Dog Breath! Yuck!

Oral Health an Indicator of Kidney Disease in Pets

Stinky breath is a common complaint of many loving pet owners. We want to snuggle on the couch with Max or Tigger, but the pet bad breath! Ugh!

Veterinarians are very familiar with the bad breath complaint. It’s common for pets to have bad breath – of course they do! If we brushed our own teeth as often as we (generally) brush our pet’s teeth? Suffice it to say – we’d have bad breath too!

If your pet is young and has bad breath, your Vet will likely recommend you brush Fluffy or Fido’s teeth. His concern is not necessarily bad breath though – It’s usually that the health of your pet’s teeth that are his primary concern. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, most pets have gum disease by the time they are only three years old!

Brushing your pets’ teeth can be a hassle for you and a source of major anxiety for them – neither cats nor dogs generally like to have their teeth brushed.

Veterinarians understand that the link between gum disease and other serious diseases in pets – especially kidney disease – is very strong. By getting your dog or cat’s oral health under control at a young age, you can potentially save them, and yourselves, the hardship of dealing with a serious illness later on in life.

If your pets are older and their teeth need a serious cleaning, the vet may recommend that you bring them in for an in-office cleaning. For cats, this usually means the use of potentially dangerous anesthetics. Dogs with high anxiety may also need to be sedated for oral cleanings.

One simple way to give your pet fresher breath is to add pet oral probiotics (beneficial bacteria) to his kibble daily. These beneficial bacteria can crowd out the bad-breath-causing bacteria, keeping your pet’s breath fresh and their teeth white and clean.