Yes, it’s true that your pet’s breath doesn’t always smell fresh and minty! Pets are notorious for eating various things, including some pretty smelly stuff like cat poop, dead animals, or even nappies. However, persistent bad breath in pets is not normal and can indicate an underlying issue.
Common Causes of Bad Breath
- Dental Issues: The most common cause of bad breath in pets is dental problems such as plaque buildup, tartar accumulation, gingivitis (inflammation of the gums), periodontal disease, or tooth decay. Bacteria in the mouth can produce foul-smelling odors.
- Oral Infections: Infections in the mouth, such as oral abscesses or oral ulcers, can cause bad breath in pets.
- Poor Diet: Your pet’s diet can also influence their breath odor. Starchy foods like kibble can contribute to an overgrowth of harmful bacteria in the mouth and increase plaque buildup. Chewing on raw bones daily will help to keep your pets teeth clean. Conventional dental treats and chews are not the most effective way to clean your pet’s teeth. They’re full of carbs, starches, and synthetic vitamins and minerals. Choose naturally dried chews with no additives such as Air-dried Kangachoos, duck necks, turkey necks or dehydrated shark cartilage.
- Gastrointestinal problems such as gastritis, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), intestinal infections, or food intolerances can all affect the digestive process and lead to foul-smelling breath. Disturbances in the digestive system, can result in changes in the composition of gases produced during digestion. This alteration in gut flora and the release of certain gases can contribute to bad breath.
- Kidney Disease: Chronic kidney disease can lead to the buildup of waste products in the body, which can result in foul-smelling breath. Pets with chronic kidney disease can have breath that smells like ammonia.
- Diabetes: Uncontrolled diabetes in pets can cause a condition known as ketoacidosis, which can produce a sweet or fruity odor on the breath.
- Foreign Objects: Pets may occasionally ingest foreign objects that get stuck in their mouth, teeth or throat, leading to bad breath. These can cause lacerations or infections which create a bad smell.
How to help resolve Bad Breath
- Feed a specie’s appropriate, balanced, high-quality raw food diet. Dogs and cats biologically evolved to eat a raw food diet, complete with raw meaty bones. This is enough to prevent and sometimes even reverse minor dental disease.
- Raw meaty bones are a much healthier option for your pets and are effective at removing plaque. Give daily or at least a few times each week to provide essential minerals (from eating the bones) and to clean teeth and exercise jaws. Ideally start feeding bones to your puppies and kittens when they are young. If you have a fussy pet that refuses to eat bones, then ensure you are pro-active in keeping their teeth clean by other methods.
- Brushing your pet’s teeth regularly with a natural toothpaste, oil or gel is an excellent way to remove debris and prevent tartar build up.
While the occasional unpleasant breath might not be cause for concern, if your pet’s breath consistently smells bad, it’s essential to have them examined by your local veterinarian. Addressing the underlying cause is crucial for their overall health and well-being.
Regular dental care, proper nutrition, and prompt veterinary attention can help keep your pet’s breath fresh and their health in check.
