May issue

May issue
May issue

Friday 22 February 2013

A breath of fresh air?

Dear Dogs Today
I have tried almost everything.
For some reason his breath literally takes my breath away!
I have changed my dog's diet to something that actually smells good enough for me to eat, but no change. I clean my dog's teeth regularly and I've had the vet check and there's definitely no decay or underlying health issues.
My dog is otherwise a happy, healthy, well exercised dog.
Are there some dogs who just stink?
To other dogs this might be the most appealing smell ever, but to the human nose it's rank.
I can't even begin to describe the smell, it's not quite rotten fish but it's a close relative - and he doesn't ever eat fish.
I love him enough to breath lightly while giving him a cuddle, but it does put others off. I worry he may end up with a complex as people do pull away when he pants in their direction.
Is there anything I can try to improve his halitosis?
Max Jackson, Weybridge, Surrey

3 comments:

  1. I am very sorry for your trouble :( But, we had exactly the same situation as yours. Mishka is 6yrs old labrador, we experienced few periods of really bad smell. And it is not always good for a dog, what seems to smell god for human. Maybe yours dog digestive system is extremely sensitive one ? Did you try high quality dry foods ? For instance: ZiwiPeak, Taste of the Wild or Orijen ?

    ReplyDelete
  2. My dog had really bad breath and the vet suggested we brushed his teeth and couldnt immediatly find anything wrong with him.
    However after further investigation we found that he has an intolerance to fat!!
    I have had to remove all soft food from his diet as tinned food and raw meat were what was causing the problem. i had been feeding him lots of this as he has always been underweight, however i was only exacerbating the problem of both his breath and his weight.
    he now eats a low fat high fibre dry food diet and now his breath smells no worse than any other dogs, and he put on a bit of weight. to add more to his diet i was told the pasta would be fine, and is, because carbohydrates are easier to digest.
    hope this helps
    emma

    ReplyDelete
  3. If your dog has been checked by a vet I would still address his diet. If it really is an issue, it maybe worth trying other foods. Research the various brands available and select a quality food. Always introduce a new diet gradually by weaning the dog of the current food and slowly onto the new brand.
    Incidentally, one of my customers has been told by their vet that bad breath can be caused by swollen anal glands and the dog investigating them! I Hope you are not eating your lunch!
    So it it well worth getting the vet to check the other end of the dog!

    ReplyDelete