Bad breath, known medically as halitosis, is a common problem in dogs and cats. Most often a cat’s or dog’s bad breath is a problem strictly related to their mouth – but it can also be due to other causes. The following are the four most common causes of bad breath in dogs and cats:

1. Cats and dogs don’t brush and floss their teeth like we do, so the bacteria that cause plaque (the whitish stuff you can scrape off teeth with your fingernail) have more opportunity to develop and create tartar (the hard brown stuff dentists scrape off our teeth). We brush and floss regularly and still can have dental infections that can cause bad breath. It only makes sense that dogs or cats will develop bad breath from dental infections since they don’t get their teeth brushed or cleaned regularly.
2. Dogs and cats that have short noses (e.g. pugs, bulldogs and Persians) can often breathe through their mouth, and this often results in dry mouth and bad breath.
3. Sometimes your cat or dog will eat things that are really disgusting. It often smells good to them, but not to us. If you have noticed your dog eating poop, that is likely the source of their bad breath.
4. Medical causes of bad breath can include immune-mediated diseases, metabolic diseases, toxin exposure, foreign objects lodged in or injury to the mouth, or oral and stomach cancers. Early detection of these conditions is the key to effective treatment.

Top 5 Ways to Get Rid of dog/cat bad breath

1. The best way to get rid of a dog’s or cat’s bad breath is to brush their teeth every day.
2. Feed your pet properpet nutrition,especially one that focuses on dental health.
3. Haveyour pet’s teeth cleanedas often as your veterinarian advises.
4. Also using a water additive can help reduce your dog or cat’s bad breath. Healthy Mouth is the only water additive with theVeterinary Oral Health Council seal of approval. This approval supports their claim that it helps remove plaque. Look for this seal when looking at any product with claims of plaque or tartar reduction.
5. Have your pet examined byyour veterinarianto rule out any medical causes.
6. If you have any questions about the bad breath in your cat or dog, pleasecontact us.

Yours in health,

Dr. Kent Morley