 |
Another common complaint of animal guardians is why their pet has such bad breath, also known as halitosis by the medical and veterinary profession. Bad breath can have many potential causes. The first and most obvious includes some sort of oral periodontal disease. This can range from loose or infected teeth with bacterial plaque buildup, to more extensive lesions and swelling of the gums. |
In older pets, tumors or growths which can range from benign gum growths called epuli, to more serious oral cancers can also be found. It is important, however, for an animal guardian to realize, that dental disease is not the only cause of bad breath in a pet. Sometimes upper respiratory and/or sinus infections, particularly in cats can be a common cause of bad breath. Poor digestion and/or digestive tract disease, including intermittent belching or reflux can present bad breath in a dog or cat who is otherwise not having any signs of vomiting or diarrhea.
Depending upon the cause of the bad breath will determine proper course of treatment. That is why any pet with chronic bad breath should have a full medical exam and veterinary assessment to rule many of these possibilities out. Once a diagnosis is obtained, an appropriate course of treatment can be instituted.
Read Related Posts on PetMeds Blog:
One Comment
My dog gets bad breath particularly when I give her certain types of raw hides. I have started just sticking to the plain white raw hides. I find that when she belches, this is when the breath was really bad from the flavored or coated raw hide. I’m wondering if any human treatments, like home remedies can be given to dogs. I think there is a remedy mixing water and peroxide to drink. Would this be dangerous to dogs?
[Reply]