Bad Breath

[Volntitan]

OK...so my corgi is wonderful except she is developing some horrible breath. Anyone got any magic remedies out there?

[Dillydoodle]

i brush Dillon's teeth now daily and it does help his breath not be too bad, but remember, bad breath coming on suddenly can indicate other health issues... like kidneys, diabetes, etc... not to scare you, i am sure it is just dog breath but i felt that i should mention it anyway...
Emilie

[Volntitan]

Thanks. It isn't suddenly, it is has been there for awhile. We are going to get her teeth professionally cleaned and see if that helps. Didn't know if there was an additive to get. We are currently giving her a heaping tablespoon of plain lowfat yogurt after she eats. My wife is a nurse and she says that is what many humans with bad halotosis(sp) are often given.

[Dillydoodle]

hmm, that is an interesting tip. I have seen additives to water and such but some dogs refuse to drink the water with the stuff in it, there are teeth wipes but some dogs dont like the taste that much and then there are toothpastes and toothbrushes, and oh boy , my guys LOVE the taste of the beefy toothpaste we use ( not crazy about the brush but they tolerate it pretty well. After the professional cleaning , i would probably try to brush teeth often to keep the teeth good and clean. There are bones and other products that say they get the teeth clean, but in my opinion they are not as good as brushing regularly...but some of those chewies and bonescan still give your dog the enjoyment of chewing...
Emilie

[Volntitan]

Yeah, I need to be better with the brushing. She loves the toothpaste, but the problem is I end up "fighting" her because she is more interested in getting at the brush than letting me brush her teeth.

[Fluffypants]

Hang in there. I'm always battling Jackie's tongue when I brush her teeth, too. She loves that toothpaste! Just be persistent. She probably won't totally stop trying to lick the toothpaste off, but she'll do it less as she gets used to it. As a treat, I let Jackie lick the tootbrish when I am done brushing. Good luck!

[Michael Romanos]

Bad breath - could be a dental or gum problem but usually it is related to your Corgi's diet.
Brushing teeth daily is expensive and a little overkill on the use of dog toothpaste. There are focussed products that help give a dog a better smelling breath - a bit like us eating mint lollies etc to take away bad breath and a smokers breath. But a partial change in diet should help. Fresh (cooked) or fresh from frozen meat added to your Corgi's dinner bowl could help as would raw veggies, and also of course: raw bones (say one or two a week) ie canon, femur, brisket or one other type I can't recall at this moment.

[Volntitan]

Where is the best place to get raw bones? And isn't chiping or bacteria a concern?

[Fluffypants]

They would be for me . . . but I have been accused of being overprotective, so maybe someone else can shed some light?

ETA: Michael - toothpaste must be much more expensive in NZ than it is in the US! I've had Jackie for almost 18 months, brush her teeth (almost) every day, and am only on my second tube of toothpaste!

[disraeli]

Rhys's breath often smells like fish, though he doesn't eat anything fish-based.
Maybe I need to do a better job with the toothbrush.

[Dillydoodle]

I will take the added "expense" and do the "overkill" of brushing my dog's teeth rather than just giving bones- they can only do so much...imagine you not brushing your teeth and just knawing on a bone, you think your breath would be fresh? I agree with Fluffypants that it is better to err on the side of caution...

[Peggy]

Originally Posted by Michael Romanos

Brushing teeth daily is expensive and a little overkill on the use of dog toothpaste.

Gee, and vets in the US advise owners to brush their dogs teeth.

raw bones (say one or two a week) ie canon, femur, brisket or one other type I can't recall at this moment.

Knuckle bones. They're called knuckle bones but are not the knuckle joints, they are the "knee" or "elbow" joints on a cow.

I agree raw bones are good. My dogs had cleaner teeth and better breath when we were feeding raw turkey necks twice a week. We've gone off that for now, but hope to start again soon.

Peggy

[Peggy]

Originally Posted by Volntitan

Where is the best place to get raw bones? And isn't chiping or bacteria a concern?

Your local butcher or a meat processing company.

Dogs have shorter digestive tracts so bacteria doesn't have the time to grow like with people. And it's cooked bones that splinter, not raw ones. You should not give cooked bones.

Peggy

[Hayashi_eri]

I brush Buta's teeth daily as her breath stinks too, maybe due to her salmon treats & kibbles. I also add this chorophyll liquid into her water daily. Hope this helps. Chorophyll works well for bad breath so maybe you can choose toothpaste with chorophyll in them.

[darci]

http://www.petzlife.com/

I've been told this product is great for dentals.