Dog Bad Breath

Wow,

Here’s a video of a source of dog bad breath I’d rather not know about.

WARNING: If you’re OK with your dog liking your face you may want to skip this video

Technorati Tags: Causes Of Dog Bad Breath, Dog Bad Breath

You’ll hear me talk alot about the harmful effects of conventional dog foods on your pooch’s health (and breath!). What I haven’t heard of before is that putting fido on a detox can actually exacerbate bad breath (as mentioned in this interesting article discussing the virtues of a “Primal Diet”). I’d be interested to hear from you if you’ve A) detoxed your pooch and B) whether or not you noticed a worsening of dog bad breath!

Technorati Tags: detox diet, Dog Bad Breath, primal diet for dogs

While it’s widely recognised that plaque and tartar build up (which occurs naturally in ever dogs mouth) is the number one cause of dog bad breath, the second most common cause is simply un-natural and totally caused by us, the dog owners!

What is this man-made cause of dog bad breath?

Tooth decay!

Just like in our own teeth, four things need to simultaneously co-exist for tooth decay to develop:

1. A susceptible tooth surface (e.g. a natural groove in a tooth which can harbour plaque);

2. Acid-forming bacteria;

3. A fermentable carbohydrate;

4. Time.

Take any one of these elements out of the equation and tooth decay can not form.

Now pretty much every dog with teeth will have tooth surfaces susceptible to tooth decay and left unbrushed these susceptible surfaces will harbour bacteria. However, not all bacteria can produce tooth decay. It takes special types of bacteria that can ferment simple carbohydrates (i.e. sugars) in to acids which subsequently dissolve the teeth and cause tooth decay. These bacteria (collectively called cariogenic bacteria) are not normal residents in dogs mouths but rather are spread from dogs (and possibly humans) already infected with cariogenic bacteria. In this way tooth decay is an infectious disease.

But just because your dog may be infected with cariogenic bactria doesn’t mean they’ll get tooth decay. To produce tooth decay these cariogenic bacteria require simple sugars in your dogs’ diet to turn in to acid.

And here-in lies the key to giving your dog tooth decay. By giving your dog cheap processed dog foods packed with sugars you greatly increase their chances of dveloping tooth decay. And just like in humans tooth decay can not only give your dog tooth ache (affecting their eating habits as well as their temprament) it can also lead to potentially harmfu and even fatal dental abscesses in their jaw bones.

In a nut-shell, your dog should never get tooth decay. By cleaning their teeth daily and never feeding them (read: poisoning them with) cheap processed dog food not only will they never have to go through the trauma of a tooth extraction, you’ll never have to put up with dog bad breath from tooth decay.

If you’re not sure whether or not the food your giving your dog is poisonignthem or if you’re not sure what alternative healthy foods to feed your dog be sure to read this eye-opening report!