How to Diagnose Bad Breath in Dogs

When a dog owner detects a strong unpleasant smell in his dog’s breath, it would be best if he brings his animal to the nearest vet clinic. This way, he is sure that the animal is given the best care that a medical professional such as a vet can provide. If the cause is known to be very serious, he must not make the mistake to try treating his dog by himself or else he might actually worsen the condition of the animal. It would be best to have the vet check out the bad breath in dogs. For sure, his diagnosis will be more accurate.

A vet’s diagnostic procedure will most likely take several steps before he determines the cause of the dog’s foul smelling breath. As a start, the vet will ask the dog owner for a record of the dog’s animal history. He will check through this medical history for any possible illness that may have came back to cause the bad breath in the dogs. Keeping this in mind, it surely helps if the owner keeps a tab on his pet’s medical history. The doctor will be helped by this record to make an accurate diagnosis.

Next, the vet will conduct a thorough complete oral examination of the animal. In most cases, the cause of the bad smell will be in the mouth. So the vet will most likely make his first examination in this area to check for rotten tooth or any abscesses. In most cases, abscesses are results of germs and bacteria that pile up in the area between the teeth. If it is discovered that an abscess is causing the bad breath, this would have to be remedied in the soonest possible time. Once this has been cured, then the bad breath will go away. This might involve extracting the pus from the cavity. For this purpose, a mild and brief anesthetic may come in handy. After this, an antibiotic might be used to make sure that the problem is solved for sure.

It is important for the vet to thoroughly examine the dog’s mouth for every possible sign of infection or any other abnormality. He might have to go through the dog’s gums through periodontal probing. Periodontitis is an inflammation in the dog’s gums. It may be caused by several things but it can only be said to be the sure cause of bad breath in dogs through periodontal probing. This would involve checking the animal’s gums for any swelling or inflammation.

Also, the entire mouth may be subjected to a full x-ray to be able to discover the real cause of the dog’s bad breath. The x-ray will only be suggested if the vet thinks that a more serious reason is behind the animal’s bad breath.

In some instances, more complicated reasons outside of the mouth region may cause the bad breath in dogs. As such, the vet will examine for other signs such as in the lungs or kidney areas. In some cases, diabetes in dogs can also result in bad breath. If the medical examination of the dog’s mouth takes out the possibility of any oral cause then the bad breath in dogs may be caused by a more serious problem in the organs of the animal. If that is so, then he will have to conduct a more thorough check up.