# Is Puppy Breath This Bad?



## Petaluna (May 9, 2008)

Violet can stink up an entire room - or more- just chewing on a toy for half an hour. My husband had been upstairs for a couple hours last night with a client and mentioned when he hit the last step on the way down and opened the door to the main floor, the doggie smell hit him right away - and it's not her skin, fur, ears, tearing - it's her mouth! We were watching TV and I had her working on a flossie so I could sit for awhile. It is pretty fishy, and my vet said she was probably teething. (For sure she is trying to chew on everything in sight.) The woman at the "alternative pet food" store said that is puppy breath - normal. I'm doing the raw NV right now but have been nervous about giving her bones, though I probably will try it soon. She does chew on the flossies occasionally. 

I am just really surprised at how rank it is, her teeth don't have tartar that I can see, but the other day I think I did see a new tooth busting through way in back. She's about 13 weeks old, would she be getting adult teeth now, or is she still getting puppy teeth in? Is it normal for her breath to smell this bad? I looked up the oxyfresh and may try it, but I don't like the preservative, and not sure whether the active ingredient "stabilized chlorine dioxide" is really safe.


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

I mentioned to our vet that Murphy hadn't lost any teeth yet and she smelled his mouth and said he had "teething breath". So I guess there is a smell associated with teething. I don't notice it. I'm a clean freak and would die if I ever noticed our house smelled like dog so I clean a lot! My family says I have OCD but I don't, I just like order! LOL


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

I am not sure I would call it puppy breath then - cause that is the sweetest smell in the world!!! Although I know some dont like it, I could smell that every day!! It must be her teeth - I would def. have the vet check it out, as it does seem a little earlyl for adult teeth to come in.


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

Diane, I was never a fan of puppy breath. it is fishy. But also Flossies are really stinky too. I can only do the "Moo" brand odor free bully sticks for that reason.


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## Petaluna (May 9, 2008)

huh. Well I do smell it even when she is not chewing on the flossie. I don't find the flossie smell particularly awful, I really thought it was her breath. I've switched her off the Science diet completely as of a few days ago, and for sure her poop is less stinky now on raw. Her breath was bad from the day I brought her home, I wouldn't say it's better or worse since the diet change. Come to think of it, I don't believe all her baby teeth were even in when we picked her up. 

If her gums might be sore, maybe this isn't the best time to start introducing teeth brushing, either. Right now she will just chew or bite anything that comes near her mouth anyway. I got the enzymatic toothpaste and the red finger brushes to start. I bet she breaks right through the rubber into my skin.... 

Could the underbite have anything to do with this? I'm not sure her lips really meet or that she can close her mouth all the way.  I gotta admit I am still hoping by some miracle that underbite corrects. Vet thinks it's unlikely.


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## Poornima (Jun 29, 2007)

I add Oxyfresh pet solution in their drinking water. No bad breath! You will definitely need it when she starts teething.


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

I'm not fond of puppy breath at all, but at her age, I wouldn't think this was due to the smell you associate with losing teeth. She's a bit too young for that. I haven't noticed any unusual smells from young puppies, just the ones losing teeth and that's closer to five and six months old. (I have a pretty sensitive sense of smell.)

How old is she now?

You might want to consider getting some teething products like Pearly Whites that have clove in them and see if that helps.


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

Diane, I just had a thought, weren't you asking about anal glands too? I have heard that sometimes they are related. you might want to call your vet.


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## ciera123 (Nov 23, 2008)

When Pixie was teething her breath was terrible!!!!! I just couldn't believe something so cute could smell that bad, and she could takeover a room, too. Luckily it only lasted for about 1 1/2 weeks, as her teeth feel out very fast.


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## Petaluna (May 9, 2008)

the anal gland thing might have just been her adjusting to the raw diet because her stools are quite firm now, though she doesn't seem to have trouble eliminating. I have to have her back to the vet in another 3-4 weeks for her last puppy vaccine and I will ask her about all that, hopefully it can wait till then. I don't see anything in her mouth that looks bad (from what I can tell). Her breath smelled about the same at the vet when I asked her about it, and she didn't seem to think anything was wrong. 

