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Bad Breath

Jason Webb

New Member
Hey I have a 9 month old intact male DDB and he has terrible breath smells like bad fish. I was feeding him Taste of the Wild and switched to Orijen Large Breed puppy food a few months ago and it didn't help. Any suggestions?
 

Michele

Super Moderator
Staff member
Add parsley to the food. Make sure it's fresh parsley. That will help with the breath. Also, have your vet check to make sure the dog's teeth dont have any issues
 

Boxergirl

Well-Known Member
In addition to what Michele said, make sure to brush his teeth with dog toothpaste (no human stuff) and clean around his gums and face folds. Sometimes digestive issues can also cause bad breath. There is also a distinctive smell to the breath of dogs with renal issues, although that would be rare in a dog as young as yours, so I don't think that is the case here.
 

Hector

Well-Known Member
In addition to what Michele said, make sure to brush his teeth with dog toothpaste (no human stuff) and clean around his gums and face folds. Sometimes digestive issues can also cause bad breath. There is also a distinctive smell to the breath of dogs with renal issues, although that would be rare in a dog as young as yours, so I don't think that is the case here.
Maybe Hector has renal issues? His breath has been worse than before for a couple of years now. He's on probiotics and everything. Teeth looks like dog teeth, some tartar, not the best but he's never had the cleanest teeth even when raw fed. Only thing I can think of for him is digestive issues. Are there tests for renal issues? He does need anal glands expressed every month - 2months for the last like 1.5 years.
 

Boxergirl

Well-Known Member
Maybe Hector has renal issues? His breath has been worse than before for a couple of years now. He's on probiotics and everything. Teeth looks like dog teeth, some tartar, not the best but he's never had the cleanest teeth even when raw fed. Only thing I can think of for him is digestive issues. Are there tests for renal issues? He does need anal glands expressed every month - 2months for the last like 1.5 years.

You'd want to have a complete blood profile done. We just had one done, yet again, for my skin and bones Al. He smells like he's dying from the inside out and his teeth are really good. My daughter, the one that works at the ER vet clinic, said he smelled like the dogs/cats that come in with kidney failure so she insisted on another senior blood panel. His levels were all normal, so that was a relief. I'm betting Hector's problem is digestion rather than kidney issues, but it never hurts to check if you haven't done so in a while.
 

Hector

Well-Known Member
You'd want to have a complete blood profile done. We just had one done, yet again, for my skin and bones Al. He smells like he's dying from the inside out and his teeth are really good. My daughter, the one that works at the ER vet clinic, said he smelled like the dogs/cats that come in with kidney failure so she insisted on another senior blood panel. His levels were all normal, so that was a relief. I'm betting Hector's problem is digestion rather than kidney issues, but it never hurts to check if you haven't done so in a while.
Actually his complete blood work was done last year or maybe it was 2 years ago. I mentioned it to the vet the other day and he didn't seem alarmed. We will see. Going to give him 1 antacid before dinner and see if that helps any.
 

Bailey's Mom

Super Moderator
Super Moderator
I remember some guy I knew once that had a bad breath problem which turned out to be bacteria proliferating in the nasal passages. There was some treatment for it, but i can't remember the details.
 

DennasMom

Well-Known Member
If the bad-breath pup isn't taking probiotics yet, I'd add that, for sure.

And, check the ingredients in the two foods - are they different proteins? chicken can be a strange one for mastiffs... causing issues... so if they are both chicken-based, it might be worth switching up again to a non-chicken kibble.

It can take at least a few weeks for a new food to help some issues, too.

I'd also look at the treats & goodies he's getting besides meal times... one bad treat can do a lot of damage!
(we had an "explosive" episode just last week over an "everlasting" treat that was consumed much, much too quickly).