Why Does My Dog Have Bad Breath?

Does your dog show signs of an illness?

Do the signs include symptoms like increased thirst and urination, the breath has a urine-like or fishy smell?

Do the signs include apathy, weight loss, maybe even vomiting, the breath has a sweet fruity smell?

Do the signs include symptoms like jaundice, loss of appetite, weight loss, the breath has a musty smell?

Has your dog been licking his anal area often?

Kidney disease can result in high urea levels in the body, causing the breath to smell like urine or fishy. Kidneys are also an important organ for filtering out toxins. One in 10 dogs will develop kidney disease in their lifetime. If this is something you have noticed in your dog, you should get him seen by a vet as soon as possible.

Diabetes can cause a buildup of ketones, a byproduct from the body breaking down fat instead of glucose, resulting in breath smelling sweet, fruity, or like nail polish remover. Additionally, dog diabetes can also result in high sugar levels, the increased sugar content of saliva is the best food for bad, odor-producing bacteria to thrive. If this is something you have noticed in your dog, you should get him seen by a vet as soon as possible.

Liver disease can cause the breath to smell musty or like a dead animal. This is because the liver is no longer able to properly filter out toxins so stinky sulfur compounds, such as thiols, are released into the lungs. If this is something you have noticed in your dog, you should get him seen by a vet as soon as possible.

While less common in dogs, bowel obstructions, acid reflux, indigestion, and other gastrointestinal issues can manifest as bad breath. This is because bad smells associated with digestion don’t move in the right direction in the intestinal tract.

If you’ve got a dog with an itchy bottom, he’ll often lick his anus where anal gland fluid can get on to his tongue. This can smell pretty bad and could be a sign that his anal glands need expressing – something that can be done quickly and painlessly by your vet.

The most common cause of bad breath is a build-up of bacteria on your dog’s teeth, called plaque. While a healthy mouth has bacteria in it, plaque promotes the growth of ‘bad’ bacteria that produce unpleasant odors, causing bad breath. If plaque isn’t removed, it can cause irritation and inflammation of the gums (gingivitis), which are the first signs of gum disease (also known as periodontal disease).