Really Really Bad Breath

[tlc]

Hi guys, just wondering if anyone has had experience with a dog with bad breath.

My boy Bronson is 8 nearly 9, he's always been a very healthy dog but in recent times he's had such bad breath.

He's been to the vet and initially we tried plaque off then we decided that it could be his teeth, he had some plaque on his few front teeth

so in he went for a full scale and clean and came out with pearly whites.

He was seemingly quiet after the dental and since won't eat hard treats at all where as before he loved them. But still the bad breath is worse than ever!

I got some pro biotics and gave him them for a few of weeks with no change at all?

I've added plain yogurt to his diet with no change.

He's been back to the vets and they are perplexed with no clue what to do next.

His diet is mainly dry food (meals for mutts it was black hawk.)I changed his food hoping that would make a difference but it didn't.

He has sardines twice a week and he will eat the occasional chicken neck or wing but it's like his mouth or teeth are sore?

He always loved RMB but now will only chew a bone slowly and it takes him ages to get through one.

My other two dogs have perfect breath.

I just wonder if I am missing something and thought someone here might know what I could try next?

Edited September 27, 2016 by tlc

[Willem]

...rotten tooth? ...they can be shiny white and rotten from the root ...if the throat is not infected it is very likely a rotten tooth, hence he is reluctant - due to the pain - to bite on treats. You would likely have to get an X-ray for a final diagnose....and yes, kibble is known for causing all kind of dental problems - nothing cleans teeth better than a meaty bone (chicken necks, wings, drum sticks or frames don't do much, at least not for our BC as they are more a crunchy snack than a good work / clean out for the teeth).

ETA:...I should add that my wife works in the dental industry and has some experience with rotten teeth and the smelly breath they can cause...

Edited September 27, 2016 by Willem

[persephone]

what willem says ... plus , maybe take out any grains for a while, and see if that makes any difference?

perhaps whoever did the dental cause some soreness in his gums somehow ....perhaps a loose tooth ..or sore around where tooth exits gum..or his whole jaw may have been over stretched ?

Edited September 27, 2016 by persephone

[persephone]

oh - tonsils?

[tlc]

...rotten tooth? ...they can be shiny white and rotten from the root ...if the throat is not infected it is very likely a rotten tooth, hence he is reluctant - due to the pain - to bite on treats. You would likely have to get an X-ray for a final diagnose....and yes, kibble is known for causing all kind of dental problems - nothing cleans teeth better than a meaty bone (chicken necks, wings, drum sticks or frames don't do much, at least not for our BC as they are more a crunchy snack than a good work / clean out for the teeth).

ETA:...I should add that my wife works in the dental industry and has some experience with rotten teeth and the smelly breath they can cause...

He's always eaten RMB up until he had the dental, he will still have a chew on one now but it's slow and takes him forever. He had the bad breath before the dental. He didn't need any teeth pulling out. So your saying he could have a rotten tooth and they can't see it as it's inside the tooth? My thought is it's coming from his tummy but I could be wrong.

Pers if it was tonsils would they see it if they looked in his mouth? I've had a look and it all looks fine.

What I can't work out is he was chewing hard treats bones etc fine before the dental but not after and nothing changed with his breath.

I'm just going to have to take him back to the vets and be more persistent.

[tdierikx]

Maybe his gums are sore after the dental?

T.

[Willem]

...rotten tooth? ...they can be shiny white and rotten from the root ...if the throat is not infected it is very likely a rotten tooth, hence he is reluctant - due to the pain - to bite on treats. You would likely have to get an X-ray for a final diagnose....and yes, kibble is known for causing all kind of dental problems - nothing cleans teeth better than a meaty bone (chicken necks, wings, drum sticks or frames don't do much, at least not for our BC as they are more a crunchy snack than a good work / clean out for the teeth).

ETA:...I should add that my wife works in the dental industry and has some experience with rotten teeth and the smelly breath they can cause...

He's always eaten RMB up until he had the dental, he will still have a chew on one now but it's slow and takes him forever. He had the bad breath before the dental. He didn't need any teeth pulling out. So your saying he could have a rotten tooth and they can't see it as it's inside the tooth? My thought is it's coming from his tummy but I could be wrong.

