Before I begin I want to tell you something about me. I have a lovely Labrador with horrible bread. Since I love it so much I decided to spend some time and figure out a way to help him. The following article is the result of my extensive research. And yes, my dog doesn’t have dog bad bread anymore.

1. Eating Waste | Solid Gold S.E.P. | Solid Gold Seameal

I know this may sound gross, but some dogs develop a habit of eating their own waste, some even end up feeding themselves on other’s waste. Vets normally suggest that this is due to vital ingredients like vitamins missing from their diet.

If you are not sure if your dog is eating its own waste then the best thing to do is follow it when he/she goes outside and see what they get up to.

A good prevention is to pick up the waste immediately, not giving the dog a chance to put their face in it.

You can also give the dog pineapple after their meal as a treat. Pineapple will make their waste smell really bad which will put them off it or you can add a meat tenderiser which will also have the same effect as Pineapple.

You can also get products that can either be sprayed or sprinkled on your dog’s food which will again put them off their own waste but will also help with their overall well being since they have added vitamins and digestive enzymes.

2. Mouth Spray | Petrodex Breath Spray | OralHealth Mouth Spray

Mouth sprays can also be used to control your dog’s bad breath. Just a few squirts a day is all that is required to keep that awful breath at bay.

3. Chicken Necks

By giving chicken necks, your dog can chew on them, giving him/her good jaw exercise and because the way the necks are they will be able to reach places inside the mouth where other things cannot reach helping to remove plaque and tartar build up.

4. Bones

Like chicken necks, bones can also be a good aid in getting rid of plaque and calculus. Simply, get a few bones from your local butcher and you are good to go.

5. Dental Sticks Like Kong® Large Dental Stick

Dental sticks are again a good thing to give to your dog to control the bad odour.

Dental sticks can be very effective to clean the back teeth, just give it to them a few times week which will help to keep the plaque build up under control.

6. Oral Rinse Like Oxyfresh Pet Oral Hygiene Solution

Oral rinses can also be quite effective, there are not many good ones on the market which are odourless and colourless and the dog will not even notice that it is consuming it.

7. Rawhide

Again, Rawhides provide a good chewing exercise helping to eliminate plaque and tartar. However their use should be limited since they can become a choking hazard.

8. Carrot

A decent size carrot can also help remove plaque / tartar build up when the dog starts chewing on it. It would be better to give a carrot than rawhide since it is softer and there is a lesser chance of the dog to choke.

9. Activated Charcoal

Charcoal has the tendency to absorb large volumes of liquid due to the way it is manufactured. So when it is swallowed it absorbs toxic substances and then speeds their elimination through the bowels, preventing the toxins from getting into the bloodstream where they could do harm.

One additional benefit is that studies have shown that activated charcoal lowers the LDL (bad cholesterol) by up to 41% and increases the HDL (good cholesterol).

10. Charcoal Biscuit Recipe

Ingredients for Charcoal Biscuits

· 1 1/4 cups water

· 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

· 2 tablespoons dried mint or 1 1/2 teaspoons

peppermint extract

· 2 cups whole wheat flour

· 1 cup unbleached flour

· 1/2 cup cornmeal mix

· 1 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast

· 2 tablespoons activated charcoal

· 2 tablespoons parsley

Directions

· Place all the ingredients in your bread maker in the order suggested by the

manufacturer.

· Set the bread maker for the dough cycle.

· When the dough is finished, remove it and divide it into 3 portions.

· Roll each portion into a sheet that measures ¼” thick.

· Cut the cookies, using a 1” cookie cutter. You can see the shape that I used

in the photo above.

· Let the charcoal dog biscuits rise for 45-60 minutes.

· Bake the biscuits at 275 degrees F for about 50-60 minutes.

· Turn off the oven and let the dog treats continue to dry for several hours or

overnight. They will be hard and crisp when done.

These biscuits can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container and they will keep nicely for a few months.

11. Parsley

Parsley has an inherent quality to kill bad breath. Even humans that suffer from bad breath are encouraged to use parsley. So basically, all you do is chop up parsley and add it to your dog’s food.

In addition to using parsley, you can also use alfalfa, barley grass, wheat grass, kelp, spirulina, and chlorella. These not only help with bad breath but also provide tons of protein and minerals and will improve your dog’s skin, coat, and overall health. It's like taking a multi-vitamin.

12. Ice / Cold Water/ Frozen Food

You can give your dog ice to chew on or frozen meat. Whilst they are chewing, it will clean their teeth.

13. Digestive Enzymes Like Prozyme

Sometimes bad breath can develop due to digestive problems so it is always worth adding some digestive enzymes or probiotics to their meal which will iron out any digestive issues.

14. Breath Mints Like Yip Yap

A couple of breath mints a day can keep your dog’s breath fresh. Avoid using mints that are for human consumption.

15. Worming

If your dog has not been wormed for some time then you may want to consider this too. Ideally dogs should be wormed at least once a year or at least twice a year if they are in contact with children.

15.Home Made Breath Crunching Biscuits

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

• 1 1/2 cups Bisquick® baking mix

• 1/2 cup mint leaves -- loosely packed

• 1/4 cup milk

• 4 tablespoons margarine

• 1 egg

• 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup -- or corn syrup

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in food processor, process until well mixed, mint is chopped, and a large ball forms. Press or roll on non-stick surface (floured board or ceramic) to a thickness of 1/4-1/2". Cut into 1x2" strips or with bone-shaped cookie cutter and place on non-stick cookie pan. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool and store in air-tight container.

Makes about 30 medium biscuits.

If you are wondering what makes me expert on dog bad breath I will tell you. I didn't know anything about that problem before I bought an excellent book called "The Complete Guide to Your Dog's Nutrition".

The author among many other things such as choosing a diet to help prevent bladder and kidney stones talks about dog bad breath and simple techniques for managing it.

If you want to see the book that I am talking about click here.