Dog Has BAD Breath!

Dear Marie: I read somewhere that you used to have a Greyhound and I thought you would be the perfect person to ask....I have recently adopted a retired racing Greyhound and I am absolutely crazy about him. He is gentle and friendly and has the most perfect manners I’ve ever seen in a dog. The problem is, when he sticks his long nose up by my face, I could almost die from his breath. It is horrible, to say the least. I’ve tried doggie breath tablets, but they don’t seem to have any effect. What can I do to solve this problem? Claudia, Costa Mesa

 Dear Claudia,
Retired racing Greyhounds frequently have the breath problem that your new pet is experiencing. Usually, the foul odor can be attributed to poor dental health. Unfortunately, track dogs get less than an ideal diet and rarely if ever receive dental care. This leads to serious tooth decay and gum disease and hence, bad breath. I strongly recommend a trip to your veterinarian for a good teeth cleaning along with treatment of possible gum disease. While there, your vet can also check for any other condition that may be the culprit for the bad breath. Once this is taken care of, you

should be able to get nose to nose quite comfortably!