By Lisa Peterson

 

Dear Lisa: Recently, my two-year-old Maltese has developed bad breath. I tried to brush his teeth with a little human toothpaste but he didn’t like it and later threw up. What can I do to give my dog better breath? – Halitosis Hound

Dear Halitosis: Periodontal disease is the number one problem in dogs. The mouth is an area that most pet owners neglect when it comes to grooming. Not only can owners prevent serious disease with routine care of their dog’s teeth but they can spare their buddy the pain associated with it.

You were right to try and brush his teeth but using human toothpaste was the wrong approach. With long-term use, human toothpaste can cause fluoride toxicity and because it contains detergents or soaps (that’s what causes toothpaste to foam) it might upset his stomach and cause vomiting.

There are a few causes for bad breath in your dog. An accumulation of plaque, which contains bacteria, at the gum line can lead to tartar build up. As the bacteria grows it will start to smell. A dog can have temporary bad breath just from eating something unpleasant; say while you weren’t watching him outside, like a dead animal or feces. But usually, a persistent odor from the mouth indicates disease has set in and more oral hygiene is needed.

Once this happens, bacteria enter your dog’s blood stream where it can do serious damage to his organs. The kidney, heart and brain are susceptible to infection and prolonged exposure can eventually be fatal.

Chewing Remedies

It’s important to exercise the mouth with chewing action to remove plaque off the teeth. If you are going to give treats, such as rawhides, make sure they are compressed and very difficult to chew. Most of the soft white rawhides don’t provide enough hard chewing action to remove plaque.

Using a hard rubber or nylon toy will accomplish a heartier chewing action without the added mess or calories of the rawhides. And in the calorie department, many people feed really big hard dry bones to their dog for dental health without taking into consideration the added calories in his diet. If you do feed a food type treat, reduce his regular ration so that he doesn’t gain weight.

According to the online store www.Fuzzytummy.com which offers a breath treat called “Greenies” at a good discount price, these “green toothbrush-shaped dog biscuits, are nearly as tough as bone - it takes a lot of serious chewing to work through a Greenie and this cleans the teeth surprisingly well. In an independent study, dogs on a normal diet plus one Greenie a day developed only an eighth as much tartar as dogs on a normal diet alone. Greenies are all-natural and get their green color from chlorophyll. Assuming that your dog’s teeth and gums are fundamentally healthy, Greenies will make his mouth smell nice.”

Daily Brushing

The best solution by far is to brush your dog’s teeth on a daily basis. A study reported in the Journal of Veterinarian Dentistry said that brushing every other day didn’t provide any of the benefits of daily brushing. Simply put, if you are going to brush your dog’s teeth it must be done daily. Specifically formulated pastes and brushes for canines can be bought at your vet or online. Toothpaste in flavors ranging from malt to poultry can entice the dog to stick with his new regime.

To begin, using a doggie toothbrush or little rubber fingertip with soft bristles, let him lick the paste off. The rubber tip may be a good way to introduce the dog to handling around the mouth. If he balks, try letting him lick the toothpaste off your fingertip directly and gradually work your way into rubbing teeth with an implement. It’s a great way to keep an eye on his oral health and provides additional bonding time. For an excellent website with pictures and detailed explanations of oral problems and products visit www.thepetcenter.com/exa/oralhealth.html.

Lisa Peterson, a breeder and exhibitor of Norwegian Elkhounds, is a Delegate to the American Kennel Club. Write to Lisa at www.lisa-peterson.com or Dogma Publishing, P.O. Box 307, Newtown, CT 06470-0307.