The main reason for this is that puppies start teething at around 4 months of age, and their adult teeth are fully formed at around 6–8 months old. Puppies' breath may start to smell worse when they're teething because adult teeth are starting to break through the gums and develop bacteria.
“Once dogs reach the age of 3 and older, they start to develop plaque and bacteria, possibly creating even more bad odors.” Catanzaro also notes that some vets believe sweet-smelling puppy breath is “the result of gas leaking into the puppy's stomach from his developing esophagus.”
At about four to seven months of age, your puppy's baby teeth will dissolve at the root, loosen, and fall out to make room for their adult teeth. You may notice the musty, metallic odor of blood on their breath, it can smell like a handful of pennies.
Poor dental hygiene is the main cause of dogs' bad breath. Teething in puppies and gastrointestinal issues can cause bad breath. There are safe and easy at-home remedies for bad dog breath. Brushing your dog's teeth is a great way to prevent bad breath.
Bad breath is certainly not uncommon in dogs. While it's perfectly normal for your pup to have some smell on their breath from eating, playing with toys and just living their normal doggie lives, this smell can sometimes grow into a stink that repels all but the bravest pup parents.
The main reason for this is that puppies start teething at around 4 months of age, and their adult teeth are fully formed at around 6–8 months old. Puppies' breath may start to smell worse when they're teething because adult teeth are starting to break through the gums and develop bacteria.
Oral Hygiene
If you notice a fishy smell every time your dog opens its mouth, the most likely cause is periodontal disease. This condition is relatively easy to treat if caught early and it hasn't had time to seriously damage your dog's mouth.
The most common causes of bad breath in dogs are bad oral hygiene and periodontal disease. Just like in humans, the build-up of plaque and tartar can lead to the development of the bacteria that cause bad breath.
Teething
Far and away, the most common cause of unpleasant, bad or different puppy breath is teething. This is more obvious in some puppies than others. As the pup gets further away from being weaned and is in the true teething stage, the quality of the breath changes.
If your dog is suffering from liver disease, they may have bad breath because of the reduced functioning of the liver. If it cannot filter out toxins, the result is bad breath. Dogs with liver failure often have breath that smells like a dead animal.
Some pet parents also believe that puppy breath indicates intestinal worms. This assumption is somewhat understandable, given that most puppies acquire roundworms from their mother's milk. However, there's no evidence to support the claim that puppy's breath is caused by intestinal worms.
Some foods can naturally help clean teeth and eliminate bad breath, such as: Apple slices, Carrots, Cucumber slices, & Celery. Or, you can try our Apple & Mint Biscuits, which provide some reprieve from that dog breath!
Although 'doggy breath' might seem normal, in fact dogs should have neutral smelling breath, and any bad odours are likely to be due to oral disease or underlying illness.
Bad breath is quite common in our canine companions — especially as they grow older — and can be a sign of serious health issues in your pooch.
Like us, it is best to brush your dog's teeth at least twice every day. For many dogs, once brushing becomes a part of their daily routine, they will begin to expect and enjoy it. Brushing three times a week is the minimum recommendation to help remove plaque and prevent tartar accumulation.
Feed biologically appropriate food including raw dog food or raw cat food. Kibbles, milk bones or Greenies are not effective at cleaning teeth and counter intuitive to good oral health as they have carbohydrates, which cause plaque.
Give Your Dog Yogurt or speak with your vet about Probiotic Supplements. Some research has shown that the good, active bacteria found in yogurt and probiotics can help with stinky breath by killing odor-causing bacteria found in the mouth. Good bacteria can also help with digestive and other health issues!
Abscesses or cavities in the mouth and teeth often cause fishy smelling breath. Plus, foreign objects – like food or sticks – can also get lodged in the mouth and cause a foul smell. Sadly, it's estimated that 80% of dogs by the age of two are affected with some degree of dental disease.
Infections cause fishy breath, but it's not always a tooth or mouth infection. In fact, if your fur baby has a fishy smell and you can't find anything wrong in their mouth, it may be a sign you need to take them to the vet right away. That's because other kinds of infections can cause that fishy smell.
It's Due to Impacted Anal Glands
It is because impacted anal glands smell like foul fish sometimes, and when dogs lick their buttocks, their breath smells like fish as well. Your dog may simply need his anal glands manually emptied, or expressed, which should resolve the odor.
Bad breath, or halitosis, is usually caused by a build-up of plaque. To a much lesser extent, cancer in the mouth can also create a smell and puppy bad breath can be caused by bacteria getting into the gaps when baby teeth fall out. By far the most common cause of bad dog breath is the build-up of plaque and bacteria.
When Should You Clean Your Puppy's Teeth? Even though their baby teeth will fall out to make way for adult teeth, you can start gently brushing your puppy's teeth as early as 6 weeks to get them used to the toothbrush in their mouth.