My dog has bad breath, but clean teeth and pink gums. What's wrong?

He may have eaten something bad or sometimes they can have stick stuck in between there teeth or on the top of their mouth. There may be an infection or an ulcer from eating something and getting a wound at some point. Kidney disease can be secondary from a infection such lepto or a toxin. However, they often feel bad. They can drink more than normal, vomit and have a poor appetite to go along with it. I would have your vet check the blood work or urine sample and examine the mouth for any wounds or infection to see if antibiotics are needed.

If Tehya's teeth are fine, I would recommend getting blood work on her to make sure her kidneys are ok. Sometimes with kidney disease they can have a bad smell from their mouth. I would also discuss with your vet about potentially performing a dental procedure with x-rays to confirm there is no abscess we can see. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I would bring him in for an exam. There are related organ changes that can produce bad breath. Organ changes Ike be best evaluated with blood work and a good physical exam. Your dog is young so it limits my differential list. It makes me think more of something congenital or a basic nutritional deficiency

Rex urgently needs to be seen by your veterinarian for an exam. You likely will need to schedule a dental cleaning under anesthesia. He likely has a very painful tooth root abscess. The vet will remove all tartar, and also clean under the gingiva wich will also remove bacteria which are causing infection and bad breath. He will also remove all rotten and infected teeth. This should greatly increase your dog's quality of life and will help prevent heart and kidney disease. He will also be able to eat properly without a toothache! Please make an appointment on Monday!

It's odd that it improved when the [Giardia](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/giardia/) was treated. My first suspicion for the ongoing odor is that she may be licking at her anal glands or eating her own (or someone else's) poop. Ideally, have her examined by a veterinarian just to make sure there are no wounds, irritation, etc in her mouth or throat that maybe contributing. You r vet can also check her anal glands to see if they seem full or irritated which could lead t her having a tendency to lick at them a lot. If her anal glands are fine, and her mouth is fine, use a daily product for dental health. [CET products](https://us.virbac.com/cet-veggiedent-fr3sh-dental-chew-for-dogs) contain chlorhexadine which kills bad breath causing bacteria. [Water additives](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/zymox-oratene-water-additive) are great too. I hope thats helpful for you. Thanks for asking PetCoach! Good luck!

I recommend getting her seen by your vet for an oral exam. There may be some hidden oral disease you cannot see, she may have a tumor or polyp somewhere in her mouth or nasal passages, kidney disease can cause bad breath, there are a number of possibilities. You vet will do a thorough exam, possibly bloodwork and based on these results, be better able to tell you what is going on with your dog and how best to treat it.

Hello. You are probably right that the bad breath is not entirely from the teeth or oral cavity. Certainly other health conditions can contribute to Mitch's halitosis including gastrointestinal disease & renal disease. I would recommend an x-ray or his upper GI, including the esophagus to rule out a condition called megaesophagus, & then, of course, a CBC, serum chemistry, urinalysis & thyroid evaluation. This way, if something is found, proper treatment can be initiated immediately. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.