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My 5-month puppy has bad breath, won't brush, and chews don't help.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Hello, ICE is 5 month puppy and he refused to brush his teeth, i got him from Petco Pet Education Center the teeth chewy mint but his breath is still bad. What do you suggest i do here?

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

Published on April 27th, 2019

Hi there. Often, pups this age may have bad breath because they are in the process of teething - so there are traces of blood on their gums, and some inflammation due to eruption of the adult teeth. If this is the problem, it should improve on its own over the next month or two once all of the adult teeth are in. A pup this age should not have any significant tartar or periodontal disease, so this is unlikely to be the cause of the bad breath. :)

You can try other types of treats designed to help with stinky breath such as Greenies or VeggieDent chews, to see if these may work better in the meantime. If the problem continues, I would recommend having him examined by a vet to make sure there is no other reason for his breath to be unusually bad, such as a GI problem or a wound or foreign body in his mouth.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Ana M, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on July 4th, 2018
Thank you for submitting your question regarding Jackie. His profile has his age listed as 5 months. If this is true, then I suspect the bad breath is secondary to teething. Most puppies go through the teething process from 4-6 months of age. This can result in minor bleeding along the gum lines as well as foul smelling breath. The puppy will want to chew more than normal too. If this does not seem to be Jackie's problem, then he should see a veterinarian to ensure that he does not have a wound in his mouth or an internal disease causing the breath odor. I hope this information helps!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Jenny, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on July 22nd, 2017
There is you can use right now that will help with 'puppy breath'. The smell you do not like is normal for that age and something she will grow out of by 3-4 months. Some people love it, some people hate it!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on October 6th, 2018
You can brush his teeth:

( https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-brush-your-dog-s-teeth-properly/ )

DO NOT use human toothpaste!

You can also use this product:

( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/zymox-oratene-breath-freshener )

Hope this helps. Best wishes.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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