Does my dog need teeth cleaning? Her breath smells bad, what helps?

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!

Poor Layz! If her breath smells terrible and is eating less than usual, I would suspect that she may have a dental problem. Dogs need regular dental care just like humans, and if they don't get it, they can develop severe gingivitis, a tooth root abscess, or a rotten tooth among other conditions. She would be eating less because it's painful for her to eat. I would give your vet a call today to set up an appointment for her. The vet can examine her mouth, and if they feel that there is a dental problem, will want to do a dental scaling, cleaning, and polishing. It's best for her health to have this checked out as soon as possible, as dental problems that are left untreated can lead to further health problems such as abscesses on the liver and heart infections. Best of luck!

How adorable! Often bad breat is related to dental disease. There may be gingivitis or she may have a tooth infection. Many times the teeth may look alright but a deeper exam under anesthesia often shows some problems. I recommend a dental exam by your veterinarian. If there is tartar or gum disease they will recommend a dental cleaning. Many veterinarians now take dental X-ray also to see pockets of infection around the tooth roots. After the teeth are cleaned then I recommend brushing the teeth or using an antibacterial mouth rinse. Small dogs tend to have more dental problems probably due to their smaller mouths compared to a big dog. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Lela.

Poor Gracie! From what I can see in the photos, it does look like she has severe periodontal disease. I can't tell for sure if she will need extractions or not, as we usually have to check each tooth with a probe during the dental cleaning under anesthesia to evaluate whether it is healthy or not. I do think that Gracie definitely needs a dental procedure to get rid of the tartar and evaluate her teeth more closely, so I would recommend scheduling this with your veterinarian when you are able to. He/she can give you a better idea of what she may need during the procedure after checking her mouth in person.

Bella is a cutie! It's unusual for the breath to already be smelling bad so soon after a dental. I recommend to have her examined by her vet to make sure the extraction sites are healed normally. Always better to be safe than sorry! If everything checks out normally, start brushing her teeth daily. Use a dog toothpaste. This will help to decrease the bacterial load in the mouth which is often responsible for bad smells. It will also improve her over-all dental health! She should still continue getting her teeth professionally cleaned by the vet about once a year even with daily brushing. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions!

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!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Riddick. Thank also for providing pictures, they are very helpful. I see some swelling of his gums around those moles and a fair amount of plaque. Daily brushing will not correct this. He does need to see a vet for a dental cleaning, polishing, and scaling. I'd give his vet a call in the morning to make him an appointment. I hope this helps!