Home Remedy for Dogs Bad Breath

When you say home remedy for dog bad breath, that means different things to different people. For some, home remedy means anything you can do at home rather than taking your dog to the vet. Others want to avoid buying commercial products that are created for the canine market. Here are some things that will cover both kinds of dog owners.

There are three basic things for you to do at home to take care of your dog and his doggy breath.

Play Time!

There is a wide variety of toys for dogs to play with.  Some are better for cleaning a dog's teeth than others.   Some of the brands may be familiar to you.

Nylabone has various doggy dental cleaning Dental Chews.  Their Dental Chews are designed to massage a dog's gums and clean teeth of plaque and food particles.  With the exception of the Durable Dental Dinosaur, all of the Nylabone Dental Chews come with the warning that they are not for strong or powerful chewers.

Kong Toys have been around since 1976. Kong has a Kong Dental Stick that can be filled with treats and is designed to help remove plaque and clean and condition a dog's teeth and gums.  Their toys are tough and durable for any size dog.  They encourage chewing and gnawing that will keep you dog happy and his teeth scrubbed.

Greenies has a New Greenies Dental Chew.  This is an edible chew that are designed to control plaque and tartar build up.  They come in five sizes to suit the dog.  There has been some controversy over the safety of Greenies for dogs.  The caution here is 1) to do a little research and talk with your vet before choosing Greenies, and 2) to make sure your Greenie is the right size for your dog.  If your dog has a problem with wheat gluten, these may not be the chews for him.  There are also Greenies for cats for their gums, teeth and cat bad breath.  Our cats love them.

RAW bones help keep a dog's teeth clean. Notice that I emphasized the word RAW.  Raw chicken and turkey necks are great for dogs, as are oxtails and knuckle bones.  Cooked bones splinter and can cause all sorts of serious problems and medical emergencies for dogs.  Dr. Seigler from the Animal Healing Center says that he can always tell those dogs that are given plenty of raw bones because they rarely need a dental cleaning.

The Water Bowl

Keeping lots of clean fresh water available may sound like common sense.  It is, but it is also good to keep Spanky's breath fresh.  Adequate water helps keep the mouth moist and those anaerobic bacteria at bay.  A clean bowl insures that no old food or recycled bacterial products get back into your dog's mouth.

There are products that can be added to the water bowl that contain an oxygenating solution that is developed specifically for dogs.  This helps destroy the anaerobic bacteria that cause most bad breath. In conjunction with international vet experts, TheraBreath has created just such a solution called Dr. Katz Pet's Oral Solution, and TheraBreath will let you test it out with a free sample.  Click Here for your free sample.

Number 1 - Brushing You Dog's Teeth

The best way to take care of doggy breath at home is to brush his teeth regularly.  This is the only way you can guarantee that plaque will be removed at the gum line and around all of his back teeth.  You definitely do not want to use human toothpaste, which is not created to be swallowed.  And do not use the human toothpaste alternative of baking soda.  It is not good for your dog and the taste is so bad that he probably wouldn't let you brush for long anyway.  This is one place where you will want to take the time to buy a doggy toothpaste.  The flavors are created to make brushing time easier and more enjoyable, and the ingredients are formulated to be safe for canines.

What's for Supper - Does It Matter?

Dry dog foods, kibbles, and dog bones don't actually clean your dog's teeth adequately.  However, having dry food in your dog's diet is better for his teeth (and consequently his breath) than a diet of all canned food.  A mixture of canned and dry will keep you and your dog happier.