Dog bad breath is a condition characterized by an unpleasant smell coming from your dog’s mouth. It’s more than just “doggie breath,” which is normal enough to some extent. However, when the breath becomes too offensive even for you, the owner who loves their pet so much, then you better have the veterinarian check if your dog has dog bad breath, or what is medically known as halitosis.

The condition can be attributed to various dog bad breath causes. But usually, it is due to poor oral hygiene. Dental tartar and plaque are common dog bad breath causes, just as food debris and stale saliva can cause an unpleasant odor to emanate from the mouth.

But in addition to oral causes of dog bad breath, the condition may also be caused by some underlying disease, such as the following:

Abscessed tooth or teeth
Periodontitis or inflammation of the tissue surrounding the tooth
Gingivitis or inflammation of the gums (gum disease)
Oral neoplasia or tumors of the mouth
Oral ulceration
Bone or hair stuck in mouth
Severe kidney disease
Lung diseases, such as lung cancer
Metabolic disease, such as diabetes and uremia
Respiratory disease, such as rhinitis, sinusitis, and neoplasia
Gastrointestinal, such as megaesophagus, neoplasia, and foreign body
Dermatologic, such as lip fold pyoderma
Dietary, such as fetid foodstuffs or eating stool
Non-periodontal oral disease, such as orthodontic, pharyngitis, tonsillitis, and neoplasia
Foreign bodies
Trauma including electric cord injury
Open fractures
Caustic agents
Infectious agents including bacteria, fungi, and viruses
Autoimmune disease
Eosinophilic granuloma complex

The above dog bad breath causes, however, are extremely rare as most cases of this condition are associated with oral problems. So practicing good oral hygiene is still the most effective method of stopping dog bad breath causes from causing any more problems.

If you notice an offensive odor from your pet’s mouth, the first thing you should do is to check for any dental or oral problems. Check the teeth to see if there are any plaques, tartar, or black spots in the tongue or the teeth. These are usually signs of a dental problem that may have been causing bad breath in your dog.

If you don’t observe any of these signs, check the fold of the lips. Sometimes, the lip folds may contain an infection, called pyoderma, which emits a smell that is reminiscent of dog bad breath.

Also, try changing the foodstuff you are feeding your dog. It could be that the dog bad breath causes you are dealing with involve the kind of food you are giving him. If all else fails, consult the veterinarian for further advice on what to do to help cure your dog’s bad breath.