My dog has bad breath and ticks. How can I treat these issues?

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.

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!

I recommend to discuss ruling out a food allergy and hypothyroidism with your veterinarian .Without any further information it’s hard to know which is best but your regular veterinarian should be able to guide you. Food allergies are easiest to diagnose when pets have a proper diet trial with a hydrolyzed prescription protein. Thyroid disease is diagnosed with a straightforward blood test. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to post them. Best of luck.

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!

Bad breath can indicate dental disease, diabetes or renal disease. I recommend to have Rosy examined by the veterinarian as this is the best way to begin figuring out the cause. If everything looks good on her, then you need to start at home dental care. The breed in general is prone to dental disease so at home care can help slow this process down. I hope this helps.

At his age, the bad breath could be an abscess or the normal shedding of his puppy teeth. Take a good look inside his mouth to check for any abnormalities. You may also consider having him examined by the veterinarian if you are not sure what you are seeing. Otherwise, I recommend to brush his teeth. This is one of the best ways to maintain dental health: https://www.petcoach.co/article/brushing-teeth-home-dental-care/ I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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!