1 year old with occasional bad breath

[micromadness]

Hello! I have an English mastiff that just turned 1. He sometimes has foul fish breath... Basically smells like anal gland secretions. He doesn't show signs of being uncomfortable from full anal glands but I have a feeling that it's because he's helping things along by licking. His stools have never been very solid. He's been on Taste of the Wild for a while with no issues. I have been adding a couple tablespoons of pumpkin to his food to try to encourage more solid stools, but no luck. Can someone recommend a food that might be better to help with this issue?

 

[EverythingEnglishMastiff]

Try feeding a little less. That should help firm up the stools a bit too. That's what finally got my 180lb poop factory running smoothly.

 

[EverythingEnglishMastiff]

I cut Hank down from 2.5 cups 2x a day of his kibble to 2 cups. He also lost about 8lbs which I felt he needed to lose anyways.

 

[EverythingEnglishMastiff]

Oh that doesn't help with the bad breath... Sorry distractions lol. I suggest taking them to the vet and having him looked at. Be ready to answer questions about your dog’s diet, oral hygiene, exercise habits, and general behavior. Bad breath could be as simple as plaque build up or gum disease, but it can also have serious health implications like liver disease(there would also be yellowing of the cornea or gums lack of appetite vomiting), kidney disease, or even diabetes(usually making the breath sweet smelling). Treatment depends on your vet’s diagnosis. If plaque is the culprit, your dog might require a professional cleaning, daily teeth brushing with doggie approved toothpaste, or just some dental chews. If it’s an issue of diet, you might have to change your dog’s regular food. If the cause is gastrointestinal or an abnormality in your dog’s liver, kidneys, or lungs, your vet will tell about steps you should take.

 

[tmricciuto]

If he is having issues with his anal glands and is licking causing the foul breath then what I do is give my girls a carrot a day...the chunks help express the glands. They also get groomed once a month and that includes an expression. if it's truly his breath then I agree to get him to the vet for a check up.

 

[micromadness]

Thanks for the tips! I will try carrots. I asked the vet and of course at that particular time he did not have the stinky breath. It's only an issue every few days or so... Also, his teeth are perfect and he has no signs of gum trauma or infection. He's not too fond of having his anal glands expressed manually... I never thought I'd ever be asking how to make my mastiff have larger poop piles haha.

 

[EverythingEnglishMastiff]

You aren't looking for larger poop piles you are looking for more firm poop piles to encourage natural anal gland expression.

 

[season]

I've been feeding TOTW since day one.....if his poops are soft then I'd suggest not feeding him so much....and no need to add stuff to the food....many people try to change foods and all they needed to do was decrease the amount they feed. Any time I fed Solo too much his poop would become softer/runny....I decreased the amount problem solved.

 

[season]

Try feeding a little less. That should help firm up the stools a bit too. That's what finally got my 180lb poop factory running smoothly.

Bam