DOGS WITH BAD BREATH

Does your dog have bad breath? Don't ignore it. Visit your vet ASAP.

Bad breath is a symptom of a dental or digestive problem or more serious causes such as kidney failure, so its origin must be diagnosed, so we can treat it or prevent it from getting worse.

Causes of bad breath in dogs:

•    An inadequate diet, poor quality feed contains artificial flavours and odors that can be reflected in the breath of our little buddies, in addition to being foods that promote the accumulation of tartar and digestive problems, flatulence, fermentation, etc. SOLUTION: give an optimal, natural diet with quality ingredients such as VeggieAnimals.

•    Poor hygiene, accumulation of tartar, small dogs and flat breeds tend to have more oral problems, although other breeds and mixed breeds can also suffer from accumulation of tartar and gingivitis, some dogs start with problems when they are older due to parts that move or become infected. SOLUTION: annual check-up with your vet to advise you on how to treat your little one, either with cleaning at home, adding some products to the food that help maintain their dental health, or through oral cleaning at the clinic *.

•    Throat infections can be due to viral or bacterial issues, trauma (injuries to the throat when playing with a stick, for example), or tumors that infect. SOLUTION: a vet should check the area well, this professional may need to take a sample, and should prescribe a treatment. In case of tumor, surgery may be necessary.

•    Digestive problems, gastritis, liver failure or other digestive problems can produce unpleasant breath odors, it can also be accompanied by vomiting, diarrhea and/or loss of appetite. SOLUTION: Go to your vet so that through exploration, x-rays or ultrasounds they can find the problem and help you treat it.

•    Respiratory infections, any infectious process is liable to produce a bad smell, therefore, if we have problems in the respiratory system, either in the lower airways (bronchitis, pneumonia, etc.) or in the upper airways, they can produce bad breath. SOLUTION: whether it is accompanied by respiratory distress, coughing or sneezing or if we simply have bad breath as a symptom, the ideal is to go to the vet to locate the infection and give you medication.

•    Systemic diseases, diabetes or kidney failure, generate a series of substances that accumulate in the blood of our colleagues producing strong odors on their breath, in the case of diabetes it is a fruity smell due to high levels of sugar in blood, it is usually accompanied by a high intake of water and food and very large feet even with incontinence. In the case of kidney problems, the smell is due to the accumulation of urea, where the smell can remind us in a way of urine, the kidney problem is usually accompanied by increased thirst, increased amount of urine and sometimes digestive problems. SOLUTION: carry out a blood test that indicates the severity of the disease to start the indicated treatment as soon as possible.

WHEN SHOULD I BE CONCERNED ABOUT DENTAL HEALTH?

If we focus on halitosis produced merely in the oral cavity, which is the most frequent, we must be concerned from the birth of the puppy or from the first moment we include the dog into our family.

In puppies it is very important to change teeth and the correct position of the definitive ones, this happens around 4-5 months, for this to happen in the best way, they have to have a balanced diet, have toys to bite and play, and go for a check-up at the vet around 5-6 months to make sure that everything has gone well, there are no persistent milk teeth or poorly positioned permanent teeth.

A denture that is not perfectly positioned can lead to tartar deposits and uneven wear of the teeth due to malocclusion.

If the puppy is of a small or brachycephalic breed, the accumulation of tartar will begin at an early age, sometimes at only 2-3 years of age there are serious problems, so there is nothing better than prevention with periodic visits to the vet.

If your partner is prone to oral hygiene problems, you can consult with your vet about products to wash them at home or to add to the feed, if they get used to it from the first moment that they are with us that we look at their mouth and touch their teeth, and they relate it to something positive or not harmful, it will be easier.

Larger breeds or mixed breeds also recommend starting dental health check-ups from the age of 3, your vet is only required to take a look and inform you of their status, and for your little buddy it may be the difference between reaching 10 years with all their teeth in good condition, or reaching with a terrible infection that can spread to the ears, stomach or heart, and having to enter the operating room in a more delicate state of health for a more complex surgery.

Mouth cleaning in a veterinary clinic involves anesthesia, intubation and a specific treatment to remove tartar and protect its enamel. It is likely that a part will have to be removed in the process if there are tartar problems or infections, or that a tissue sample will have to be taken if a mass is found in the gums, mouth or throat. It can be scary to hear all this, but they are processes that are carried out very often and are very safe, and going through it greatly improves the quality of life of our littley fury friends.

An animal with diseased teeth, lose teeth, infections, etc. doesn't have a decent quality of life and it is a cruel act to allow this situation to continue over time.
If our little buddy is elderly, this mouth cleaning will require a thorough examination of their health status to adapt the anesthesia and perform the cleaning with the greatest anesthetic safety possible, but age is not a disease and dental problems are also painful and can lead to much more serious illness.

REMEMBER If one day your little uddy approaches you, gives you a lick and your red light turns on for an unknown smell, it is best that you visit your vet so you can act ASAP.



María González Sola.
Co-founder of the Refugio la Vida Color Frambuesa and Head of VeggieAnimals Veterinary Consultations.