[AussieLass]

If any of you girls have any ideas, please throw them my way, I'll try anything.

3 x <> 8 mo babies. All fulyl wormed, home-made raw & Ziwipeak fed, plus the usual oils, occasional egg, sardines and bones - all are beautifully healthy, stunning glossy coats that everyone comments on.

2 have sweet baby breath, but the tiny, OMG, he smells like some deep sea creature crawled into his mouth and died a month ago, I kid you not. I've had multiple dogs all my adult life and I've never smelt anything like this in 40+ years.

He's 6' away from me, opens his mouth to yawn or play fight with the others and I nearly pass out. Now that's ME nearly passing out, a heavy 2 pack a day smoker of nearly 40 years (no longer, yaaaay) so my sense of smell is close to nil - imagine what a non-smoker would smell.

Seriously, it's so bad I virtually can't have him anywhere near me right now, or I'll puke. It's absolutely got to be coming from his iddy, biddy belly.

It smells exactly like their poos do when they have very loose stools if I've overdone the liver/kidney jerky a bit, which is absolutely putrid, and it smells like it's right under my nose even though he's miles away.

Therefore, at first, I thought he must be eating poo, but am pretty convinced he's not because I run around making note of each new one that appears and re-check every hour to ensure that they're all still exactly as they were last time and they're all untouched. I'm leaving poops laying around (on pee pads & outside) to reinforce to the pups that they're to use the open door to go outside onto the deck rather than use pads inside. Besides, even if he was eating poop, I don't believe it could smell that bad or so darn strong.

This horrific smell is there 24/7, but it wasn't with my girl who was definitely eating poo, hers would be bad for a very short while, but as soon as she ate food or drank it would be back to baby breath.

It's definitely not teeth or plaque problems because they're so young and, besides, surplus baby teeth were removed at neutering 2 weeks ago today.

I'm at my wit's end, this is just gut-wrenchingly gross, there's got to be something simple that can fix this besides packing his mouth with bi-carb soda, but what the heck is it, I'll try anything.

 

[Mary J]

Sounds like it could be a digestion problem.. Possibly...

 

[Huly]

I would also double check his teeth could their be an infection where they removed the teeth? (down in the gums might be deep)

 

[Kalisee]

If he doesnt have a gum infection, maybe its just like people and sinus infections. It can cause bad breath. My friend had a mixed breed with very bad breath and he had a kidney issue. (curable)

I hope you find out soon and can get rid of this stinky problem!

 

[Brodysmom]

Check his mouth again. Thoroughly with a flashlight. He might have something stuck between his teeth that is rotting? Or a baby tooth retained that was missed by the vet? Or a cracked tooth? If his mouth is totally clear, check his anal glands. If they are bothering him, he will lick at them (sometimes when you aren't watching). What are his poops like? Normal? If so, then I doubt he's having a tummy problem. But you could try a probiotic anyway just to see if it helps. I tend to like the ones for people that are kept in the fridge in the natural foods stores. They have the highest counts of beneficial bacteria. Yogurt is just about useless and the pet ones tend to be the same. Get a really good human one and try that.

 

[Darkessa]

My fat cat had HUGE problems with absolutely horrendous breath, then one day he started oozing stuff from his mouth...
Needless to say I FREAKED out.

We took him to the vet and found out that he has a type of gum disease that gives him the bad breath, after a while it will degenerate to being incredibly painful... He wouldnt really eat because of the pain. Then the oozing from sores in his mouth.

They gave him antibiotics, and a few steriod shots in his gums. VOILA! Gone, and has stayed gone for almost a year!
It could definitely crop back up, but at least he isnt dying!


Its a possibility, just watch for loss of appetite and possible mouth sores/oozing.

 

[carrieandcricket]

Could be a cavity they missed. Them little teeth are hard to see all of them. I liked what Tracy said. Thoroughly check his mouth.

 

[MiniGrace]

In addition to the things the others mentioned, I have another question for you. Does he burp or spit up after he eats? Any thing to make you think he might have a reflux problem? I have a tiny too and have to be careful to feed her small meals or she gets reflux and it made her breath smell horrendous, like rotten fish or dirty sea water. She also gets reflux if I add too much water to her food. She was diagnosed by the vet and for a little while we gave her something similiar to Pepcid AC from the vet. As she has grown, the problem is lessened and we can do without the medication just by watching the size of her meals.

Also, and this is way more unusual so don't panick, bad breath can be a symptom of megaesophagus. Since your pup's body condition is so good, that is really unlikely, as it usually leads to loss of weight, etc., but that was one of the things that was considered and ruled out with my girl.

 

[AussieLass]

Thanks girls - probiotics & enzymes were organised a few days ago. I take my own home-made by me fruit enyzmes every day, and boy to they work a treat in so many different ways, not the least of which is keeping things moving internally and digesting food properly. I'm thinking I may syringe just 1ml into his mouth.

