# Stinky, stinky dog breath!



## vickip9 (Mar 28, 2012)

Ok, so my 3 year old GSD has some pretty awful breath! And no matter what I do, it doesn't seem to help! I brush his teeth regularly, at least 3 times/week. I give him cow bones to chew on, I've tried "breath improving" dog biscuits, etc. And yet he still has smelly breath. Any other suggestions on stuff I can try??? Anything out there that you guys have tried that has worked wonders? I prefer organic and/or all natural if possible. Thanks in advance!!


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Vet check. Could be a broken tooth. Especially if you're using raw butcher bones.


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## paulag1955 (Jun 29, 2010)

What are you feeding him?


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## vickip9 (Mar 28, 2012)

I'm feeding him Blue Buffalo Basics. Is there something better I should be feeding him?


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Are you sure he is not eating poop? That will give some WICKED breath.


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## vickip9 (Mar 28, 2012)

jocoyn said:


> Are you sure he is not eating poop? That will give some WICKED breath.


 
Ewwwww. LOL He's definitely not eating poop. He's in my house during the day while I'm at work and then when I get home and we go for our daily walk/run, he's ALWAYS on a leash. I've seen him sniff poop right before he marks over it, but he has never shown any interest whatsoever in eating it.


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## vickip9 (Mar 28, 2012)

msvette2u said:


> Vet check. Could be a broken tooth. Especially if you're using raw butcher bones.


 
Well, he was just at the vet a couple of months ago and she checked his teeth and they were fine. I also checked them again last night just to see if I could see any broken ones and they all appeared in tact.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

There could be pieces of something (stick, bone, flesh from the bones) stuck between the teeth too.

If his teeth and gums are fine then there could be something metabolic going on. Can you describe the smell? Like feces? Fishy odor? etc.


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## Freddy (Apr 23, 2009)

Did you see any growths in the back of the mouth by the molars? My bitch just had her second epulis removed wednesday. We knew this time by the changing odor of her breath, brought her in and had it removed.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

Has his breath always been bad, or is this something new? Have you changed his diet recently? Could he be getting into something?

I have noticed that raw-fed dogs tend not to have stinky breath... could be worth a try if you can't pinpoint the problem.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

If the vet checked him and you brushed your teeth, then I would suspect GI issues. I know they caused DD to have terrible breath. 

Would digestive enzymes or probiotics help? I would try those.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

> If the vet checked him and you brushed your teeth


Is the owner's breath connected to the pet's?


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## vickip9 (Mar 28, 2012)

You know, the more I think about it, the more I'm wondering if it might be some type of GI problem. Because he doesn't really seem to want to eat every day. Some days he'll eat his food right up (I feed him twice a day.. 2 cups in the morning, 2 cups in the evening), and other days his morning food will still be there, untouched, by the time I get home from work. 

I just called the vet and will be taking him in on Monday (that's the soonest they could get us in). Hopefully it's nothing serious!! I'll keep you all posted and THANK YOU for all of your advice!!


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Jax08 said:


> If the vet checked him and you brushed your teeth, .





msvette2u said:


> Is the owner's breath connected to the pet's?


:rofl: I so need sleep.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

DD's bad breath was due to acid reflux. If the vet doesn't find anything, try some digestive enzymes. Bad breathe can also be a sign of organ problems so discuss that with your vet. You might want to get blood work done if you can't find a resolution.


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## Amt6121 (May 22, 2012)

My dog has horrible breath too !!! his is a fishy smell that I can't seem to get rid of. I saw him eat his own poop last week and I have been kepping a way better eye on him since then. I brush his teeth and tried this mouth wash stuff to put in his water. His breath is horrible lol


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## vickip9 (Mar 28, 2012)

Well, I'm thinking it might have something to do with the food I've been feeding him. He's been on Blue Buffalo and I've noticed that it has a pretty strong odor. I've been doing research and have decided to transition him over to Acana. I've also purchased some organic sea kelp to mix in with his food as it is supposed to help plaque and bad breath. Seeing as he was just at the vet recently and they did a thorough check-up with no red flags, I decided not to rush back there to spend hundreds of dollars more without first trying a few minor adjustments on my end.  If the change in food and organic kelp don't seem to be helping, then I'll take him in to the vet for a more serious examination.


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