Our pets often have unpleasant breath. Your dog may emit an unpleasant odour when breathing with its mouth open or closed while playing. This can depend on various factors, serious or not, and is sometimes related to diet.

What are the most common causes?

Some foods can have a negative effect on the smell coming from a dog's mouth. Certain ingredients, such as fish or other foods, can cause really unpleasant breath, but this is often a subjective issue.

Home-cooked food, if given in an incorrect or uncontrolled manner, often has a negative impact and can be a determining factor in poor oral health. Feeding dogs leftovers from your own food can lead to gastrointestinal or metabolic problems, can cause changes in the composition of saliva and promote the accumulation of tartar. Soft food also tends to accumulate in the mouth.

Monge dog food, on the other hand, is complete and balanced and promotes good oral health, as well as the dog's general well-being. Kibble plays a particularly important role due to its mechanical action on the teeth, which reduces tartar build-up.

Other causes of bad breath include gingivitis and stomatitis, which are inflammations that can result from other conditions. There are also problems with the teeth themselves: usually, bacteria attack the gums until they recede and the root begins to "rot". In more severe cases, this can lead to a real infection and often to the formation of abscesses, which may force the vet to consider antibiotic treatment and/or surgery.

In addition, other metabolic and systemic conditions can cause unpleasant odours, such as severe kidney disease and diabetes, which can produce a characteristic acetone-like smell. However, gastrointestinal, respiratory and some oral tumours can also cause unpleasant odours.

There are important breed-related associations, with some breeds, especially small breeds, being more prone to dental infections. Other breeds, such as the Boxer, may experience excessive gum growth, allowing food or hair to accumulate.

Age is an important factor, as dental conditions become more frequent with advancing age, just as the aforementioned kidney and cancer conditions become more common.

What can I do?

Oral hygiene is essential but often underestimated. The most important role is played by daily or periodic cleaning with a toothbrush or other suitable devices, sometimes in combination with gel or toothpaste.

The vet is essential to rule out more serious problems and to recommend any commercial products such as supplements or special foods to slow down or prevent the build-up of tartar.

However, a complete and balanced diet remains one of the most important factors in promoting your dog's overall well-being and oral health.

In severe cases, the vet may also recommend a surgical approach, such as tartar removal under anaesthesia using ultrasonic equipment. This allows for effective removal of tartar, even under the gums. These practices are often accompanied by appropriate tooth enamel polishing to prevent the problem from recurring. Sometimes the vet may also need to remove severely affected teeth that cannot be 'saved' and are a constant and serious cause of infection in our pets' mouths.