Prevent Bad Dog Breath with These 5 Tips
Doggy breath is something no pet parent wants to face, especially when your dog tries to cover you in kisses. Many pet parents may consider stinky dog breath just a normal reality of having a dog, but that’s not the case. In fact, bad dog breath can be a key sign that your dog may be suffering from a more serious health concern such as dental disease, diabetes or kidney and liver disease.
Here are 5 quick tips on how to keep your dog’s teeth healthy and their breath fresh:
1. Take your dog to the veterinarian annually:
The most common cause of bad dog breath is poor oral hygiene and periodontal disease. Your veterinarian is also your dog’s dentist, so ensuring your dog has their annual checkup is key to keeping them healthy. Should there be signs of dental disease, your vet can perform a professional cleaning. During this procedure, your vet will remove plaque and tartar, evaluate and resolve mouth infection and extract any loose or compromised teeth. This will not only have your dog feeling a whole lot better, but it helps reduce the overall bacterial presence that were key contributors to your dog’s bad breath.
2. Keep their mouth clean – Brushing:
It takes as little as 24 hours after a professional cleaning for bacteria to start accumulating on teeth as plaque. To help keep this in check, the gold standard technique is to brush your dog’s teeth every day with special doggie toothpaste (never use human toothpaste). Brushing mechanically removes plaque from the teeth, leaving them clean and leaving the mouth smelling fresher.
3. Keep their mouth clean – Dental Chews:
For most pet parents, the thought of brushing their dog’s teeth creates feelings of anxiety and stress. Hence, it’s not surprising that only 2% of dog parents brush their dog’s teeth every day. An easier approach to cleaning your dog’s teeth is to use a scientifically proven dog dental chew like WHIMZEES Dental Treats. These dental treats work like a toothbrush because as a dog chews the treat, the WHIMZEES rubs against the teeth to remove plaque and bacteria. Best of all, designed with ridges, grooves and nubs, WHIMZEES Dental Treats ensure the treat reaches the whole mouth including the back teeth which are usually hardest to reach.
WHIMZEES dog dental treats help target hard-to-reach back teeth.
4. Keep an eye on what he eats and drinks:
We all know dogs tend to eat some inappropriate things if given a chance such as feces, garbage or other stinky substances. Should this be your dog, ensure their yard is always clean, they are kept on a lead during walks and that they no longer have access to garbage bins. Prevention is the cure on this one!
5. Keep them healthy:
Feeding your dog a high-quality natural, balanced diet and providing them with plenty of water, activity and exercise is key to keeping them in good health. Along with these daily habits, be sure to visit the vet at least once a year to ensure your dog is at an optimal weight and to check for other health problems that could present with bad breath such as diabetes. Should dental disease not be the cause of your dog’s bad breath, the annual checkup can help your veterinarian pick up on the underlying cause of your dog’s bad breath before it gets serious.