Q: Bad Breath

Answered by Tviokh on 2/8/2005, 12:45 pm

A: Vet.

> My dog has really bad breath is there something that I can
> give her to get rid of it?

You can give her a trip to the vet. :)

Bad breath can be caused by poor dental health, GI problems, illness, allergies, kidney failure (this is COMMONLY overlooked, even by vets, but can be the first sign of kidney problems; blood tests are recommended to confirm or rule this out) or liver failure.
Your dog needs to see a vet to find out the root cause of the bad breath; only once you know the cause can it be treated.

General info on keeping a dog's teeth clean:



From my Dog FAQ:
Well, first of all, are your dog's teeth properly aligned?
This isn't anything you can really do anything about, but dogs who have misaligned teeth are more prone to having tartar and plaque problems.

Things you can offer your dog that can help keep teeth clean:

Nylabone edibles.
Greenies
Specific dental chew toys.
Kong toys
Tripe, raw or dried.
Fresh raw bones (for larger dogs, turkey necks, backs, wings, legs, beef knuckle bones; chicken instead of turkey for smaller dogs). Raw bones are safe to offer, but should be taken away after 45 minutes to an hour as they begin to dry out. Cooked, dried, ''smoked'', ''roasted'', etc..bones should ALWAYS be avoided as there is an extremely high danger of splintering.
Dried herring skins
Certain rope toys claim to help clean teeth, but I'm skeptical.

There are also commercial dental wipes and 'washes' on the market. I personally don't use any of these, as we feed a raw diet and our dog's teeth are spotless, but it's something to look into or ask your vet about if you're interested.

Things that can help contribute to dirty teeth:

An abundance of soft food in the diet.
Rawhide; it leaves a film.
Many kibble foods also leave a residue; always remember that cheap foods are cheap for a reason. They tend to have extremely low quality ingredients. You do get what you pay for when it comes to pet fod.
Excessive feeding of treats.

More information on diet, including what to look for, what to avoid, and brand recommendations:

From my Dog FAQ:
We don't feed our dog any kibble at all.
We feed him a raw foods diet.
Since he's been on that diet, his coat has become much softer, he's lost his ''doggie odor'', his stools are tiny (even for a 12 pound dog), he only has to go 1-2 times per day, he eats less & gets more out of it, he has no dog breath, no tartar at all on his teeth, and his activity level is just through the roof.
In the long run it turns out to be cheaper even with large dogs, as they eat less because they get more out of the food they do eat, and therefore food lasts longer (with help from the freezer:)).

Here are some links on that if you're interested:
http://www.willowglen.com/barf.htm
http://www.barfers.com/
http://www.fuzzyfaces.com/lfood2.html
http://www.mad-cow.org/~tom/cats_bse_rend.html
http://www.barfworld.com/
http://www.api4animals.org/doc.asp?ID=79
http://www.ferretlove.co.uk/barflink.htm
http://www.njboxers.com/faqs.htm
http://www.fila.org/peak/dirtydogs.htm
http://www.wysong.net/controversies/rawmeat.shtml

Please keep in mind feeding a raw diet is more time consuming and requires more effort on your part to make sure your dog gets the nutrition it needs. It's not for everyone, and if you don't think you can devote the extra time to preparing daily meals for your dog, you would be best to stick with a high quality commercial food or offer raw as PART of your dog's diet, but not as the whole diet.

Please also do NOT switch to a raw diet without doing a lot of reading and a lot of research first; not knowing what you're doing can result in nutritional problems for your dog.
There are book recommendations at the end of this article, as well as a lot of good information on the sites listed above.

Be aware, also, that you're likely to receive a less than warm reception of your diet choice by your vet.
Please don't let that discourage you from doing what you feel is best for your dog.
I had one, now ex-vet, of mine accuse me of ''animal abuse'' due to the diet I feed.
However, my dog is very healthy and has been examined by a vet with much better bedside manner since then.
Some vets will react this way, pretty much, out of sheer ignorance.
Nutrition classes are usually not required in veterinary schools, and those that are offered or required are sponsored by companies like Hills and Purina, so you know there's going to be some bias in the teaching.
My current vet has said there is nothing wrong with the way we are feeding our dog, and that our dog is in excellent health so there is no reason to change his diet.

