It’s not pleasant when you have to wake up in the morning from your pet’s licking, and if your dog’s breath smells like rotten meat, the greeting procedure turns into torture. It must be said that an unnatural smell from a dog’s mouth is a fairly common occurrence, some even believe that it is normal. Reasoning logically: “the dog just ate something,” the owner may waste valuable time and aggravate the illness from which the pet is already suffering.
Note! Halitosis is a concept meaning the presence of an unpleasant (putrefactive) odor from the mouth of a pet.
This false opinion is further confirmed by the fact that most owners do not consider preventive cleaning of their pet’s teeth to be an essential aspect of care. A dog whose teeth have never been brushed is expected to have an unpleasant odor from his mouth, but is this normal and what can be done to correct the situation? Veterinarians and groomers note that 8 out of 10 cases when a dog’s mouth stinks is not a cosmetic problem, but a symptom of a disease. Treatment of any ailment begins with diagnosis, which means searching for the causes of the disease.
Fish
This problem can have a number of reasons:
- If the dog just ate the fish. He can’t brush his teeth like a human, and he gives off a fishy aroma for quite a long time.
- This “aroma” may indicate gum or dental disease. For example, the majority of fighting dogs have slightly or severely deformed jaws. In this case, food can get stuck in small crevices. Therefore, you need to brush your pet's teeth from time to time .
- If the mouth really stinks of fish, but the animal has not eaten it, this may be a consequence of blockage of the anal glands . It produces bacteria, and when a dog licks its “butt,” they end up in the mouth. As a result, an unpleasant odor appears.
- Problems with the gastrointestinal tract and metabolic disorders can also manifest themselves as a fishy “aroma” from the animal’s jaws.
Why your dog is itchy and smells like fish from under its tail: harbingers of illness
If any signs are observed, especially signs 3 and 4, then you should definitely show the dog to a veterinarian.
Dog oral care
You can avoid the appearance of a bad odor from your pet’s mouth by following simple preventive recommendations. They provide:
- Regular (at least once a year) visits to the veterinarian, undergoing a full examination, taking blood tests and other tests prescribed by the doctor. This will make it possible to timely identify various diseases and begin their treatment before they produce noticeable symptoms.
- Carrying out deworming. It must be performed even if you are sure that the animal has not had contact with other dogs and could not have picked up parasites anywhere.
- Correction of diet. Pet owners need to completely exclude fried, fatty, excessively salty, and sweet foods (especially baked goods) from their diet. Be sure to add vegetables and fruits; it is useful to periodically feed your pet tomatoes. It is better to give them raw. Such products, like special chewing sticks, allow you to clean your teeth well and prevent the formation of tartar.
- Frequent use of chew toys for dogs. They also help take care of your oral cavity. If your pet eats dry food, it should be given constantly.
- Regular teeth cleaning. It must be performed at least three times a week. For this purpose, it is necessary to use special toothpastes for dogs (products for humans and animals are strictly contraindicated), and children’s toothbrushes. On the recommendation of the dentist, special sprays should be used to treat the oral cavity.
If a puppy is growing up in your home, you need to watch his teeth change. If any problems arise, contact your veterinarian immediately. He will help eliminate swelling of the gums, remove lost baby incisors, and give his recommendations for oral care for a young dog. If you strictly follow his instructions, you will not encounter the appearance of stench from the animal’s mouth.
Video: why does a dog’s breath smell like rotten meat and how to treat it?
Rotten meat and rot
Causes:
- Dental problems. The first association with an unpleasant “aroma” from a pet’s mouth should be problems with the teeth or the oral mucosa. To verify or refute this reason, you need to conduct an independent examination.
Healthy mucous membrane is pale pink; there should be no scratches, cuts, or ulcers.Then you need to examine your teeth to see if they have caries or not. If plaque is found in the mouth, it must be carefully removed. Also, bad breath for this reason is a signal to review your diet .
If you still smell rotten, most likely there are more serious reasons (below) and you need to go to the doctor.
- Diseases of the kidneys and/or urinary system . Most often, older dogs (more than 10 years old) suffer from this problem. The dog drinks a lot and, as a result, often goes to the toilet. This happens much less frequently, but sometimes it still happens that these urges are not always accompanied by urine discharge. The general condition is most often sluggish.
