The most common causes of bad breath in dogs are bad oral hygiene and periodontal disease. Just like in humans, the build-up of plaque and tartar can lead to the development of the bacteria that cause bad breath.
Chronic bad breath may indicate a bigger health problem. Most often, it's caused by dental or gum disease, and small dogs are especially prone to plaque and tartar. However, ongoing bad breath can indicate medical problems in a pet's mouth, respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract or organs.
Dogs with liver failure often have breath that smells like a dead animal. Some of the symptoms that are present in liver disease include: Vomiting.
Oral tumors or advanced dental diseases that cause an influx of bacteria into the mouth can make the dog's breath smell like garbage or sewers. It gives off an extremely foul odor. In extreme cases of negligence, these oral tumors may bleed and give off an unpleasant metallic odor due to blood iron content.
Stomach Issues
Bad breath can also be caused by a bacterial imbalance within a dog's gastrointestinal tract. In addition to bad smelling breath dogs with these kinds of issues may have smelly farts and loose stools.
Why does my dog's breath smell like fish? A dog's breath can rarely be described as fresh or pleasant, but if your dog smells of fish then it could be a sign of dental issues (infection, tooth decay, abscesses or gingivitis), digestive problems, kidney disease or diabetes.
If plaque or tartar develops on your dog's teeth, it can cause foul breath (sometimes fishy), also known as halitosis. Other issues that lead to halitosis having fishy breath include tooth injury, root canal issues, or any periodontal disease. So, all these issues lead to severe fishy dogs' breath.
Dental Disease
If your dog is licking and has stinky breath or changes in their eating habits, it might be time for dental cleaning. Oral lesions and foreign objects may also cause your dog to lick excessively.
Some vets learn in school that puppy breath is caused by a still-developing esophagus leaking gas from the stomach. But there is such a thing as bad puppy breath which can be caused by an impacted tooth the beginnings of gum disease worms or eating poop. (Yes dogs do that.)
Urinary tract infection (UTI)
Some describe it as musky, others say it's a rancid or garbage-y smell, and still others say it's a “rotten fish” smell. Other symptoms include increased thirst and urination, peeing in the house, bloody or cloudy urine, whimpering during urination, and genital licking.
The rotten egg smell comes from the breakdown of microbes that live in your digestive system. It may be as simple as addressing acid reflux with an over the counter antacid or with a stronger medication if it is more persistent.
Yogurt. The healthy bacteria in yogurt, lactobacillus, can help you to fight halitosis, by combatting the bad bacteria in your digestive system. One study showed that after eating yogurt for six weeks, 80% of study participants had a reduction in bad breath. One serving of plain, non-fat yogurt today can do wonders.
Chronic reflux of stomach acids (gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD) can be associated with bad breath.
How do I know if my dog has worms? Coughing, diarrhea, vomiting and lethargy are the general signs the dog has worms. Other symptoms depend on the type of worm. For example, if your dog has a tapeworm, clear identifiers can be rapid weight loss or what appears to be grains of rice in their stool.
The clinical signs of more advanced kidney failure include loss of appetite, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, and very bad breath.
Frequent bathing can help control odor. Arthritis and other health conditions can make it difficult for your dog to properly groom himself, which can cause his fur and skin to smell funky over time. Weekly shampooing or visits with a professional groomer can help. Impacted anal glands are also common in older dogs.
Excess carbohydrates and sugar → more tartar. More tartar → more bad bacteria, and bad breath. PLUS, the carbohydrates feed bacteria in the mouth that can nestle below the gumline (ew).
Although 'doggy breath' might seem normal, in fact dogs should have neutral smelling breath, and any bad odours are likely to be due to oral disease or underlying illness.
Excessive cleaning
When dogs clean themselves after going to the bathroom, there may be a foul-smelling excretion from the tail area that's transmitting into their mouth, and many pet parents describe it as fishy smelling. On either side of your dog's anus is a pair of anal glands or anal sacs.
A: Absolutely. There are many dog mouthwashes that are specially formulated to improve the oral health of both dogs and cats and to get rid of bad breath. Be sure to read the label and double check that the dog mouthwash is safe for cats before use.