They say, ‘If looks could kill’, but what about if breath could kill? Bad breath. We all love to get up close and personal with our dogs, some of us more than others, but dogs have that one thing that can have us putting them back in the ‘friend’ zone right quickly – doggy breath; one of the worst known offenders to man.
Here are 6 ways to stop ‘death by breath’ and naturally freshen your dog’s breath:
1. Feed them a good quality food. Good quality in equals good quality out. For additional info on dog foods, check out our post about a new online resource for choosing the best food for your dog: How to Choose the Best Food For Your Dog – A New Resource.
2. Provide them with hard, safe chew toys. The natural chewing action helps loosen the plaque which can build up and lead to odour and gum or periodontal disease.
3. Let them have dry treats as opposed to wet or soft ones. The chewing again helps control plaque and tartar build-up. Treats containing parsley are great for fighting bad breath.
4. Give your dog raw bones or rawhides. The gnawing action is a natural antidote to plaque build-up. But always supervise, and take away any small bits they could choke on.
5. Provide them with plenty of fresh, clean water.
6. Give them human food as an occasional snack. Bananas and carrots are great breath fresheners for dogs.
Of course there are doggy toothbrushes and toothpaste and mouthwashes.
But, in all honesty, we’ve never used any of those and our Lab has beautiful healthy white teeth and she’s five years old. Our vet comments on her pearly whites every year! We’re just more comfortable with more natural, less expensive, and less invasive options, but go with what works for you and your dog!
If your dog’s breath is persistently intolerable, or really sweet or acidic smelling, it’s best to see a vet – there may be an underlying issue that needs to be looked into.
How do you keep your dog’s teeth clean and their breath smelling huggably (or kissably?) fresh?
(image via)
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Hello there…First of all thank you so much for sharing this wonderful and useful post with us. Literally I am so fed-up because of mine dog breath. It smells very awful and I didn’t know the solution but thanks to you know.
I like dogs and I have three dogs at home. Their names are Delphin, Dether, and Blacky. They are brave and friendly but sometimes they have a bad breath. Thanks for giving this tips. I know it is very effective and I will apply it to them.
great article on bad dog breath and how to improve it.
there is nothing worse then picking up my small dog (a maltese) and getting a wiff of his breath. we tried buying different treats and things from the pet store to help and they just made him sick. i was so happy to read that there are natural alternatives.
i had once contemplated selling breath fresheners on my website – https://www.whirlydogsupplies.com Whirly Dog Supplies, but I decided not to after my experiences.
if it is ok, i would love to link this article to my site and share your information.
thanks so much!
Oh I know, their breath isn’t always a pleasant surprise! Many treats are loaded with chemicals and synthetic agents that temporarily get rid of the bad breath – but the lingering effect in the dogs’ digestive systems just leads to more bad breath. Sure, thanks for sharing our tips with your readers.
Thanks for the great tips. Our dogs are now on a raw AM + kibble PM diet and we’ve noticed nicer breath and that surprised me, because of the raw meat; it digests better than kibble.
That is surprising! Maybe because the raw meat is more akin to a dog’s wild/natural diet? A raw diet isn’t something we’ve tried yet!
Thanks for the tip with the carrot. Sounds great, specially when I had special “chicken-nuggets” or “lamb-bonbons” …
Ooh, yes, you’d definitely need something for that breath!
So what diet is your dog on that she doesn’t have dental problems? Ours have a carrot every morning and their breath is great!
We feed her Natural Balance Sweet Potato and Venison and love it! Oh, lucky guys getting a carrot every morning! 🙂