She is about 13 weeks. I think she is actually just now getting all her puppy teeth in vs. losing them, but I could be wrong. I'm just seeing more white, more teeth, vs. a gummier look about a week ago. She's torn holes in my clothing and broken skin on my hands, the little attack monkey. (I just got done telling my husband a few days ago I was pleased she wasn't particularly mouthy- spoke too soon.) I'm offering alternatives, doing the yelping and turning my back, but she doesn't seem to give a rip that she hurt me, the little brat - lol!


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## Pixiesmom (Jul 31, 2008)

We went through it too-something stinky living in that mouth. A little dab of Petzlife fixes it, like doggie Binaca.


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## Evye's Mom (Dec 16, 2008)

With 2 puppies, I never found that puppy breath was pleasant but it was not offensive either. I have had one teething mouth and I never noticed a difference. It might be different with Bentley but so far I have not noticed anything horrible that I could not tolerate.


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## marjrc (Jan 13, 2007)

Diane, I would assume it's the flossie more than anything that is causing such a stinky breath. Some of the ones I've bought are downright nasty!!









Yes, the raw should help keep her poop a lot less smelly and her breath too.


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

Go get some Oxyfresh! I use it with both Kubrick and Hitchcock and it helps their breath immensely. I can definitely notice when I stop using it... my husband forgot to put it in Kubrick's water the first time I left them alone and though it was only 2 weeks, his breath was noticeably bad by the time I got back. Put him back on the Oxyfresh and within a few days it was great.


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## Petaluna (May 9, 2008)

Love the new Avitar, Lina. I will check it out, thanks. I looked up the ingredients and wasn't sure I liked the sodium benzoate preservative and the stabilized chlorine dioxide as the active ingredient, there is a whole discussion forum on the medical use of chlorine dioxide on an alternative health forum I visit, though those folks may be using it in higher doses, it's quite controversial because it's kinda toxic and yet supposedly helps some really sick people, cancer patients, etc. If it works, though... I overthink things sometimes in case you hadn't noticed.


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## JASHavanese (Apr 24, 2007)

I learned to have an odd smell checked out, several times if necessary. With a poodle I kept smelling something that drove me nuts. We'd go to the vet, the vet would sniff and sniff and brought his assistant in and she sniffed and sniffed and said it was just typical dog smell. No way, the smell was horrid to me but nobody else could smell it no matter how many times we went to the vet.
Anyhow one day when giving a massage I felt a lump so into the vet's office we went. The vet felt it and said to hold the head for just a second then handed me an entire cat nail with fur on it. I stood there in shock for a minute wondering how the heck he got it out so fast without us even knowing it and then the smell hit everyone in the face. That's what I had been smelling since day one and once it was gone oh was life better!! It never bothered the dog but darn near drove me bananas!


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## Paradise Havs (Sep 25, 2008)

When my English Cocker, George was a puppy, he developed a mouth odor that just about knocked you over. It got increasingly horrible until I finally noticed that he had a stick stuck across the roof of his mouth that was laying in a ridge that totally disguised it. I enlisted a friend and we got it out with needle nosed pliers and the flesh was rotting under the stick. (Sorry to be so graphic!) Anyway the vet prescribed an antibiotic and he was back to sweet puppy breath in no time.


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## Amy R. (Jul 1, 2007)

My boyz both have sweet breath. I'm terrible and don't even brush their teeth, but they drink bottled water and chew & knaw all day long on those tough chew plastic things. I personally think flossies and their ilk are gross and cannot stand the smell and slimyness and stringiness, UGH, and wouldn't want them in my house. Tried it a few times and was grossed out. We're all different, I guess. 

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## Jane (Jun 2, 2007)

Lina said:


> Go get some Oxyfresh! I use it with both Kubrick and Hitchcock and it helps their breath immensely.


Another vote for Oxyfresh. It really works! When I run out, within a week I can tell - their breath smells noticeably stinkier! Some dogs seem to have naturally stinkier breath than others - not sure why. Lincoln's breath can be near-odorless on the best days; Scout's is just slightly stinky on the best days.


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

I do not notice a stinky breath on Dexter and he is teething for the last month. The only time I really notice really stinky breath is right after he eats his Salmon flavor meal! Dexter has a beef tendon curly thing to chew on....it does get a little stinky, but not not that offensive and it can be stringy when Dexter is working on the tendon a lot.


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