| Have you ever wondered what is causing your dog's | | | | are proliferating in the mouth can spread to other |
| bad breath? It is probably caused by a buildup of | | | | parts of the body or set up deep abscesses in the |
| tartar on his teeth, and possibly by advancing gum | | | | jaw area. Dog bad breath is a symptom of trouble |
| disease if the tartar has been building up, untreated, | | | | brewing that you should not ignore. If it's serious and |
| for a while. Throughout their lives, dogs get an | | | | ongoing, take your dog to the vet.Your veterinarian |
| accumulation of material called tartar on their teeth | | | | knows all about dog breath. He or she will probably |
| made up of mineral deposits, bacteria and tiny food | | | | be able to quickly examine the dog's teeth and tell |
| particles. The bacteria break down the food particles | | | | you whether tartar is to blame. If the tartar is not |
| and live on the rough surface of the mineral | | | | too bad, the veterinarian may recommend a |
| deposits.When the bacteria break down protein | | | | commercial product for tartar removal and treating |
| molecules for nourishment, they cause dog bad | | | | dog bad breath. Or, it may be necessary to have the |
| breath by releasing sulfur compounds into the air. This | | | | dog's teeth professionally cleaned. Sometimes tooth |
| is essentially the same process that happens in | | | | extraction is required, as bad breath in dogs is often |
| human mouths and causes bad breath, except that, | | | | accompanied by inflammation and infection of the |
| in humans, the bacteria generally live on the tongue. | | | | gums, and loose teeth.A word to the wise: if your |
| Your dogs bad breath can be avoided by preventing | | | | dog is young, and you are just beginning to notice |
| the buildup of tartar on the teeth, or removing the | | | | dog breath, start looking after your dog's teeth to |
| tartar if it gets too bad.Bad breath in dogs can be | | | | avoid trouble later. Let him chew bones; buy her a |
| quite offensive: in serious cases, the sulfur odor is | | | | toothbrush and get her used to you brushing, and |
| detectable throughout the house, and it is quite | | | | keep a close eye on the teeth and gums.R. Drysdale |
| difficult to be near the dog. Dogs usually like a lot of | | | | is a freelance writer with more than 25 years |
| attention, however, so it's equally difficult to stay | | | | experience as a health care professional. She is a |
| away! Left untreated your dogs bad breath will | | | | contributing editor to Bad Breath Cure, a blog |
| destroy your relationship with her - it may even kill | | | | dedicated to the treatment of bad breath. |
| your dog. It may kill your dog because bacteria that | | | | |