My older rescue dog has bad breath and no teeth. OTC solutions?

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 certainly understand how difficult it can be to manage bad breath. I am attaching a handout below on halitosis which will give you more information. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=129 Unfortunately, halitosis is most commonly due to dental disease that can only be treated by performing a dental cleaning under anesthesia to remove all the tartar and bacteria under the gum line. After a dental cleaning, continuing to brush is very important. I recently started using PetSmile since a veterinary dentist recommended it to me and have been very pleased at the improvement in halitosis in my dogs. https://petsmileusa.com/ Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach

I would use this water additive to help with his breath. https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/198944_HomeDelivery.pml?productId=136174 Also, these chews may help. https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/198944_HomeDelivery.pml?productId=118572

Dogs with bad breath usually have terrible teeth...ie their teeth are full of tartar which harbors gas producing bacteria and that stinks. These bacteria also cause severe gingivitis (inflamed gums) which allows the bacteria to enter the blood stream and eventually cause heart and kidney problems. Another reason for bad breath could be a tooth root abscess, a wound in the oral cavity and renal failure. Please take Voodoo to a veterinarian for an exam to find the cause of the bad breath. Treatment can then be initiated, ie a dental cleaning, antibiotics to kill those bacteria and/or early detection of renal failure.

Poor Bonbon! It sounds like he has really severe periodontal disease - this is unfortunately quite common in older small-breed dogs. This means that he has severe infection in his gums, often with bone loss around the base of the teeth and a great deal of pain for the pet as well as horrible breath. To treat this problem effectively, I'm afraid that he will definitely need to see a vet for a full dental cleaning under anesthesia to remove any painful, rotten teeth and get rid of the tartar and infection in the mouth. So ideally, this should be a goal as soon as you are able to do this, even if you need to plan ahead for a while to be able to do it. In the meantime, you can try using a daily oral rinse for dogs such as CET oral dental rinse. This will not remove tartar or treat the infection, but may help a bit with the odor and keep things from getting worse in the meantime.

At this age she most likely has bad breath due to Halle ptosis which is an accumulation of bacteria on the back of her tongue or the beginning stages of dental disease. You want to tackle this by brushing her teeth every day with a pet formulated toothpaste and toothbrush which you can find at your local pet store. You can also do oral rinses with a pet formulated rents also located at your pet store. If the bad breath continues then it is a good idea to have your veterinarian do a complete oral exam to make sure there are no other concerns that need to be addressed. I hope this helps!

I am attaching a link to the products that the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) has tested and approved for use. http://www.vohc.org/accepted_products.htm You will see that the list for cats is pretty short, but there are some diets, treats and water additives that might be an option for you. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.