My dog has bad breath, licks, scratches, and scoots. What's wrong?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lyla. I recommend that she sees her veterinarian. She could have an infected tooth or a wound in her mouth contributing to the oral pain and bad odor. A thorough exam will be performed to attempt to identify her problem. From there, a treatment plan can be developed. In the meantime, you can soften her food with warm water or offer canned food to make it easier for her to eat. Do not give any over-the-counter pain medications as these can be toxic to dogs. I hope this information helps!

Hello, thank you for your question about Brownie. Based on the photos you've attached and the symptoms that you describe I would be concerned that Brownie has allergies. Allergies can be secondary to food or the environment, among other things. Often when dogs have bad allergies and they lick and chew alot they can develop secondary bacterial skin infections, which could explain the odor that you are noticing. Since this has been going on for a while and has not improved I would recommend having Brownie evaluated by a veterinarian. They can perform an examination and discuss the need for any additional skin testing such as skin scrapes, impression smears, etc. Depending on the findings of these tests they can then determine the appropriate treatment for Brownie. Hope this helps, good luck!

Hello. There could be more than one issue going on here, although the symptoms of some conditions can overlap. Bad breath can come from tooth decay, gingivitis, or even some stomach issues ( gastric reflux ). The shedding could just be a factor of the time of year ( mine are beginning to dump their winter coats ), but low thyroid could actually fit with all three symptoms. Adding a good probiotic to Coal's diet daily can help with the diarrhea & bad breath, & I would recommend Purina FortiFlora being one of the better ones. I also like Proviable KP, as this is designed specifically for diarrhea & has the probiotics, too. Both are available over the counter. If the probiotic does not help the diarrhea, please consider seeing your veterinarian for some testing to make sure there are no more serious situations to consider. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. 

There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. 

 The best flea, tick and mosquito preventative is canine advantix in my opinion. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). 

If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests.

 Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!
 The best way to go about treating her bad breath would be by treating his underlying dental disease which your veterinarian can start by doing a thorough dental cleaning.

If Zoy has lost two teeth, he could have other dental disease in his back teeth causing the bad breath. He could be licking and chewing himself due to allergies, mites, or ringworm. I'd take him into the vet to get these issues checked out. As for his separation anxiety, I recommend crating him when you are gone. The crate will provide him a small space where he can feel safe in it when you are gone. You will have to slowly train him to get used to a crate. Start putting him in it when you are home and sitting nearby so he doesn't think you are abandoning him, and slowly increase the time he is in it. He can have toys in the crate, and puzzle toys with treats in it that he has to figure out how to get the treats out. You can put a tablespoon of peanut butter in a Kong toy and freeze it in the freezer overnight, then give it to him in the crate. That will keep him occupied for a while. Finally, you can get a pheromone diffuser called DAP that helps dogs with anxiety and pair that will a DAP pheromone collar that releases pheromones when in contact with his skin. If these methods do not help him, then I recommend having him seen by a vet to discuss the use of anti-anxiety medications. Best of luck, I hope this helps.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It sounds like Baby Rivera may have a very different issues going on. The scratching could be due to allergies or fleas. Rubbing her bum on the carpet suggests she could have a blocked anal gland, and this can be associated with allergies as well (either environmental or food allergies). The bad breath could be due to gingivitis and dental disease, which is very common in Min Pins. I recommend having Baby seen by a vet to assess her skin, her anal glands (before they rupture) and see if she has an infection in her mouth that may need a cleaning. Best of luck with Baby Rivera!

Bad breath is an indiction of a dental problem, and that will require a visit to the vet to diagnose and treat. It sounds like Shiro may have ticks as well, and you will need a flea and tick medication for him to keep ticks from continuing to bite him and potentially infect him with deadly diseases. I recommend a product like Frontline or Nexgard. You can get them from your vet. Best of luck.