The most common ''rebuttal'' to raw feeding that people find online is this article:
http://www.mybluedog.com/rawmeat.html
This article, in my opinion (and the opinion of many others) is pure garbage. The author says a lot without saying much of anything at all.
Very few sources are cited, and many vague generalities are made.
There is an excellent reply to this article by Dr. Ian Billinghurst at:
http://www.bestfrisbeedogs.com/mybluedog.html

If you are truly concerned about raw bones and splintering, simply grind the bones with a meat grinder and problem solved.
We have yet to have a good, fresh, raw bone splinter.

Again, please be aware that feeding raw takes more time than dumping kibble in a bowl, you can't simply toss them a piece of raw meat or raw bone every day and expect them to be healthy; they will not be.
If you don't feel you have the time to research and prepare daily meals, including meats, meat on bone, vegetables, oils, and supplements, and keep up with it, it's best that you do not feed a totally raw diet.
If you have a good sized freezer, you can make meals for up to 2-3 weeks in advance and just thaw in warm water or in the refrigerator as needed.
NEVER cook or microwave the food, as that defeats the purpose of feeding raw.
Cooking also turns any oils you may have used rancid, and destroys a lot of the nutrition found in raw food and raw oils. Remember, only use COLD PRESSED oils.

However, if you can keep up with it (and once you get past the initial 'what am I doing here?!' stage, it's very easy and goes very quickly), it's an excellent alternative to processed pet foods for your dog!
Besides, once you get into the swing of it, it's not all that time consuming at all.
For me to prepare a month's worth of food takes less than 45 minutes.

If you still want to feed a kibble based diet, however, it's much easier for me to tell you what to avoid.

Iams I don't like, disregarding the meat by products, simply because the parent company, Proctor & Gamble, tests on animals. This is also another reason I find the company repulsive: http://www.uncaged.co.uk/iams.htm
Eukanuba is also made by the same company.

Avoid foods that contain one or more of the following:

Corn - Common Allergen, non-digestable. Filler.

Wheat - Common allergen. Non-digestable. Filler.

Soy - Common allergen.

Wheat hulls, peanut shells, or any grain in the first 5 ingredients - Filler. Most is not digestable. Dogs' systems tend not to deal with grains very well.

BHA/BHT or Ethoxyquin - Dangerous cancer causing agents used as preservatives. Ethoxyquin has been banned by the FDA from use in human foods due to the fact that it's so toxic. It's still very common in pet foods because it's cheap. http://budgies-n-tiels.com/ethox.html for more info on that.

Meat By-Products - Put simply, this is meat that's been deemed unfit for human consumption due to any of the following reasons: Too rancid, from a euthanized animal, from an animal that died of disease, too many antibiotics in the flesh, rotten meat, snouts, beaks, fat, feet, heads, brains, internal organs, tumors (not kidding...), and other nasties. While FRESH internal organs are a good part of a raw foods based diet, the key word is FRESH...

Added salt, animal fats, sugar, or flavorings - Used to cover up the bad smell and taste of the rancid meats (see above). Dogs and cats would normally NOT eat this type of meat, but when it's covered up with salt, animal fats, sugar or other artificial flavorings, they don't notice and will gobble it right up.

So, now that you know what NOT to look for, here are some hints on what to look for:

Whole, human grade meat in the first 5 ingredients.
Human grade ingredients throughout
No or only natural preservatives, such as vitamin E.
NO CORN!
Minimal other grains.

Quite honestly though, I don't believe there is such a thing as a 'good kibble' as all kibble contains cooked grains of some sort.
Cooked grains are not a necessary or beneficial part of the canine or feline diet. They are simply unnecessary, and can be downright unhealthy.

Links on grain, and why it is unnecessary and unhealthy:
http://members.aol.com/addieloo/grainarticle.html
http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/sampleraw.htm
http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/fatpets.htm#grains
http://www.barfworld.com/html/learn_more/nograin.shtml
http://www3.sk.sympatico.ca/riverien/nutrigrains.htm
http://renegadecanaandogs.com/diet/fresh_raw_food.asp
http://www.preciouspets.org/newsletters/articles/grains-in-pet-food.htm

Kymythy R. Schultze, C.C.N, A.H.I., says the following regarding grains. From her book, Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats:
''Dogs and cats have no nutritional need for grains. Carbohydrates or energy from grains is not required by dogs and cats. Fats are their best, species-appropriate source of energy, and they are also able to derive energy needs from protein. Energy is the ''fuel'' that sustains life and all bodily functions.

