My dog has terrible breath, but my vet says they can't smell it. Why?

Even with minimal tartar buildup and gingivitis, a dog’s breath may smell without daily/regular tooth brushing (as with humans!). I recommend purchasing an enzymatic (chicken flavored) doggie toothpaste from your local pet store or veterinarian and brushing Marley’s teeth daily (with the enzymatic toothpaste he will not need to rinse and spit). I also recommend bringing him back to have his anal glands specially checked via rectal exam as vets don’t always do a rectal exam on every visit and I have seen dogs with very full anal glands that have not been scooting or licking as per the owner. Good 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!

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.

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.

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.

An infection or ulcers or bad kidneys can cause changes in the breathe. An infection can be under the gums line affecting the tooth root that will not be able to be seen unless there are xrays taken. I would have him seen by your vet to see if this is the case and a simple blood panel can check his kidney values for you

It would be best to have a veterinarian do an exam on him. It’s possible he may have a wound on the roof of his mouth or back of his throat, or a piece of grass or a small twig stuck on a back tooth, etc, or a wound elsewhere in his mouth. It’s also possible that he’s having some tooth root problems with the recent eruption of adult teeth. If he is eating fine and otherwise acting normally, it’s ok to try brushing his teeth and try a rinse or water additive designed for halitosis (bad breath) in dogs. However if that doesn’t help after a few days, I would strongly recommend that you take him in. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!