drinking fountain and that your pet always has fresh and drinking water available, since through of the water the mouth is cleaned and the remains of food are removed.
Wash your dog's water bowl and feeder frequently.