Wild prey animal stomachs may contain grasses, bark, insects, roots, nuts, seeds, and other plant matter - but not modern grain, unless the animal was grazing previously in a field of domesticated grain. Even so, the majority of our dogs' and cats' evolutionary history, which formed their physiology, did not include prey animals that ate grain. Grans were domesticated and used as a staple in some human cultures only recently in evolutionary history, so prey animals an dpredators did not have access to them until that time. And domesticated grains differ structurally from wild grains. Everything about our dogs' and cats' anatomy dictates that they are not natural grain eaters.

Grains break down into sugar wihtin the body an dcan supply nourishment for yeast overgrowth. Grains are also mucus-forming and may contribute to many health problems including allergies, ear infections, skin problems, bloating, joint problems, malabsorption, and digestive disorders. Dr. Russell Swift, a nutritionally oriented veterinarian, feels that feeding grains to carnivores weakens their immune systems and pancreas and may also lead to dental calculus. For cats and dogs, a good source of energy within a truly natural diet can be secured with raw fat and protein, not unnartual grain carbohydrates.''

Some decent brands include:
Nutro Natural Choice (http://www.nutroproducts.com/)
Innova (http://www.naturapet.com)
Wellness (http://www.omhpet.com/)
Wysong (http://www.wysong.net/)
Newman's Own Organics (http://www.newmansownorganics.com/pet/home/index.php)
California Naturals (http://www.naturapet.com)
California Naturals (http://www.naturapet.com)
Canidae (http://www.canidae.com/)
Solid Gold (http://www.solidgoldhealth.com/)

http://home.comcast.net/~mstraus/dogfeeding.html also has a lot of good brand recommendations (with links) for kibbled, canned, and raw diets as well as supplements, links to articles on how to choose a pet food, and a lot more.

Some highly recommended books on dog & cat diet:
Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats: The Ultimate Pet Diet
by Kymythy R. Schultze

Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats (this one has a LOT of good recipes, weight charts, breed charts, health sections, etc..)

Raw Meaty Bones Promote Health
by Tom Lonsdale (as an aside, we use a meat grinder to grind up raw bones for our cats, and to grind larger bones for the dog)

Home-Prepared Dog & Cat Diets: the Healthful Alternative
by Donald R. Strombeck

K9 Kitchen Your Dogs' Diet: The Truth Behind The Hype
by Monica Segal

Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog
by Wendy Volhard & Kerry Brown, DVM

Raw Dog Food
by Carina Beth MacDonald - This one is ESPECIALLY good for beginners and has a chapter devoted to dispelling the myths and overhyped ''risks'' surrounding raw diet. It also includes a small section on why kibble is NOT a good teeth cleaner.

Some RAW food brands:
Oma's Pride Raw Meat Mixes
Bravo Raw Diets
Dr. Billinghurst's BARF Patties
Steve's Real Food Complete Raw Diet

I also maintain a livejournal group for people who feed raw, or are interested in feeding raw: http://www.livejournal.com/community/rawdogs

But, isn't it expensive to feed raw?

Not really.
Not when you factor in what you save on dental chews, tooth brushing, dental exams/cleanings at the vet, products for allergies, excessive shedding, bad odor, dull coat, bad breath, recurring ear infections, etc...

Cost breakdown of feeding raw

For comparison purposes, we have three cats (7lb, 8lb and 13lb) and two dogs (13lb and 43lb). If you have more or less animals, or larger/smaller animals your costs will vary slightly.

Necks
40# at $0.75 per pound - total $30.60
5 Eight pound bags per 40# box
Each bag fills ~ 5 quart sized freezer bags
Each freezer bag holds ~10 necks
5*5*10=250 necks
About 12 cents each
Animals consume about 10 necks per day.
Daily cost: ~ $1.20

Wings
40# of wings at $1.37 per pound - total $54.96
40# fills 24 quart sized freezer bags with 4-6 wings per bag.
24*5=120 wings
About 45 cents per wing
Animals consume about six wings per day.
Daily cost: ~ $2.70

Leg Quarters
40# of leg quarters at $0.54 per pound - total $21.60
40# fills 34 quart sized freezer bags with 1 leg quarter per bag.
About 64 cents per leg
Tilly (the 43lb dog) consumes 2 leg quarters per day.
Daily cost: ~ $1.28

Mix (muscle meat, organ meat, eggs, oils, total batch size is about 2lb of mostly meat/organ meat)

Rough cost of all ingredients = $4.80
Makes 10 4oz cups
Animals consume 2-4 cups per day.
Daily cost: ~ $1.44

Overall daily totals:

Necks: $1.20
Wings: $2.70
Leg Quarters: $1.28
Mix: $1.44
Total: $6.22 per day to feed five animals.