Bad Breath in Puppies

What to do

1. Look in your puppy's mouth for bleeding gums, food stuck between teeth, or a baby tooth beside an adult tooth.
2. Get your puppy used to tooth brushing with a dog toothpaste.
3. If you smell fish, sniff the other end too. A fishy smell from the bottom, with scooting or licking there, usually points to the anal glands and needs a vet.
4. A one-off fishy smell after a big fright can be normal and doesn't need a vet.
5. Book a vet check if fishy or bad breath keeps coming back, so your vet can look for gum disease, retained baby teeth or, less often, illness.

When to call your vet

• Bad breath that keeps coming back or won't go away
• Bleeding gums
• A baby tooth still next to an adult tooth
• Scooting or licking its bottom, with a fishy smell

Why

Gum disease from plaque and tartar is the most common cause, made worse by food trapped around teeth, especially extra baby teeth. Eating something smelly can cause it too, while illness such as kidney disease is much less common in young dogs.