Dog breath

[Wowbagger]

As cyclists, we all know that lovely putrid smell which wafts from the grass verges of country lanes where the mortal remains of what was once a badger lie in the grass. And everyone knows that dogs' breath smells.

However, our dog's breath has taken on a distinct essence of 4-week-old badger cadaver during the past couple of days. I suspect he's got something ghastly stuck between his teeth because he doesn't seem to be in any pain. I've held my breath and his mouth open but I can't see anything in there.

How long before I try to clean his teeth?

[longers]

Expensive answer but I'd say take him to the vets for peace of mind, if not your nose.

If you can't see something amiss - caught food, gums, tartar etc then it might be something else.

One of my mums dogs, recently deceased, had terrible breath but they couldn't do much as anaesthetic was risky for a geriatric. He just needed a damn good scale and polish. A suitable knock out drug was found but they did wish it had been invented earlier.

[Ian H]

Canine Colgate and bog-brush.

[nicknack]

Fill his water bowl with Listerine and give him a couple of extra strong mints.

Should sort it.

[kyuss]

My old dog (god rest her soul) used to love having her teeth brushed. I'm sure the beef flavoured toothpaste played a major part.

[Wowbagger]

I tried cleaning his teeth last night. I think I've put my shoulder out. His-jaws-were-not-for-being-prized-apart.

I've made an appointment with the vet for this evening. It really does smell as thought there's a dead badger in the corner of the room. I've checked, and if there is I can't find it.

[Wowbagger]

And another £83 to the cause.

Vet's appointment after which I came away with worming tablet, a big tube of yogurt substitute for dogs, some antibiotics and a gel to rub over his gums. So far he's had the worming tablets.

The yog subst is in a huge syringe with stops ever 5ml. I have to inject this into his throat. This is going to be fun.

[Chris S]

The yog subst is in a huge syringe with stops ever 5ml. I have to inject this into his throat. This is going to be fun.

Does it have a long needle? Can't you stick it up his arse and inject it into his gut that way?

On reflection - perhaps the mouth approach is preferable...

[VeloYellow]

You probably don't want to know about this,  but sometimes bad breath in dogs is caused by the anal sacs being over full. Anal sacs are essentially scent glands that produce foul smelling liquid. I will leave the exact mechanism by which the anal sac material reaches the mouth to your imagination!

[Wowbagger]

It doesn't require any imagination. He licks his arse fairly regularly - although I'd say only as part of his daily grooming, not because he's got a problem down there. If it were worrying him I think he'd lick it all the time, as he did his left front paw a couple of weeks ago when he hurt it while we were out on a walk.

We've just had our wrestling match. He's amazingly compliant, even though it's obvious that he hates what we are doing (squirting goo down his throat must be the worst thing). He's a big dog (27kg) and it takes two of us. After that, I rubbed some sort of antibacterial gel into his gums and shoved an antibiotic capsule down his throat. If he had any viciousness about him at all these jobs would be impossible.

[Wowbagger]

Morph is having another bout of the stinks. Dez took him to the vet's this a.m. and they diagnosed an infection in the folds of skin around his mouth. The treatment is a course of antibiotics and to scrub the outside of his mouth with Hibiscrub, which naturally he hates. Poor old chap. He really is the most good-natured of dogs: he struggles, but never shows any aggression.

[peliroja]

Poor old Morphy. Send him a tickle from us (with noses held, of course).

[rogerzilla]

One of our cats had the same problem for two years.  About two months ago, it automagically fixed itself, proving it was never his teeth (the vet says his teeth are good anyway, and he's 14 this year.  The cat, not the vet.)

[Wowbagger]

Two hibiscrubs later and the smell has gone. He'll finish his antibiotics but we won't repeat the hibiscrub unless necessary. I reckon a non-alcoholic mouthwash would do just as well.

[Feline]

It could be worth considering applying the hibiscrub at <10% concentration using a cotton bud to the skin folds daily, or else it could recur. Skin fold dermatitis is relatively common in dogs with relatively deep / moist folds   

[Chris S]

...I reckon a non-alcoholic mouthwash would do just as well.

Have you taught him to swill & spit? Good Work!

[Wowbagger]

...I reckon a non-alcoholic mouthwash would do just as well.

Have you taught him to swill & spit? Good Work!

No, but he can fart and belch.

[Chris S]

...I reckon a non-alcoholic mouthwash would do just as well.

Have you taught him to swill & spit? Good Work!

No, but he can fart and belch.

He should take up audax.

[Kim]

Two hibiscrubs later and the smell has gone.

I've always been quite fond of the smell of hibiscrub.  When I was a small child, it was what my parents smelled of when they didn't smell of smoking (or polo mints in a futile attempt to mask the smell of smoking).