Why does my Chihuahua have bad breath and black discolored teeth?

Actually bad breath in dogs is likely related to dental problems. Tanner is an older dog, and if he's had no dental care in his life, then he could be suffering from severe gingivitis and dental disease. Give his vet a call in the morning to make him an appointment for a dental cleaning, scaling, and polishing. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

What I see in your pictures looks like tartar buildup. It happens more frequently in smaller breeds and is sometimes associated with feeding wet food. Getting her teeth cleaned by your vet will remove the tartar (you can't clean it off by yourself, it's adhered firmly to the teeth) and ensure she remains healthy for longer. Tartar buildup will trap more material, irritate the gums, breed bacteria, leading to foul breath, gum and even heart disease, as the irritated gum allow the bacteria to get into the bloodstream more easily. I recommend getting her in to see your vet for an exam and bloodwork to see how well she'll tolerate anesthesia. She will have to be anesthetized for the procedure. Trust me, this is in everyone's best interests. It greatly reduces the stress for your dog and keeps the veterinary staff from getting bitten by a frightened dog. They will remove the tartar with a scaler, polish the teeth to make it more difficult for new tartar to adhere and most likely recommend some treatments you can do at home to help slow the rate at which tartar collects on her teeth in the future.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Tex! How old is Tex? The most common reason for bad breath is dental disease. Dental disease is the number one disease in cats and dogs. I am assuming the green thing is severe bacterial infected tartar on a tooth. Other causes for bad breath are metabolic conditions like kidney failure or diabetes. I recommend having Tex examined and his mouth checked by your Vet. If they recommend a dental they will also want to do pre-anesthetic blood work before hand. I hope this helps and I wish Tex the very best!

Many dogs, especially small breed dogs, are prone to dental disease. Imagine what your teeth would be like if you never brushed them (or flossed). yearly dental cleanings are needed and beneficial to maintain dental health but they cannot be the sole dental care for an older, small breed dog. There are many things you can do at home to provide Nacho dental care and this will help with his bad breath. The first thing to do is have Nacho examined to make sure his bad breath is really just bad breath. An infected tooth, kidney disease and diabetes can also cause bad breath. A physical exam and detailed medical history will help to veterinarian to determine the underlying cause. Here are some helpful links about at home dental care: https://www.petcoach.co/article/dental-care-what-to-include-in-a-complete-program/ When brushing the teeth, pay special attention to the small teeth (the incisors) because this area is very prone to disease. Do make sure however to brush all the teeth. The licking could be due to a bad taste in his mouth but it can also be a sign of nervousness or a self soothing behavior. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Riddick. Thank also for providing pictures, they are very helpful. I see some swelling of his gums around those moles and a fair amount of plaque. Daily brushing will not correct this. He does need to see a vet for a dental cleaning, polishing, and scaling. I'd give his vet a call in the morning to make him an appointment. I hope this helps!

AT that age, dental disease is common. The odor and discolorations indicate an infection due to gingivitis and tartar build up. The only way to have that removed is the have her teeth cleaned at your vet. They can clean around the gums and polish teeth similar to how ours are done. They will remove any damaged or infected teeth. You will likely need antibiotics to go along with this to further treat the infection and continue with brushing to help prevent this again

How adorable! Often bad breat is related to dental disease. There may be gingivitis or she may have a tooth infection. Many times the teeth may look alright but a deeper exam under anesthesia often shows some problems. I recommend a dental exam by your veterinarian. If there is tartar or gum disease they will recommend a dental cleaning. Many veterinarians now take dental X-ray also to see pockets of infection around the tooth roots. After the teeth are cleaned then I recommend brushing the teeth or using an antibacterial mouth rinse. Small dogs tend to have more dental problems probably due to their smaller mouths compared to a big dog. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Lela.