Pers if it was tonsils would they see it if they looked in his mouth? I've had a look and it all looks fine.

What I can't work out is he was chewing hard treats bones etc fine before the dental but not after and nothing changed with his breath.

I'm just going to have to take him back to the vets and be more persistent.

yes, it is not uncommon ...to role out that it is from the tummy you need to check the stool ...I guess there is not much if he doesn't eat properly, but how was it before he stopped eating?

[tlc]

Maybe his gums are sore after the dental?

T.

That's what we thought initially but it was well over a month ago that he had the dental.

[tlc]

yes, it is not uncommon ...to role out that it is from the tummy you need to check the stool ...I guess there is not much if he doesn't eat properly, but how was it before he stopped eating?

His bowel habits haven't changed, good well formed poo, I wouldn't say he doesn't eat properly he's on a good quality dry food and he gets extra bits and pieces as well, he's always been a good eater. It's just now he doesn't eat hard treats and will chew on a bone but tentatively.

[Podengo]

Has he had bloods run recently?

[skip]

When my older dog had teeth done the vet suggested we xray and check them all. She had an obvious loose front but the xray shower another which was rotting underneath. All fixed. Then second dog had a swelling under the eye. I looked and he had split a back one. Another dental.

Does your dog have any obvious swelling in the cheek. I would still be thinking teeth if not xrayed but otherwise no idea

[_PL_]

Protexin? Awesome probiotic but you've tried that kind of thing.

I forgot to add raw green tripe, haven't tried it but apparently it helps breath a lot. If the probiotics didn't work I'd definitely give it a go despite the gross factor.

Abscess comes from the carnassial tooth because of it's structure so if it's been compromised, cracked or has a food trap it could be a source of pain and smell without it breaking up and pushing it's way through the face yet (up under the eye). The infection burrows itself up quite a distance in the form of a fistula. If he's been on antibiotics after the dental it can put a temporary hold on the infection but not get rid of it if there's a permanent problem needing help.

Edited September 27, 2016 by Powerlegs

[Dogsfevr]

Maybe they weren't the gentlest when doing the job and the jaw is sore ,have to say when mine get a dental they go to our Bowen person for a massage ours does face and jaw,I find some a tad heavy handed whilst there out

Does your dog eat poo ?

[Pjrt]

I also agree there may be a rotten tooth that is not so obvious, or a loose tooth or a cracked tooth

Or a gut issue.

The other thing that comes to mind is a flew infection. I see it a lot in grooming. It's that fold in the skin about half way along the bottom jaw line. It forms a folded pocket that saliva and food particles can get trapped in. Even the tiniest almost indiscernible skin infection in this area can cause the WORST smell!

If that area of your dog is always wet and /or hairy it's good practice to keep it clipped very short. And as dry as you can.

If there is already a skin infection going on there then medication will be needed to clear it up properly then keep it clipped , cleaned of food particles , and dry, as a preventative.

[trifecta]

I don't want to scare you, but mandibular osteosarcoma can initially present as reluctance to chew bones......months before any lumps appear on the jaw, when it is already too late....... because this insidious cancer metastasises to the lungs first. Agree with going back to the vet and being more persistent.

[poochmad]

Our female had the stinkiest breath - pooee! When she licked your hand or slobbered on you, it was horrible.

We started giving both dogs coconut oil (but in the solid form, I.e. Kept in the fridge) and we can't believe the difference! Both dogs breath is perfect. His was starting to get a bit bad as well, but ever since we've been giving them coconut oil, the problem is gone. I give them both two teaspoons each and it's the first thing eaten in the bowl.

It was a couple of weeks before we noticed the difference.

[Rebanne]

periodontal disease. Check his gum line, look for red lines around the teeth. Had a greyhound with it, multiple teeth cleans, removals and antibiotics over a 4 year period until I insisted all his teeth be removed. Also had a cat with it but only over 6 weeks before they removed all his teeth on the 3rd clean etc in that time. Both lived another 12 months before other ailments claimed them.

