chihuahua bad breath issues

The chihuahua’s bad breath issues are among a lot of unwanted situations that any chihuahua owner may encounter during his life with a chihuahua. In some cases, it will be a specific strong smell that there is all the time. But in other cases, it may be a vague odor that seems to come and go. However, the common problem is that owners struggle to keep their chihuahua’s breath fresh, and their worries are if this may be caused by a health issue they ignore.

In this article, we will try to cover solutions to this issue, serious health issues that can cause this, the common reasons why a chihuahua can suffer from bad breath, what certain smells can tell us, and some remedies that we can try at home, and some tips you can use to keep a chihuahua’s breath smelling nice and clean.

The causes of Chihuahua Bad Breath Issues

Eating feces

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Eating feces known as coprophagia can cause some issues such as worms and bad breath, it’s also a sign of malnutrition, even if the quantity of food that the chihuahua eats is good enough.

In order to stop coprophagia, the owner should change to a quality dog lifestyle that often resolves this.

Also, owners must keep their chihuahuas close to them and watch their chihuahuas all the time to prevent the ingestion of feces.

Bad oral hygiene

Some chihuahuas can easily suffer from tooth decay and dental infections. Without regular at-home dental care plaque is quickly built up. it hardens into tartar if it is not fully removed, these two substances can grow at the gum line and under the gum line, which can cause problems unseen by the eye.

The plaque can cause gingivitis and this can lead to periodontitis. Both conditions can be the cause of bad breath problems.

solution:

Appointment time with a vet comes when your chihuahua’s bad breath has developed since the last checkup or if your chihuahua has not been to the vet for this once-a-year examination

taking of the teeth at home is not a guarantee that dental issues will stop.

sometimes veterinarians may decide that your chihuahua needs a “full dental” this involves light sedation while X-rays are taken and teeth are scraped clean. also, there are some services that offer anesthesia-free cleanings.

After your chihuahua’s teeth are received professionally cleaned Be sure to follow a strict at-home care plan for good oral hygiene.

This guide may help: Chihuahua Grooming Guide _Hair, and Nails

Teething

When milk teeth fall out, there is some bleeding on the puppy’s gums that owners may or may not notice. and as we know bacteria grow in such an environment, as a consequence breath may have a semi-sweet, sour odor.

solution:

In order to fix this issue brush the puppy’s teeth and gums gently.

Crowded teeth

Chihuahuas are the smallest dogs in the world, and as we can notice they are prone to dental issues in comparison with other breeds. Their tiny mouth can’t hold 42 adult teeth.

Their teeth size is pretty big in comparison to their body size. Therefore, tartar can build up in the crevices which can infect teeth and gums.

Medical condition

source: pexels

There are some health conditions that can be the cause of the chihuahua’s breath issue

respiratory infection
tonsilitis
foreign body in teeth or throat
gastrointestinal conditions

If you are sure that your chihuahua doesn’t suffer from one of these conditions. Then you must bring your puppy to the vet for a complete checkup to narrow down the possible causes.

Do you still smell strange breath smells?

Some special smells may be a sign of other health conditions, for example :

Urine:

When you smell urine coming out of your chihuahua’s mouth, then maybe your dog suffers from kidney disease.

Sweet odor:

the causes may be the dog have diabetes, or the bloodstream contains high sugar levels. Also, it’s a sign that your chihuahuas are drinking more than normal, as a result, they may get weight, have cloudy eyes, and have changes in appetite.

Fishy odor:

an infection in the gums, in the throat, or in other areas of the mouth can result in a fishy odor that the owner can smell.

Maintaining fresh breath

source: pexels

The tips we will suggest are not meant to cure some serious health issues related to your chihuahua’s mouth. For instance, gum disease, infections, and tooth decay. These tips can health you clean the chihuahua’s teeth. So before you start to freshen your dog’s breath it’s advisable to take our chihuahua to a veterinarian for diagnosis. The vet may suggest you put your chihuahua under anesthesia for special cleaning and tooth removal

In order to keep your puppy or chihuahua’s breath pleasant, there are several things that you can do

1. Brush your dog’s teeth every day: as we said before proper oral hygiene is a must to prevent dental issues. But you have to note that you mustn’t use human paste, so be sure to use a canine paste. And instead of using a toothbrush, you can use a finger brush. As it gives you more control. Finger brush and dog toothpaste are available at your local pet store. Based on some owners’ experience, a combination of coconut oil and baking soda can clean a chihuahua’s teeth. However, we are not sure it’s effective as toothpaste.

2. you can also use a spray: when your chihuahua hates brushing you can use spray. However, remember that spray is not effective as brushing.

3. give a daily dental treat

4. You can also use canine breath freshener treats: they can offer little boosts throughout the day.

Other tips

5. use a water additive: it can kill bacteria both in the water and bowl and in a chihuahua’s mouth.

6. Try to feed your little chihuahua dry kibble in order to control her bad breath. Also, it is not preferable to give your dog wet food because it can stick to her teeth aggravating dental issues and leading to bad breath.

7. You can use some herbs like peppermint and parsley, as herbs contain natural antibacterial properties that can eliminate bad breath by killing germs in your dog’s mouth.

8. Lemon juice can help, put a few drops of free lemon juice into your chihuahua’s bowl every day. The high citric acid kills the mouth bacteria.

9. Chew toys are also a good option, the owner can use chew toys made from rubber or nylon can minimize the buildup of plaque. But, don’t let your chihuahua chew toys that are hard or rigid though. Because they can lead to other unwanted issues such as cracking a tooth.