Bailey is 22 weeks old and recently in the last month or so, developed horrible breath. It is a metallic type smell and I assumed it was blood from teething. My daughter says it smells like poop, which it isn't, as he is not a poop eater. She said his poop smells better than his breath!
There are several thought I had that might be causing the odor and I don't know if any or all are the cause. The bad breath began around the time he was losing some of his larger teeth. It made sense that the odor was blood in his mouth, so I didn't really think much of it. I had the vet check when we were there last week and she said it could very well be from teething as the gums stay inflamed for awhile while the baby tooth is lost and then the adult tooth pushes it way up. She didn't look real hard, so I can't say he didn't have a problem in his mouth, but I have looked and haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary. As best I know, he now has all his teeth unless there are some molars left to come in; there are no baby teeth left.
We switch foods, from California Natural Lamb Meal and Rice Puppy to Acana Pacifica, which is fish based about the same time. The smell is not fishy, but I guess it could still be the food.
Bailey found Piper's toy box and fell in love with the deer and elk antlers Piper has. He can chew on one for over an hour at a sitting. I have never noticed a smell to Piper's breath while chewing the antlers and the antlers themselves do not have an odor. Bailey does get way inside the antlers, but again there is no odor to the antlers.
One thing the vet mentioned which I thought was odd was to have Bailey checked for Cat Scratch Fever if the odor continued. I didn't have her explain why this over something else as I was dumbfounded when she said that. I believe she said he could have been bitten by a flea or tick that was infected.
Someone else mentioned trying a digestive enzyme. My concern with the enzymes is whether it is really needed. If the odor is due to the food, we could just switch food; I really don't want to have to do that again, but the smell is really bad. His breath smells all the time, not just after eating or chewing the antler. He gives morning breath a whole new meaning!!
Suggestions?
There are several thought I had that might be causing the odor and I don't know if any or all are the cause. The bad breath began around the time he was losing some of his larger teeth. It made sense that the odor was blood in his mouth, so I didn't really think much of it. I had the vet check when we were there last week and she said it could very well be from teething as the gums stay inflamed for awhile while the baby tooth is lost and then the adult tooth pushes it way up. She didn't look real hard, so I can't say he didn't have a problem in his mouth, but I have looked and haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary. As best I know, he now has all his teeth unless there are some molars left to come in; there are no baby teeth left.
We switch foods, from California Natural Lamb Meal and Rice Puppy to Acana Pacifica, which is fish based about the same time. The smell is not fishy, but I guess it could still be the food.
Bailey found Piper's toy box and fell in love with the deer and elk antlers Piper has. He can chew on one for over an hour at a sitting. I have never noticed a smell to Piper's breath while chewing the antlers and the antlers themselves do not have an odor. Bailey does get way inside the antlers, but again there is no odor to the antlers.
One thing the vet mentioned which I thought was odd was to have Bailey checked for Cat Scratch Fever if the odor continued. I didn't have her explain why this over something else as I was dumbfounded when she said that. I believe she said he could have been bitten by a flea or tick that was infected.
Someone else mentioned trying a digestive enzyme. My concern with the enzymes is whether it is really needed. If the odor is due to the food, we could just switch food; I really don't want to have to do that again, but the smell is really bad. His breath smells all the time, not just after eating or chewing the antler. He gives morning breath a whole new meaning!!
Suggestions?
