I admit it – I get doggy kisses, and I believe a lot of you do too. What we don’t want are ones that are smelly.
There can be several reasons for your pet’s to have stinky breath and the first thing to do would be to find out why. It is an excellent idea to consider looking into your pet’s mouth and check things out.
Check out the teeth. What you want to look at first are the teeth. You are looking to see what colour the teeth are – white, yellow, stained brown. If you routinely brush your pets’ teeth, they should be closer to white. You want to check to see if any teeth are wiggly – this is uncomfortable and should be addressed at the vet clinic. They often need to be removed. Look to see if there seems to be any build up on the teeth. This is likely plaque and tartar buildup. As pets age, or even due to crowding or other jaw issues and us not brushing as frequently as we could there will be a build-up of plaque and tartar. This is an issue that should again be addressed at the vet clinic and may need further work up to take care of.
Have a good look at your pets’ gums while you are in there. If they appear to be red, sore or sometimes bleeding, this is a problem. It often goes hand-in-hand with dental disease.
And finally look around for anything that doesn’t seem right. There are growths and other odd things that could be in there causing problems. Most pets are more likely to let you have a good check around, and this is an important thing to do to help with your pets’ health. All these things can affect the smell in the mouth and help to keep all the kisses “fresh.”
Written by Manitou Animal Hospital
