My dog's breath smells like vanilla. Is this a health concern?

I really don't think it is anything to be worried about. I am not sure why he would have this smell. Usually a sweet smell of the breath is in relation to diabetes but her sure is young to have that, but it is not impossible. I suggest you just keep monitoring him and if the smell does not resolve or you start noticing her is drinking a lot of water and peeing a lot more he should see a vet.

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!

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!

AS long as he is eating normally, I don't think you need to be too concerned. Has he been licking at his back end? Anal glands can smell "fishy," so that may be the issue. Yuck! :/ Its not urgent if he is otherwise normal, but get him in to your vet when you can so they can do an exam and make sure nothing is wrong. They can also check and express his anal glands if needed. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern! If you are smelling a bad odor coming from Prince's mouth, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine his mouth to determine if he has severe dental disease or not. He will likely need a dental cleaning and a course of antibiotics if he is dealing with severe dental disease, which is typical in small breed dogs. Some things you can do after you have his teeth cleaned would include Oravet chews, Plaque off and CET oral rinse. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Barney. This isn't a strange question at all! It could be rubbed up against plants that give off that odor, making him smell that way. It could also be from a metabolic problem, or a yeast ear infection. Give him a bath to see if the smell goes away; if not, I would definitely have this checked out by his vet if he still smells like this in the morning. I hope this helps!

I would guess that this is potentially food related, and if it is transient and he is doing well on his food otherwise there may not be anything to be worried about. If it bothers you, you could try changing his diet to another flavor or another brand altogether (I recommend sticking to foods by Purina, Hill's, Royal Canin, Iams or Eukanuba). You could also consider trying a probiotic supplement. Although Guido is young he could still also have a tooth problem and if the odor seems to be around all the time you may want to have your vet examine his mouth.