[tlc]

Has he had bloods run recently?

When he has the dental they ran blood tests before hand.

When my older dog had teeth done the vet suggested we xray and check them all. She had an obvious loose front but the xray shower another which was rotting underneath. All fixed. Then second dog had a swelling under the eye. I looked and he had split a back one. Another dental.

Does your dog have any obvious swelling in the cheek. I would still be thinking teeth if not xrayed but otherwise no idea

No swelling at all, my thought is it's coming from his gut.

Protexin? Awesome probiotic but you've tried that kind of thing.

I forgot to add raw green tripe, haven't tried it but apparently it helps breath a lot. If the probiotics didn't work I'd definitely give it a go despite the gross factor.

Abscess comes from the carnassial tooth because of it's structure so if it's been compromised, cracked or has a food trap it could be a source of pain and smell without it breaking up and pushing it's way through the face yet (up under the eye). The infection burrows itself up quite a distance in the form of a fistula. If he's been on antibiotics after the dental it can put a temporary hold on the infection but not get rid of it if there's a permanent problem needing help.

I've heard the tripe is supposed to be good for a lot of things but where do I buy it from? Is green the same as regular tripe?

Maybe they weren't the gentlest when doing the job and the jaw is sore ,have to say when mine get a dental they go to our Bowen person for a massage ours does face and jaw,I find some a tad heavy handed whilst there out

Does your dog eat poo ?

No he's not a poo eater thank god lol. I think his jaw was sore after the dental and still seems to be but a lot of weeks have gone by. They gave me anti biotics for him after the dental even though he didn't have any teeth out? I actually took him back a week later as I was worried he just wasn't himself and they changed the antibiotics. I asked why he needed them and they said sometimes they can nick the gums and just in case of infection. I'm not sure if the sore mouth and the bad breath are related as he had the bad breath before.

I also agree there may be a rotten tooth that is not so obvious, or a loose tooth or a cracked tooth

Or a gut issue.

The other thing that comes to mind is a flew infection. I see it a lot in grooming. It's that fold in the skin about half way along the bottom jaw line. It forms a folded pocket that saliva and food particles can get trapped in. Even the tiniest almost indiscernible skin infection in this area can cause the WORST smell!

If that area of your dog is always wet and /or hairy it's good practice to keep it clipped very short. And as dry as you can.

If there is already a skin infection going on there then medication will be needed to clear it up properly then keep it clipped , cleaned of food particles , and dry, as a preventative.

He's always clipped reasonably short around the face, they are groomed every 8 weeks with baths and face trims in between. If this was the case the ABs after the dental would have helped.

I don't want to scare you, but mandibular osteosarcoma can initially present as reluctance to chew bones......months before any lumps appear on the jaw, when it is already too late....... because this insidious cancer metastasises to the lungs first. Agree with going back to the vet and being more persistent.

That does scare me! His teeth look healthy and clean. I will definitely be taking him back to the vets.

Our female had the stinkiest breath - pooee! When she licked your hand or slobbered on you, it was horrible.

We started giving both dogs coconut oil (but in the solid form, I.e. Kept in the fridge) and we can't believe the difference! Both dogs breath is perfect. His was starting to get a bit bad as well, but ever since we've been giving them coconut oil, the problem is gone. I give them both two teaspoons each and it's the first thing eaten in the bowl.

It was a couple of weeks before we noticed the difference.

I'll definitely give that a try, can you tell me what brand it is? Can I get it in the supermarket or health food store?

periodontal disease. Check his gum line, look for red lines around the teeth. Had a greyhound with it, multiple teeth cleans, removals and antibiotics over a 4 year period until I insisted all his teeth be removed. Also had a cat with it but only over 6 weeks before they removed all his teeth on the 3rd clean etc in that time. Both lived another 12 months before other ailments claimed them.

I've just given him a thourough once over and everything looks fine. When I took him back to the vets after the dental he had a good look in his mouth and his teeth etc and all seemed fine. Some days the smell is worse than others.