Discover The Scientific Reason For Puppy Breath

If you’ve ever held a tiny, baby dog, chances are you couldn’t help but lean in to give it a small peck on the head. In doing so, you probably caught a whiff of something interesting. People don’t usually associate dogs with having the best smells, but there is one exception. This scent is very distinguishable from other smells, even smells of the same animal, and that is puppy breath!

But, what causes puppy breath? Nothing special has to be done for its presence to appear, and many pet owners have no idea where this fascinating smell originated. In this article, we’ll learn a thing or two about not only what causes puppy breath, but what you can do to make it potentially last longer!

What Exactly Is Puppy Breath?

We know and love the sweet smell of puppy breath, but what exactly makes it that way? To figure this out, we have to look at the factors that make up everyone else’s breath. When you eat onions, your breath will smell like them. When you chew gum, your breath will smell like gum. And, when your dog eats its collection of meats and other strongly-scented foods, their breath smells, well, smelly.

Puppies, however, only consume a few things. Marginally, it’s their mother’s milk, which doesn’t contain any of the stinky bacteria of dog food. Even when they begin having typical dog food, they haven’t been exposed to it long enough for plaque to build up and begin causing odors.

In essence, good oral hygiene is the key to that quintessential puppy breath smell. Though this smell doesn’t last forever, usually only for a few months, it is certainly an enjoyable experience while it’s there.

Why Humans Love The Smell of Puppy Breath

There is no true physiological rhyme or reason as to why humans enjoy the scent of puppy breath. In fact, not everyone even does! It can be assumed that it isn’t so much the smell itself, but rather what that smell is attached to, that we are so fond of. Dogs are man’s best friend, after all, and there are few things that we appreciate and care for more than our pets. Seeing them in their tiny, infantile form clearly stirs up certain affectionate feelings within us, and these feelings even extend to things as trivial as the smell of their breath!

Can You Make Puppy Breath Last Longer?

Since people enjoy puppy breath so much, many want to extend it as long as possible. Puppy breath, though, has a direct link to your dog’s biological development. For this reason, there’s no real way to make it last any longer than what’s necessary for their growth. But, this doesn’t mean your dog’s breath has to go from great to awful overnight. There are certain steps you can take to make sure your dog’s breath is as great as it can be.

The best way to accomplish this is to brush your dog’s teeth! Many owners don’t do this, and some never even consider it, but it should be done at least three times a week with a soft brush to ensure that there’s no buildup of plaque and other scent-causing bacteria. Not only will this prevent bad breath, but it will also make it so that your dog doesn’t have to worry about developing any mouth-related ailments or infections.

Cleaning Your Puppy’s Teeth

Since many people don’t consider brushing a dog’s teeth, you might not know how to initiate the process. That’s perfectly fine, as getting your dog acclimated to it while they’re still young is the best way for them to stay comfortable with it throughout their life.

The key to the entire ordeal is keeping your dog feeling comfortable and safe throughout. This means not trying to sneak up on them, but rather ease them into it. Find a cozy, quiet area in your home, and then hold them tightly with their face away from your own.

Before going in with the brush, try to get them used to it by using a back-and-forth movement with a clean cloth. Once they feel alright with that, let them smell and taste their dog-safe toothpaste. A vital, crucial thing to note is that you should never use human toothpaste for your dog’s mouth. This runs the risk of severely hurting them.

Try the toothpaste on the cloth you were using at first, and then steadily transition to using the actual toothbrush. If you don’t want to use a handheld toothbrush, you might find it easier to use a specially-made finger toothbrush that slips right over the tip of your finger. Regardless of what you use, make sure to thoroughly wash your hands once the process has finished.

Why A Puppy’s Breath Might Smell Bad

If you have a puppy, but think that their breath is far less than pleasant, there are a few explanations for it. Don’t be alarmed, as most of the reasons why your puppy doesn’t have traditional breath are pretty common. Here are the three that are most likely to be the bad breath culprits:

Gingivitis

Nearly all (90%) dogs that are older than the age of three have gingivitis. This condition, which causes some pretty gnarly breath, is far less common in young dogs and puppies. But, if your puppy still has its baby teeth, this could be the explanation.

Sometimes a dog’s adult teeth will grow alongside their baby teeth as opposed to underneath them, which means that those teeth never fall out. These teeth will then become overlapped, and that causes food to get stuck. This stuck food will begin to rot and smell quite gross, which could be the explanation behind the seemingly bad breath.

If your dog has some baby teeth that are overdue for removal, it’s important to get that checked out as soon as possible. Once they’re removed, the adult teeth can shift into the correct spot. But the longer you wait, the less likely that this will successfully happen.

Coprophagia

Puppies, much like babies of other species, often imitate their mother’s behavior even once separated. One such action that the puppies will occasionally pick up is coprophagia, meaning poop-eating. You see, their mothers have a natural instinct to keep the den spotless. So, when these little babies make a mess, she licks it up! However, this behavior is much less feasible when it’s done by a larger dog. If your puppy has breath that smells like fecal matter, it’s unfortunately because they’ve been chowing down on the wrong stuff.

The good news is that there’s a very high chance your dog will outgrow this. The bad news is that there’s a chance that they can develop worms through this behavior. Keep an eye out, and if this behavior continues even once your puppy has grown up a bit, ask your veterinarian for the best intervention strategy.

Teething

Unfortunately, a transition from sweet puppy breath to powerful dog breath is one that seemingly happens overnight. It’s just a part of growing up for canines, and at roughly six months of age, their old teeth will be leaving to make way for their new ones. When this process happens, there will be a metallic-like smell that comes from their mouths. When you brush your puppy’s teeth during this stage, be gentle! Their tooth sockets can feel a bit sore.