Sharing your home with a dog can be exciting and rewarding, but it can quickly become an inconvenience if your dog suffers from bad breath. While your veterinarian can provide the dental care your dog needs to help reduce bad breath, there are some simple things that you can do at home to further prevent doggy breath from putting a damper on the time you spend with your pet.
Here are four simple home remedies for doggy breath.
1. Lemon
Essential oils can play a valuable role when it comes to reducing the obnoxious odors coming from your dog's mouth. Citrus oils (like lemon) can be particularly beneficial in battling doggy breath because they are so pungent themselves.
Adding a few drops of lemon essential oil to your dog's water bowl will help to keep his or her breath smelling fresh in the future. Just be sure that you are using pure, therapeutic grade lemon oil to maximize the benefit to your dog while ensuring his or her safety.
2. Parsley
Parsley is best known for being the garnish that comes on many restaurant dishes. What many people fail to realize is that parsley is placed on the plate to act as a palette cleanser after the meal.
The chlorophyll present in parsley has the ability to neutralize odors, making it a natural breath freshener. You can try giving your dog some parsley to chew on when his or her doggy breath becomes unbearable.
3. Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is all the rage among humans looking to better maintain their health. It's important to recognize that coconut oil can offer your dog many of the same health benefits. Coconut oil has antibacterial and antifungal properties that can help to reduce the number of organisms living in your dog's mouth.
Serious doggy breath is often caused by an imbalance in the number of good and bad bacteria, so combining your dog's food with a little coconut oil can be a great way to restore this balance and eliminate bad breath.
4. Carrots
Your dog can experience a buildup of tartar along the exterior surface of his or her teeth over time. This tartar turns into plaque, which can cause the foul odor commonly known as doggy breath.
Giving your dog some carrots to chew on can be a simple way to help reduce plaque buildup without worrying about artificial ingredients or choking. Carrots also contain beta-carotene, which is an antioxidant that can contribute to better dental health.
Being able to reduce doggy breath at home will help make your four-legged friend easier to live with in the future.
Share10 October 2016
After our youngest daughter was in high school, I realized that I liked having people around to take care of and that my window for doing that was closing quickly. Instead of having more children, I decided to see about adopting a pet or two. I looked everywhere for a dog and a cat that would meld well with my lifestyle, and it was incredible to find a pet that I really connected with. However, I was able to find pets that I absolutely adored, and so I made them a part of our home. This blog is here to help new pet owners to adjust to their new situation and to learn to love everything about having new pets.