Why Do Dogs Have Bad Breath?
Why is it that so many dogs suffer from a bad dog breath smell? We love our dogs but that smelly dog breath has got to go. Have you ever wondered why your dog's breath smells? Have you looked for dog bad breath cures? Read on because this article will shed some light on dog bad breath causes, dog bad breath remedies and prevention of foul dog breath.
Why does my dog have bad breath?
The number one reason a dog has bad breath is dirty teeth. It is very common for dogs to have teeth that are caked with tartar build up. This tartar is formed from bacteria, sugars, minerals and protein. It starts to accumulate at the gum line and eventually can cause gum disease. The teeth can basically rot. Not a pretty picture. This also is a cause of stinky dog breath. Unfortunately this build up will have to be removed by a veterinarian or vet technician. Below are photos showing the tartar build up on a dogs teeth before and after cleaning. This dog had a bad dog breath smell.
If your dog has stinky dog breath and his teeth have tartar build up you will have to take him to the vet and have his teeth cleaned. They use a general anesthetic and clean your dog's teeth while asleep. Below is a picture of some more tartar build up on a dog's teeth and a photo of the cleaning process.
What causes the tartar build up on dog teeth?
Tartar build up on dog's teeth starts with plaque. Plaque in dog's is similar to plaque in humans. Both are sticky bacterial cultures that thrive and grow on sugar rich foods. Feral dogs, wolves and coyotes never have issues with tartar build up. Tartar build up on dog's teeth and the associated bad dog breath is only found in dog's eating commercial dog food. Commercial dog food kibble has a very high carbohydrate content and these carbohydrates serve as fuel for the bacterial cultures in plaque. It is all a vicious circle. The dog food feeds the plaque it grows and catches food particles, debris and bacteria and it accumulates more tartar. The gums get diseased and grow bad bacteria and then cause dog bad breath.
Most people just consider foul dog breath and dirty teeth part of keeping dogs. Owners make regular trips to the vet and in between visit brush their dog's teeth.
How to Get Rid of Smelly Dog Breath
If the high carbohydrate content of commercial dog food causes tartar build up and foul dog breath what do you do? The best thing you can do is change the way you feed your dog. Have you ever considered a meat based homemade dog food? Dogs fed fresh uncooked meat based diets don't have the excessive tartar build up and dog bad breath.
Check out our homemade diet it is easy, economical and your dog will love it. We have a couple versions, one has no carbohydrates and we call it our Carb Free Homemade Dog Food. The other homemade dog food has some rice added but still has a fraction of the carbohydrate content compared to commercial kibble.
Other causes of dog bad breath.
If your dog's teeth are clean and free of tartar but he still has dog breath odor it could be poor digestion. Dog's by design our carnivores and scavengers. A wild dog would typically eat rodents, birds and other small animals. Packs of dogs would occasionally take down larger prey, usually the sick and weak. Dogs also are fond of partially digested herbivore droppings, I know it's gross but true. A dog's digestive tract is very short so not well equipped to draw nutrients out of plant matter so they eat the droppings to get their veggies so to speak :)
As you can see what we feed dogs today is very different from their design. People typically feed a grain rich carbohydrate dog food to an animal designed to efficiently digest whole animals. This is why many dogs suffer from digestive issues that in time turn into systemic problems. If your dog has digestive issues he will also have dog breath. So what is a cure to your dog's bad breath?
We are back to feeding him what he is designed to eat. Meats, cartilage animal fats, oils digestive enzymes. Commercial dog food has another problem it has been cooked to death. The high heat and pressure destroys delicate nutrients, enzymes and beneficial bacteria. Your dog needs these to thrive. Most dogs when tested are enzyme deficient. It's no wonder when they eat a heat processed food their whole lives. People are realizing that many of their dog's problems are cause by the food they're eating daily. Dogs are routinely poisoned by aflatoxin and melamine in dog food. Dog food recall after dog food recall. What are we feeding our dogs?
Check out our Homemade Dog Food and purchase the two supplements to make your own dog food.
Special note: It is important to add the supplements to the dog food recipe to prevent nutritional deficiencies in your dog. Watch our Homemade Dog Food Video and get started today!
Here is a quick list of ingredients you will need to get started making our Homemade Dog Food.
Homemade Dog Food Ingredients:
Ground beef, rice, eggs, Dinovite Canine Supplement (Supplies digestive enzymes, trace minerals, fatty acids, vitamins and Direct Fed Microbials) and Lickochops Omega Fatty Acid Supplement (Supplies additions Omega 3, Omega 6 fatty Acids and Natural source vitamin E) or SuprOmega Fish Oil Supplement.
Homemade Dog Food Recipe, CLICK HERE for the actual RECIPE and VIDEO DIRECTIONS!
Special note: Dogs have a very acidic stomach (PH of 1) environment that kills the bacteria on fresh meat. This is how they can eat fresh meat and not get sick. It is also why dogs can knock over garbage cans, eat the contents and live to do it again the next week. After all they are scavengers. It all makes sense.
Dogs fed fresh meat based diets have clean white teeth and fresh dog breath.
*All information on this website is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the expert advice of a veterinarian or veterinary practitioner.
