Q: My dog just started to have bad breath � could it be her teeth?
A: Maintaining good dental hygiene is essential for both humans and our canine companions. Poor oral health in dogs can lead to many problems, from bad breath and gum disease to more serious issues like tooth loss and even systemic infections.
kAms6?E2= A=2BF6[ 2 DE:4<J 7:=> E92E 7@C>D @? E66E9[ :D E96 AC:>2CJ 4F=AC:E] q24E6C:2 H:E9:? A=2BF6 AC@5F46 24:5D E92E 6C@56 E@@E9 6?2>6=[ =625:?8 E@ 42G:E:6D] x7 =67E F?EC62E65[ A=2BF6 92C56?D :?E@ E2CE2C[ H9:49 :CC:E2E6D E96 8F>D 2?5 42? 42FD6 :?7=2>>2E:@? W8:?8:G:E:DX]k^Am
kAmv:?8:G:E:D[ :7 =67E F?4964<65[ 42? AC@8C6DD E@ A6C:@5@?E:E:D[ 2 >@C6 D6G6C6 4@?5:E:@? E92E 52>286D E96 E:DDF6D DFAA@CE:?8 E96 E66E9] %9:D 42? C6DF=E :? E@@E9 =@DD[ A2:?[ 2?5 6G6? DJDE6>:4 :?764E:@?D[ 2D 324E6C:2 42? 6?E6C E96 3=@@5DEC62>] x? D@>6 42D6D[ D6G6C6 56?E2= 5:D62D6 :? @=56C 2?:>2=D :D E96 F?7@CEF?2E6 C62D@? 7@C 6FE92?2D:2] $@[ >2:?E2:?:?8 8@@5 @C2= 962=E9J 42? =625 E@ =@?86C 2?5 962=E9:6C =:76]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m|2:?E2:?:?8 v@@5 ~C2= wJ8:6?6ik^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm#68F=2C s6?E2= r964<FADi $4965F=6 C68F=2C G6E6C:?2CJ 56?E2= 6I2>:?2E:@?D 7@C J@FC 5@8] *@FC G6E6C:?2C:2? 42? A6C7@C> AC@76DD:@?2= 4=62?:?8 2?5 :56?E:7J 2?J A@E6?E:2= 56?E2= :DDF6D]k^Am
kAms2:=J qCFD9:?8i qCFD9:?8 J@FC 5@8VD E66E9 2E =62DE a\b E:>6D A6C H66< :D E96 >@DE 67764E:G6 H2J E@ C6>@G6 A=2BF6 2?5 E2CE2C] &D6 5@8\DA64:7:4 E@@E9A2DE6 2?5 2 D@7E\3C:DE=65 E@@E93CFD9]k^Am
kAms6?E2= r96HDi $@>6 56?E2= 496HD 42? 96=A C65F46 A=2BF6 2?5 E2CE2C 3F:=5FA[ 3FE E96J D9@F=5 36 FD65 :? 4@?;F?4E:@? H:E9 @E96C 56?E2= 42C6 AC24E:46D]k^Am
kAms6?E2= s:6EDi r6CE2:? G6E6C:?2CJ 5:6ED 2C6 7@C>F=2E65 E@ 96=A C65F46 A=2BF6 2?5 E2CE2C 3F:=5FA]k^Am
kAm*62C=J AC@A9J=24E:4 56?E2= 4=62?:?8Di qJ 92G:?8 J@FC 5@8’D E66E9 AC@76DD:@?2==J 4=62?65 C68F=2C=J[ E96 =@?8\E6C> 962=E9 @7 E96 E66E9 :D D:8?:7:42?E=J :>AC@G65]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m$:8?D @7 s6?E2= !C@3=6>Dik^DEC@?8mk^Am
kF=mk=:mq25 3C62E9k^=:mk=:m#65 @C DH@==6? 8F>Dk^=:mk=:ms:77:4F=EJ 496H:?8k^=:mk=:msC@AA:?8 7@@5k^=:mk=:m!2H:?8 2E E96 >@FE9k^=:mk=:mtI46DD:G6 5C@@=:?8k^=:mk^F=m
