Pet Tips Bad Breath If your cat or dog has a serious cause of bad breath, it's very likely to be periodontal disease. Periodontal disease affects 80% of dogs and 70% of cats over 3 years of age. Just like in a human's mouth, normal saliva joins with bacteria to form plaque, which builds to gray, chalky tartar. Tartar holds bacteria next to the gums and this bacterium leads to red and inflamed gums plus the nasty bad pet breath owners complain about. Being face to face with your dog or cat and getting it to open its mouth wide for a good oral exam is tough. Sometimes the answer for bad breath is easy to find, like a stick or something else wedged between the teeth. Other times, the odor could be caused by ulcerated and infected gums. A sweet or fruity breath can be caused by diabetes. A urine-smelling breath is caused by kidney problems. The number one cause of nasty pet breath is dental tartar, that gray/chalk-like material that cakes up on the outside of the teeth. Whatever the cause of your pet’s bad breath, more times than not, it is an early sign of a health problem. Please take this bad breath warning seriously and visit your vet. If bad breath, inflamed, sickly looking gums and possible loss of teeth isn't bad enough, millions of bacteria in an unhealthy mouth can easily be absorbed through the gums causing early kidney disease and in some pets, heart problems. Periodontal disease is completely preventable. The major cause of both dog and cat bad breath is plaque and tartar that naturally builds up on our pet's teeth. Here are some ways to slow tartar build up. First, feed dry food only. Certain dry food and crunchy type treats are high in fiber to help scour the plaque away when your pet bites through the kibble. Brushing your pet's teeth is a great idea. If you can, brush the teeth daily. Use a soft bristle brush and always use special toothpaste for pets. Most pets don't like the mint taste of human toothpaste plus the foaming agents in people toothpaste leads to upset stomach when swallowed. Last hint: Give your pet bottled fluorinated water to drink. Tap water does not have as much fluoride as this specially fluorinated water. This works well to slow tartar build up.
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