[goldenlucydog]

My Cavalier King Charles is 5 years old, and was rescued from a puppy mill at
4 months old. His breath has always been horrific, and the Vet recommended his teeth be cleaned when he was 3,as there was tartar present. Unfortunately, that didn’t help. He eats dry Iam’s Dog food. Could a change in food help ? Are some breeds of dogs more likely to suffer with bad breath ?

[theBCnut]

A change of food may help. Are his back teeth still clean? If his teeth are clean and his breath is that bad, I would take him in for bloodwork. There are a few different diseases that affect the breath.

[goldenlucydog]

Thanks for taking the time to respond. Dogs teeth are not clean at all, except in front. I don’t brush them, which probably contributes to the problem. I don’t brush my Goldens’ teeth either & she doesn’t have a problem with smelly breath.

[theBCnut]

Some dogs have issues with how their breath smells because they have different enzymes and/or acidity in their mouth. You can try letting her chew a raw bone for a while every day. If you get her a marrow bone you should scoop out some of the marrow and throw it away so she doesn’t get too much fat. I prefer knuckle bones, but I can’t always get them.

[Mom2Cavs]

Pattyvaughn has some good suggestions. I also have Cavaliers and small dogs are notorious for having bad teeth (not just Cavs) so it can be a constant problem, even shortly after dentals. I have had dentals given to mine off and on and their teeth stay good for only awhile. I do brush their teeth, but admit it’s not as often as I should. They are not good chewers, either, which makes it doubly hard to keep teeth clean :(. As for the breath issue. I have found that when mine eat something they are intolerant to or get into something they shouldn’t their breath smells bad. When anal glands are acting up their breath smells bad. Giving probiotics and enzymes helps tremendously. Also, feeding a high quality food and treats (I’ve actually cut them out 99% of their diet) has helped mine. Currently, I’m feeding Fromm 4Star Salmon a la Veg. Now I do also top their kibble with quality canned food (tblsp.) and mix in their prob/enz. When one of my Cavs had a poop eating problem (enzymes solved this, too, for her) her breath was atrocious! So in a nut shell it could be from:

1. the food they eat.
2. anal gland problems (they’re full).
3. eating things they shouldn’t (like poop or bugs, etc).
4. having a cracked tooth or something wrong with gums, teeth, etc.
5. needing a dental (no lie, some dogs need dentals more often, especially small dogs).

First, I would have your vet inspect your dogs mouth to see if anything is stuck in there, or a cracked tooth, etc. Your vet will probably recommend another dental, which isn’t always feasible at the time. I personally do them either every year or every other year. I don’t like to put my oldies under the anesthesia that often.
Giving raw bones can help keep teeth scrubbed clean. Brushing their teeth can help a lot. Even trying some of the dental sprays and gels, like Mercola’s, or Tropiclean can’t hurt either. Good luck to you, I know the pains of owning small dogs with bad teeth. I hope this helps some.

[DogFoodie]

A couple things I was thinking…

Has your pup had a checkup with blood work recently? Bad breath could also be indicative of some medical issues.

Also, I once recall Sandy mentioning that she used this product with success: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0047VWPNI/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_9?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Mine eat a variety of foods including raw and raw meaty bones and fortunately, neither has bad breath.

[Author]

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