My dog's breath smells awful and his teeth look discolored. Why?

I am sorry it is really hard to tell by the pictures what is going on with the teeth. Small and medium size dogs are affected with dental disease more often than large breed dogs. I would recommend taking Genesis to a vet for a good oral exam. It is important that Genesis needs a dental cleaning (like people) to remove all the dental tartar and bacteria from the teeth. The odor is caused by the tartar and bacteria in the mouth and will resolve with a cleaning. Once the teeth are cleaned I would recommend brushing the teeth daily with dog tooth paste to prevent slower build up of tartar in the future. Hope that 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.

It's not uncommon in dogs, if his teeth looks dirty and full of tartar he probably needs a scale and polish dental treatment at the vets, if the teeth look very clean then it probably comes from the stomach and is usually related to the food he eats.

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!

Akilla appears to have severe dental disease from these photos. She needs to see a veterinarian for assessment and probable dental cleaning and and extractions under anesthesia. The loose teeth are usually painful and she is at risk for dental abscess or systemic infection from her mouth. Here's some more info. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/dental-disease-in-dogs https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/dogs-nutrition-and-periodontal-disease https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/dog-care/promoting-wellness/common-dog-dental-problems https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/dental-cleaning-in-dogs Best of luck. Thank you for using PetCoach.

These are all signs of a pretty severe dental disease and infection. Pus in the mouth and foul odor are usually the tell-tale signs. I would suggest getting financial assistance b/c this can be a huge undertaking to get a pets teeth cleaned and diseased teeth extracted, but this is the only way to correct it once the teeth are this far gone. Here are some financial resources I am hopeful can help here--> i would first start with carecredit listed at the very bottom. Red Rover: https://redrover.org/find-financial-assistance-veterinary-care Best friends: http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets AVMA: https://www.avma.org/public/YourVet/Pages/Financial-assistance-for-veterinary-care-costs.aspx HSUS: http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_veterinary_care.html PAWS: https://www.paws.org/cats-and-dogs/other-services/help-with-veterinary-bills/ Your dogs friend: http://yourdogsfriend.org/we-recommend/need-help-paying-vet-bills/ AFRP: https://www.animalfriendsrescue.org/financialassistance.html Speaking for Spot: http://speakingforspot.com/?p=Financial%20Assistance%20for%20Veterinary%20Care 3 options for financing include www.carecredit.com, www.scratchpay.com and www.vetbilling.com. The first two companies have low interest APR rates (starting at 5%) and allow you to pay for a vet bill over 6-24 months. The last company offer a billing option for veterinary clients through automatic bank account drafting on a predetermined date at the time of service. Care Credit checks your credit but Scratch Pay does not, making it a good choice for owners who may have been declined for Care Credit in the past. I wish you the very best in getting Dixie's dental disease resolved through a proper dental prophylaxis and removal of all diseased teeth. She will feel so much better after her procedure and also she will be healthier for it. Best wishes moving forward. Take care. : )

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!