It’s so sweet when your pooch gets in close to give you a kiss, but getting a whiff of that stinky dog breath can spoil the moment. Like people, dogs develop bad breath due to a buildup of bacteria along the teeth, gums and tongue. Home remedies for dog’s bad breath are cheap, simple, and effective.
In this guide, you’ll find some of the best home remedies for dog’s bad breath along with step-by-step procedures on how to use them.
1. Dietary Changes
One of the ways that you can help stop the bad breath of dogs is to change what they eat. While dogs do enjoy eating meat snacks, it is probably what is causing your dog’s bad breath. It is for this reason that cutting down on the amount of meat that your dog is eating is probably a good way to solve this problem.
Directions
- You can give him more grains and vegetables in the rest of his diet. This will ensure he is still getting the right amount of nutrients.
- Give him small meat treats.
- Go see a vet about a new diet plan.
2. Cleaning Dog Bowl
You also need to consider the cleanliness of your dog’s bowl. This is a leading cause of dog bad breath. Sometimes the solution to the best home remedies for dogs bad breath is just paying attention to not only what they eat but what they eat from. Dog bowls can get dirty. It is up to you as a pet parent to clean them out and make sure that they are not growing bacteria.
Necessary Items
Directions
- Gently wash out your dog’s bowl with soap and water. Be sure to rinse it thoroughly.
3. Probiotics
Probiotics are important for a dog’s diet. This is because these probiotics create a healthy gut environment for your dog to digest his food properly. Bad breath can be caused by a bad diet or unhealthy digestion, just like human beings. It is important for that reason to include these probiotics.
Probiotics have the power to make digestion easier on the dog. It also helps to stop any sort of digestive or intestinal problems that the dog might be enduring at the time. Digestive enzymes can also help your dog get what they need in order to ensure that they have fresh breath. You can try both of these to see which one works better for your dog.
Necessary Items
Directions
- Give your dog probiotics in pill form if they will take it.
- Open the probiotic capsule and dump it into water. Use a syringe to give it orally if they won’t swallow a pill.
4. Parsley
Parsley is another way to keep your dog’s bad breath at bay. You can make your own tea to put in his water in order to make the most out of parsley’s benefits.
Necessary Items
- Parsley, very finely chopped
- Water
Directions
- Put parsley into the dog’s food bowl.
- Try to mix it into the food as well as you can.
5. Water
Be sure that your dog is getting plenty of water. Just like humans, if a dog is dehydrated, his breath will likely not be very good. Be sure that he is always being offered enough drinking water so that he can stay hydrated. Besides that, their bodies need a lot of water for them to function properly anyway.
This will help to flush out the bacteria in your dog’s mouth as well, as the bacteria is not likely to survive in a mouth that is always wet. Make sure that their bowls are always clean and full of clean water.
6. Toothbrushing
Be sure that you are taking the time to brush your dog’s teeth. People are not the only ones that need to take care of their mouths. In order to keep bad breath away, brushing their teeth is imperative. You need to take care to get a toothbrush that has soft bristles to ensure that you are not damaging your dog’s mouth or gums.
Directions
- Brush their teeth using circular movements to get all of the plaque off of their teeth and gums.
- If your dog does not like the idea at first, let him take a taste of the toothpaste. This will help him get used to it. Then you can begin brushing.
7. Carrots
Carrots are some of the best treats for your dos. They make awesome, healthy chew toys for them. Not only do they swallow what they are chewing and get the healthy benefits, but their teeth get cleaned at the same time. The carrot rubs against the teeth and gums to stop plaque from building up on them.
Your dog will also be stimulating the salivary glands when they chew. This will help wash off food particles. These are especially great choices for puppies who are teething. They can spend hours on a single carrot if they need to because their mouths are so small.
8. Apple Cider Vinegar
The anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, and anti-viral agents naturally occurring in apple cider vinegar are powerful for fighting against bad breath. The high levels of acid present in the apple cider vinegar can also break down any plaque or tartar present leaving your dog’s mouth fresh and clean.
Necessary Items
- Apple cider vinegar
- Water
Directions
- Add ½ teaspoon of Apple Cider Vinegar the fresh water you place in their water bowl.
- Let the dog drink this mixture throughout the day.
- Each time you change the water, add another ½ teaspoon to the water bowl.
- Follow this regiment for at least a week.
- Continue use whenever your dog has bad breath.
9. Brown Rice
Digestive problems, as we mentioned before, are one of the main causes of bad breath in dogs. For this reason, it is important that you are giving your dog the option to eat whole, healthy grains. We recommend brown rice for this job. Dogs seem to love it, as it is easy on their stomachs and easy for them to digest–not to mention good for them as well.
The process of digestion can be eased when they eat these grains which can help them have better breath. Choose to cook the rice just slightly and then toss it into your pet’s food bowl.
10. Chew Toys
Chew toys are a lot like bones in the way that they can help your dog with bad breath. The material is hard and therefore helps them to get rid of plaque on the teeth before it hardens and turns into tartar. Eliminate the main cause of breath odor with a tug toy like a rope or a ball for them to chew on.
Whatever you choose, make it something that is enticing to the dog so that he is encouraged to use it. This will save you a lot of effort when trying to keep your dog’s teeth cleaned.
Necessary Items
Directions
- Find a few chew toys your dog likes.
- Encourage them to play with the toys.
- Engage in interactive paly to get them to chew on them more.
11. Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is acidic enough to freshen their breath right away. It also breaks down plaque.
Necessary Items
- Water
- Lemon peels and juice
Directions
- Boil water.
- Place the lemon into the bottom of a mug.
- Cover the lemon with water.
- Steep it 10-15 minutes.
- Put a small amount, around one or two teaspoons, of the lemon tea into the water bowl your dog drinks out of.
- When he drinks it all, add more lemon. When you refill their water, ad the proper amount to the full bowl.
- Repeat for 7 to 10 days.
12. Mint Leaves
Mint leaves, as they do for humans, can also freshen a dog’s breath right away. Make a tea and put it into their water.
Necessary Items
Directions
- Dump a few mint leaves into their bowl, or
- Hand mint leaves out to them as a treat.
13. Coconut Oil
Coconut oil helps extract the toxins that are responsible for bad breath. Dogs love the taste of coconut oil, so put some in their food. You can either add it to their food or melt it down and put it in their water. It doesn’t matter so long as they get it.
Necessary Items
Directions
- Put a small amount, around one or two teaspoons of the coconut oil into the water bowl your dog uses.
- When you refill their water, add more lemon every time.
- Do this for anywhere between 7 to 10 days.
14. Yogurt
Yogurt helps to reduce hydrogen sulfide in the dog’s breath which is a main culprit of the smell. It is also a great source of calcium which is of course great for their teeth. You can feed it to them off of a spoon or put it into their food dishes.
Necessary Items
Directions
- Put yogurt in their bowl once a day.
- Give it to them on a spoon as a treat.
15. Coriander Leaves
Coriander leaves can help with getting rid of their bad breath as well. Make some tea with it and put it in their water.
Necessary Items
Directions
- Put the coriander into the dogs bowl every time you add food.
- Offer a few leaves of it to them throughut the day
- Give it to them as a teat
Conclusion
Dog breath may be a stinky problem, but it is possible to address it at home using the above home remedies for dog’s bad breath. If problems persist, you may need to see the vet to determine if your dog has an underlying medical condition causing the stink.
Have you tried any of the above home remedies for dog’s bad breath? Know some others that we omitted? Tell us about how you freshen your dog’s breath in the comments. Your input can help other readers like you solve the problem of stinky breath in dogs.
(Visited 13 times, 1 visits today)