Bad Breath in Pets: How to Enjoy Your Pet’s Kisses
Nothing ruins a good cuddle session faster than stinky breath. If your dog or cat is suffering from halitosis, you will want to be sure to keep reading. Learn what causes bad breath in pets and how to remedy the problem.
Causes of Bad Breath in Pets
Dog breath may be a commonly used term, but dogs and bad breath don’t necessarily go hand in hand. There are a variety of reasons your dog or cat might have an unpleasant odor emanating from his or her mouth, but if it is a consistent issue, it may indicate a problem.
Causes of bad breath in pets can include the following:
Dental disease – Probably the most common offender, plaque and tartar on your pet’s teeth can accumulate sulfur-producing bacteria, leading to some pretty rank breath. An infected or abscessed tooth can also smell pretty bad.
Infection – Overgrowth of bacteria in or around the mouth can smell pretty heinous. A diseased tooth, infected growth, or infection in the folds of the lips can make you second guess that doggy kiss pretty quickly.
Gastrointestinal disease – Any disruption in the functioning of the digestive system can lead to halitosis. Examples might be cancer, a bowel obstruction, bacterial imbalances, or a dietary indiscretion such as coprophagia (eating stool).
Diabetes mellitus – Pets with uncontrolled diabetes may have an overproduction of ketones in the blood, resulting in a characteristic odor. Interestingly, some people seem to be more sensitive to this smell than others.
Kidney disease – Accumulation of toxins normally filtered by the kidneys results in uremia, which can make your pet have bad breath.
If you are noticing that your pet’s breath is too much to bear, give us a call. This is often a good sign that something isn’t right.
Battling Bad Breath
If your pet suffers from stinky breath, all hope is not lost. It is important, though, to be sure to seek help so that the root cause can be determined. Some conditions that cause bad breath in pets can be very serious if not treated, and all of them require direct treatment to solve the issue.
Maintaining your pet’s wellness examinations and care is also an important part of battling halitosis. This is a good way for us to identify potentially smelly issues and help you to fix them before they interfere with your Sunday morning cuddle sessions.
All pets also benefit from good dental care. A daily at-home care routine is very important to maintaining oral health. Routine oral examinations and cleanings under anesthesia are also vital to maintaining good breath.
Next time your dog or cat leans in for a kiss and you need to turn away, stop and take notice. He or she may be trying to tell you something, even without saying a word.