- Digestive disorders .
If a dog’s mouth suddenly begins to stink very strongly of rotten meat, then this may be one of the symptoms of the onset of gastritis or intestinal obstruction, as well as stagnation of semi-digested food in the intestines. Also, low-quality, cheap food may well be the cause of the unpleasant odor. Try feeding the animal natural, high-quality food for 2-3 weeks, walking it for min. 30 minutes 2 times a day, then most likely, digestion will improve, which means, as a result, the stench will disappear. - Respiratory problems . If a dog has become infected with an infection, and this infection is in the respiratory tract, then there may be a “rotten” smell from the mouth. Additional symptoms are most likely a cough and fever, possibly a runny nose. It is important to remember that this can be a symptom of distemper, which can be fatal.
- Diabetes . Yes, it affects not only people, but also dogs. Associated symptoms: sudden weight loss and constant thirst.
Urine
If your dog smells like urine coming from his mouth, he needs to see a veterinarian very urgently . Because, most likely, the smell of ammonia is associated with kidney problems. But there may also be liver problems: one of the most serious consequences is Cushing's syndrome.
How are kidney or liver problems and bad breath related? Slowing down the removal of metabolic products from the body leads to the formation, even increased release of ammonia by tissues.
Read more about this and other problems in the article “Why does a dog smell like dog, fish or rotten meat: we solve problems quickly”
Is a bad smell always the cause of illness?
In rare cases, the appearance of a stench from the mouth of an animal is a symptom of a serious illness.
A common cause is improper oral hygiene. Small breed dogs are especially susceptible to developing hard plaque at the base of their teeth.
Lack of hygiene
Timely brushing of teeth with a special brush and veterinary paste is the best prevention of dental diseases.
Lack of hygiene and feeding on soft food lead to the accumulation of plaque and the development of pathogenic microflora.
Eating carrion
A pet on a walk should be under the control of the owner, as the dog can eat carrion, feces, and food scraps in the trash. Representatives of hunting breeds are distinguished by this behavior. Residues remain on the teeth and mucous membranes and emit a foul odor.
Acetone
This problem most often occurs with diabetes mellitus . Associated symptoms include severe thirst, changes in body weight, and symptoms such as itchy skin and fatigue may also be present.
Sores may appear on the skin, and the animal itself is most likely lethargic. This disease must be treated throughout life.
You need to consult a good doctor, because... this pathology is very dangerous due to its complications.
A mature dog smells bad
Why does one house smell like cats, but not another?
Adult four-legged animals suffer from the problem in the presence of the following sources:
- Diseases of the nasopharynx - occur with severe hypothermia.
- Dental pathologies – with gingivitis, stomatitis, glossitis, caries and tartar.
- Diabetes mellitus - the smell of acetone is mixed with the main aroma.
- Carbohydrate imbalance is formed due to an incorrectly selected diet, with an excess of carbohydrates.
- Gastrointestinal diseases - in addition to the repulsive aroma, symptoms are accompanied by flatulence, diarrhea, and change in the color of stool.
- Malignant tumors in the mouth - may be a sign of cancer of the gums or tongue.
- Lesions of the biliary tract and liver - present in hepatitis, cirrhosis, necrosis or dyskinesia.
- Disorders of the genitourinary tract - glomerulonephritis is accompanied by shortness of breath and wheezing.
Important! The most harmless reason is the lack of regular brushing of the entire dentition.
Badly
The most likely reasons:
- Most often, bad breath occurs due to tartar . This is not a life-threatening problem, but plaque on teeth is not as harmless as it seems. Yes, this health problem will not take the dog’s life. But it can ruin it.
- A malignant tumor is another reason for the unpleasant odor from the mouth. Most often, dogs of the Boxer breed and others with a short muzzle get this disease. But this does not mean that owners of dogs of other breeds should exclude this reason.
- Maximum protein content in the diet.
- Putting food behind a dog's jowls if the animal has a short muzzle. Often, food that gets into the cheek space begins to smell very bad after some time and it seems that the aroma comes from the mouth.
- If your dog has to drink chlorinated water.
- Lack of balance in the diet.
- Your carelessness while walking
