My dear Leonidas, whom I love to hug whenever I come home and he would lick me in return to show his affection. Yesterday, there was something different, its breath smelled like poop. And I got extremely worried. With a little research I came to know that when a puppy breath smells like poop, there could be multiple reasons.
Why does a puppy’s breath smell like poop?
As I mentioned there could be various reasons why a puppy breath smells like poop? so we will go through it all to understand why “your” or “mine” puppy has it.
Dental hygiene
The most common reason for bad breath is dental hygiene. We are hearing the phrase” brush twice a day every day” since our childhoods. Well, we may not be obedient enough to apply it on ourselves(honestly I was not, as I would secretly chew bubble gum before going to bed…oops! And now as a mature adult I fully understand that this was not a sane thing to do). Now, this is the time to enforce this good habit on our kid(pup) and ensure brushing his teeth twice a day. In general, brushing once daily is enough but if there is bad breath try the “twice” theory for few days.
Bad breath is a result of all that plaque and tartar that your dog will get with time. They can develop it near the age of 3. As bad dental hygiene can cause cavities and bacterias in humans, it can cause gum diseases, rotting teeth, and tartar buildup in dogs too.
The most easiest and common solution is obviously brushing your dog’s teeth with some good smelling toothpaste. Good smelling is a priority here. Some of us choose toothpaste based on “flavors “.I personally like the mint flavor in my mouth. Same we think for our puppies. Some people do buy meat-flavored kinds of toothpaste for their dogs. They might think it will attract puppies to brush their teeth but this is not a good idea at all.
Also, there are pills, that you can add to your dog’s water, and the active ingredient, silver nitrate will clean all the plaque and tartar in dog’s mouth.This pill will take more than a week to completely clean your dog’s mouth reducing its bad breath. The pill is a timely solution and even if you are doing it, you have to stick to dental hygiene routine. Both SCCP and ECA have declared the pill safe for dogs.
Problem in kidney
Dental hygiene and kidney problems are kind of related to each other. The function of the kidney is to purify the blood from wastes. When they don’t function properly, the urea remains in the bloodstream causing urea levels to increase. This can cause a urine-like or foul smell in breath.
Also, when a dental hygiene routine is not followed, the bacterias in the mouth can cause bad odor and oral diseases that if not treated properly, can affect kidneys.
Stomach problems
Stomach problems are also directly related to oral health. Stomach issues can cause bad breath and even in some cases, bad odor is often a sign of poor digestive health.
Stomach issues can be because of
Diet
Diet can cause bad breath in the following ways
Change in diet
Your dog is maybe following a diet regimen that doesn’t suit its body. The new dog food can be hard on the stomach. Switching between foods can upset your pup’s stomach. Even if your vet, has prescribed a specific dog food, shifting them instantly is not a wise idea. Try switching food per meal and gradually change the food plan.
Pica
Pica is usually referred to as eating mud, dirt, paper, chalk, Wooden logs, etc. Dogs often chew their toys or other objects. Writing this just reminded me that Leo is also in the habit of eating a doormat and I thought its just his play obsession. Ouch!
Swallowing these things can cause stomach acids to rise from levels causing bad odor in the mouth.
Coprophagia
Your dog may be in habit of eating feces whether it’s own or other animal’s. As yuck as it sounds, this could be dangerous for its health too. Eating feces can transmit viruses and bacterias and also parasites to your dog’s body. This may not be fatal but could be a serious health threat.
Eating feces itself can also cause a bad smell in the mouth. Try to keep your dog and its environment clean.
Tip: Train him for the “going to bathroom” session. I take Leo for a walk before he poops. We have a “secret” spot near a hill where he poops. He holds up till we reach there. This way I ensure that it doesn’t poop all around the house and might end up developing a habit of eating them. You can also follow the same thing i.e training him to ” go to the washroom” instead of pooping anywhere near.
Tumors in mouth
People are also concerned about if a dog’s breath smells like poop is cancer? Although usually pet dogs don’t develop it because as a responsible owner you will pay attention to your dog’s bad breath in the first place. In some cases, extreme negligence can lead to bad oral health resulting in broken teeth, rotten gums, and oral tumors causing a foul smell. Your dog needs your’s attention and the vet’s help in this case.
How to take care of the dog’s oral hygiene?
To avoid bad breath or other oral problems, make sure to take care of your dog’s oral health.
For this
- Brush your dog’s teeth daily.
- Give him safe chew toys to play with.
- Train him not to eat or swallow anything else other than food.
- Feed your dog appropriately as sometimes dry food can stick in teeth. This food will rot later on causing bacterias and tartar in the mouth.
- Talk to your vet if you have any concerns.
When to consult the vet?
Well, don’t take anything lightly. If your dog’s breath smells like poop things may be serious. If despite following an oral hygiene routine, the dog’s breath is still foul-smelling, it could be an indication of its overall bad health.
In many cases, bad breath is the first symptom of any underlying disease. Consulting your vet is always a good option as it can save your dog from possible future trouble.
Is Dog’s age related to foul breath?
Yes, this is possible. I have noticed that many people have mentioned their pup’s age along with foul breath problems. Like why my 5-month-old puppy has bad breath or why does puppy breath smell like skunk?
If you are thinking that different age groups may have a different diagnosis then you are on the right path and this is true somehow. For example, a young puppy may be eating dirt or other things causing bad breath and an adult dog may be suffering from kidney disease. So age is definitely a concern here.
A 5-month young puppy will not be suffering from oral bacterial problems like tooth-fall or cavities. It may have some other infection that is causing this foul smell. Same, chances of developing a habit of eating unsafe things are higher in young and untrained puppies. Adult dogs are most likely to develop poor oral conditions or digestive health issues later in their life.
What Am I going to do?
In last, what I think is that Leonidas is having a bad breath problem because of eating that doormat. Well, at first I am going to remove the doormat as yesterday he tore up more than half of it. And secondly, I am still going to talk to my vet.