9 Reasons Your Dog’s Breath Is Stinky

Have you ever leaned in for a cuddle with your dog and thought whoa, that’s a stinky smell! While a dog’s breath does have a natural aroma, a strong-smelling, stinky, or rotten breath can be a sign that your dog needs some veterinary care. 

There are lots of reasons why your dog’s breath can be smelly. Each cause can have slightly different signs to watch out for. We look into nine reasons why your dog’s breath can smell, and what other signs you may notice with these conditions. 

Did you know that your dog’s smelly breath can be an indicator of kidney disease? The kidneys filter the toxins in the blood. When they are damaged or diseased, their ability to filter waste products from the blood is reduced.

Waste products such as urea build up in the bloodstream. They can cause painful ulcers or sores on the gums, tongue and cheeks. The ulcers or sores start to smell as they get larger or infected. Kidney disease is diagnosed by a veterinarian with blood and urine tests. Treatment options depend on how advanced your dog’s kidney disease is. 

Dogs, and especially puppies love to explore their surroundings by chewing and tasting anything with an interesting smell, texture or taste. Sometimes they can get material stuck in their mouth without your realizing. Something like a small portion of stick can get wedged between two teeth or deep into the gum tissues.

Over time, inflammation and infection start to form around the object, and this creates a bad smell. With the removal of the stuck material, and a course of medications from your veterinarian, the mouth usually heals very well within a short period of time. 

Some people have a natural talent for smelling ketones on a dog’s breath, which smells like nail varnish remover (whose main ingredient contains a chemical called acetone). When a dog has a condition called diabetic ketoacidosis, their breath contains lots of ketones. So, their breath can smell like pear drop candy or nail varnish remover. 

If you notice your dog’s breath smelling like nail varnish remover, or the smell of pear drop candy, you need to visit the veterinarian ASAP. This can be a sign of a medical emergency. Other symptoms of diabetes include drinking more, urinating more, and an increased appetite. However, you may not notice all of these signs at the same time. Diabetes is confirmed with blood and urine testing, and treatment is often successful at controlling the symptoms. 

Sometimes, it can appear that the bad smell is coming from your dog’s mouth. But actually, it’s coming from the skin surrounding your dog’s mouth, their lips. Bacterial infections can develop in the folds or creases of your dog’s lip skin. These infections can give off a really strong smell. You may notice some crusting of the hair, the skin turning pink, or your dog rubbing their mouth on the floors/other surfaces.

Lip fold infections are more common in dogs who have skin allergies, or breeds with extra skin around their mouth. Bulldogs are a good example. Thankfully, this problem is very easy to treat with antibiotics. It can also be prevented through regular cleaning of the lip region with antibacterial washes or wipes. 

An abscess, or pocket of pus can give off a terrible smell. In dogs, an abscess can form at the root of diseased teeth, known as a tooth root abscess. The infection is often underneath the gum line, so not always that obvious when looking in your dog’s mouth. You are more likely to see a large swelling on the face, such as underneath the eye, or along the jaw.

Pus can travel through the gums and erupt through the skin on the outside of your dog’s face, alerting you to the problem. Tooth root abscesses can be very painful, and needs urgent attention from your veterinarian. Treatment involves surgical removal of the diseased tooth and flushing the sockets to remove any remaining pus.

Your vet will prescribe a course of antibiotic and anti-inflammatory medication to help reduce pain, swelling, and treat any remaining infection. If left untreated, the infection can spread to other teeth, surrounding tissues such as the eyes, or into the bloodstream.

Your dog’s stinky breath can be related to the type of food that they eat. The smells that appeal to dogs such as liver and fish can have strong odours which linger in the mouth after eating, leaving the breath a little pungent. 

If your dog eats some poop or rotten food while out on a walk, their breath can be smelly for a while, and that same dietary culprit can leave them with rank gas, too. Puppies and curious breeds such as the Labrador are most likely to be the ones to eat something they shouldn’t! Keep a close eye on high-risk dogs when out for a walk, and if needed, keep them on lead to stop them consuming unsavory items. 

Getting your dog to drink water frequently, or brushing their teeth daily can help reduce food related smells in the mouth. 

Periodontal disease is a very common occurrence in dogs. More than 80% of dogs over three reported to have some degree of periodontal disease. Plaque and tartar build up on the teeth, and over time, this leads to inflammation of the gums and surrounding tissue.

The gums can bleed easily, and infection starts to develop at the gumline, leading to decay of the teeth and jawbones. Periodontal disease is painful and progressive, so the longer you leave the condition untreated the worse it can get. Gum disease can affect dogs of all ages and breeds although some dogs are more prone to developing this problem earlier in life, such as the toy breeds.  

Periodontal disease is treated by a veterinarian. Depending on how progressed it is at the time of detection, treatment options include a deep clean and polish of the teeth under anesthetic. If teeth are diseased or infected, they will need to be removed as this is the only way to fully remove the infection.

Dogs cope really well without teeth so try not to be too alarmed if your veterinarian recommends removal of your dogs diseased teeth, trust me they will feel so much better without them! 

Sadly growths or tumours in the oral cavity can make your dogs breath stinky. Cancerous growths can be fast growing, and portions of the mass can become necrotic (dead) leading to infection and bad smell.

Food can also become trapped around the mass and when this decays it creates a stinky smell. It’s not always obvious from looking at your dog, or in their mouth that they have a mass, as growths can be hidden out of sight under the tongue or in the back of the throat. Older dogs are more at risk of developing masses or growths in the mouth region. 

Dogs can get fungal infections of the tongue, gums or membranes of the inner mouth. It’s a fairly uncommon cause for stinky breath compared to the other causes on our list. However, it’s worth a mention as it can be a sign of a more serious issue internally in our dogs.

The fungal infection is caused by Candida albicans. It creates ulcers or erosions on the mucous membranes that bleed and are painful. A fungal infection suggests that the body may have other issues that need addressing. Examples are immunosuppression, or other dental pathology.

Fungal infections smell really bad, and pet parents should book a vet visit straight away if you notice a very bad smell and blood coming from your dog’s mouth. 

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