kAm|2:?E2:?:?8 8@@5 56?E2= 9J8:6?6 :D 4CF4:2= 7@C J@FC 5@8VD 962=E9 2?5 H6==\36:?8] qJ :?4@CA@C2E:?8 C68F=2C 3CFD9:?8[ 56?E2= 496HD[ 2?5 G6E6C:?2CJ 4964<FAD :?E@ J@FC 5@8VD C@FE:?6[ J@F 42? 96=A E96> 6?;@J 2 962=E9J >@FE9 2?5 2 =@?8[ 92AAJ =:76]k^Am
kAm"i x ;FDE 25@AE65 2 42E 2?5 96 :D D4C2E49:?8 FA 2== @FC 7FC?:EFC6P (92E 42? x 5@nk^Am
kAmpi $4C2E49:?8 :D 2 ?2EFC2= :?DE:?4E 7@C 42ED] xE 96=AD E96> D965 @=5 4=2H D962E9D[ DEC6E49 E96:C >FD4=6D[ 2?5 >2C< E96:C E6CC:E@CJ] w@H6G6C[ H96? E9:D :?DE:?4E =625D E@ D9C65565 7FC?:EFC6[ :E 42? 364@>6 2 7CFDEC2E:?8 AC@3=6> 7@C 42E @H?6CD]k^Am
kAmw6C6 2C6 D@>6 67764E:G6 DEC2E68:6D E@ 56E6C J@FC 42E 7C@> D4C2E49:?8 7FC?:EFC6ik^Am
kAm!C@G:56 $F:E23=6 p=E6C?2E:G6Di ~776C 2 G2C:6EJ @7 D4C2E49:?8 A@DED 2?5 A25D] tIA6C:>6?E H:E9 5:776C6?E >2E6C:2=D =:<6 D:D2= C@A6[ 42C53@2C5[ 2?5 42CA6E E@ 7:?5 H92E J@FC 42E AC676CD] !=246 D4C2E49:?8 A@DED ?62C 7FC?:EFC6 J@FC 42E E6?5D E@ D4C2E49[ DF49 2D 4@F496D 2?5 492:CD]k^Am
kAm!@D:E:G6 #6:?7@C46>6?Ei #6H2C5 J@FC 42E H:E9 EC62ED 2?5 AC2:D6 H96? E96J FD6 E96 D4C2E49:?8 A@DE] %9:D A@D:E:G6 C6:?7@C46>6?E H:== 6?4@FC286 E96> E@ FD6 E96 2AAC@AC:2E6 D4C2E49:?8 DFC7246D]k^Am
kAm|2<6 uFC?:EFC6 &?2EEC24E:G6i r@G6C 7FC?:EFC6 H:E9 5@F3=6\D:565 E2A6[ A=2DE:4 4@G6CD[ @C 4:ECFD\D46?E65 56E6CC6?ED] r2ED 86?6C2==J 5:D=:<6 E96 766= 2?5 D>6== @7 E96D6 56E6CC6?ED]k^Am
kAm%C:> r=2HD #68F=2C=Ji #68F=2C=J EC:>>:?8 J@FC 42EVD 4=2HD H:== >:?:>:K6 E96 52>286 E96J 42? 5@ E@ 7FC?:EFC6] *@F 42? 2=D@ ECJ 2AA=J:?8 $@7E !2HD � H9:49 2C6 D@7E A=2DE:4 42AD J@F A=246 @? J@FC 42EVD ?2:=D D@ E92E E96J 2C6?’E D92CA] %96J ?665 E@ 36 C6A=2465 2D E96 ?2:= 8C@HD @FE]k^Am
kAmt?G:C@?>6?E2= t?C:49>6?Ei !C@G:56 A=6?EJ @7 >6?E2= 2?5 A9JD:42= DE:>F=2E:@? 7@C J@FC 42E[ DF49 2D :?E6C24E:G6 E@JD[ AFKK=6 76656CD[ 2?5 4=:>3:?8 @AA@CEF?:E:6D] %9:D 42? 96=A C65:C64E E96:C 6?6C8J 2?5 C65F46 E96:C 56D:C6 E@ D4C2E49]k^Am
kAmx7 J@FVC6 DECF88=:?8 E@ 56E6C J@FC 42E 7C@> D4C2E49:?8 7FC?:EFC6[ 4@?DF=E H:E9 J@FC G6E6C:?2C:2? @C 2 46CE:7:65 42E 3692G:@C:DE] %96J 42? 96=A J@F :56?E:7J E96 F?56C=J:?8 42FD6 @7 E96 D4C2E49:?8 3692G:@C 2?5 56G6=@A 2 A6CD@?2=:K65 A=2? E@ 255C6DD :E]k^Am
kAm#6>6>36C[ A2E:6?46 2?5 4@?D:DE6?4J 2C6 <6J] xE >2J E2<6 E:>6 2?5 677@CE[ 3FE H:E9 E96 C:89E 2AAC@249[ J@F 42? DF446DD7F==J C65:C64E J@FC 42EVD D4C2E49:?8 3692G:@C 2?5 AC@E64E J@FC 7FC?:EFC6]k^Am