I was NOT going to get their 3rd and final shots done, BUT, after reading of Pam's tragic loss to parvo last week despite the pup having had x 2 shots, I've decided I will get them done, so I'll make appt for that ASAP and get the Vet (she's holistic) to hit this bad breath boy with every thing she's got.

Coincidentally, they're actually Orthadontic Specialist Vets, so I'm not going to risk trying to prize his tiny jaw open and try to see what I haven't got a clue about, will leave that to those lovely people methinks. I figure if he had an infection he wouldn't be eating well, chewing on bones & eating really hard kibble treats? Well he has been doing all of those things this morning so I'm leaning away from it being mouth related.

MiniGrace, nope, no spitting, or throwing up, or any other of those types of things, just as happy and healthy (and feisty) as all get out. Rotten fish or smelly sea water would be like roses compared to this

I'm thinking the human equivalent of haliotosis (Sp?), that wretched, putrid stink and that it's coming from his little gut. How can a dog weighing 2.5lbs stink out an entire room just with his breath, this is science fiction or horror movie stuff it's so hideous lol.

Might also do some research about that benotite clay - I remember reading something about it somewhere and I know some humans take it and I use it an awful lot in my aquariums. When will I ever learn to save links somewhere so I can always come back to them, doh.

 

[Brodysmom]

Dee, keep us posted! I hope you can solve the halitosis problem.

Do you guys do titers down there? You can test immunity status that way. Here in the states they do distemper/parvo and rabies. They cost more than a shot, but at least you aren't shooting them with antibodies they don't need if they are already fully protected. It's just another tool we have so thought I'd mention it. Simple blood test.

 

[AussieLass]

Hiya Tracy,

Yes we do have titers, especially this wonderful holistic vet I've found, BUT after what Pam's been through, it just scared me to death.

I know exactly what titers do and that even if the reading showing immunity it really low, it doesn't mean anything except that the dog hasn't been exposed to parvo or distemper in the recent past etc etc.

I'm just completely freaked out that a dog, who'd had x 2 lots of shots, could succumb, and now yet another one in her home now has it, who also presumably had 1, 2 or 3 shots. So, I figured, go for my lot's 3rd (they've always been perfectly normal after their shots, no reactions) and THEN do titers foreverafter, if that makes sense?

Just in case that didn't come out right - get all 3 dogs to have all 3 shots (they've had x 2 lots) and then that's it, no more, no annual boosters ever unless titers says it's needed. I will not be bothering with kennel cough, waste of money imo, just parvo & distemper.

I thank my lucky stars every day that we are Rabies free over here, and all those big beasts, land and air borne, that hunt out and eat Chi's - gawd, I'd be a physical & mental wreck, but sure as heck would get my gun licence back.

 

[carrieandcricket]

I live in a city, and we have fairly large hawks that fly over head. i guarantee Cricket does NOT go potty outside by herself. It scares me to death! I'm required by law to have my dogs rabies vaccinated.

 

[~LS~]

The girls said everything I wanted to say and then some, so I just want to wish you good luck in solving this Dee.
Also since you're here I mind as well say it... I miss you girl! You must stop by the forum more often.

Give your stinky pup a kiss from me, and the others too...but especially the stinky one.

 

[Brodysmom]

Hiya Tracy,

Yes we do have titers, especially this wonderful holistic vet I've found, BUT after what Pam's been through, it just scared me to death.

I know exactly what titers do and that even if the reading showing immunity it really low, it doesn't mean anything except that the dog hasn't been exposed to parvo or distemper in the recent past etc etc.

I'm just completely freaked out that a dog, who'd had x 2 lots of shots, could succumb, and now yet another one in her home now has it, who also presumably had 1, 2 or 3 shots. So, I figured, go for my lot's 3rd (they've always been perfectly normal after their shots, no reactions) and THEN do titers foreverafter, if that makes sense?

Just in case that didn't come out right - get all 3 dogs to have all 3 shots (they've had x 2 lots) and then that's it, no more, no annual boosters ever unless titers says it's needed. I will not be bothering with kennel cough, waste of money imo, just parvo & distemper.

I thank my lucky stars every day that we are Rabies free over here, and all those big beasts, land and air borne, that hunt out and eat Chi's - gawd, I'd be a physical & mental wreck, but sure as heck would get my gun licence back.

Yep that makes sense. But don't let fear control you Dee. You can walk the dogs in a dog heavy traffic area a few times before you draw blood in order to wake up the immune system. Someone explained it to me as the firemen in a firehouse. Sitting there doing nothing until the bell rings and then they spring to action. If you catch them when there hasn't been an exposure, the titer will show LOW. So wake up those firemen (antibodies) before you draw blood in order to have the most accurate results.

But I certainly do understand the fear of parvo. It is a horrible thing and a very ugly way to die. Once you get past the puppy stage though, it's relatively uncommon.

 

[Huly]

Try checking these out too:

7 Home Remedies for Bad Breath in Dog - allpetnaturals.net

Discovery Health "23 Home Remedies for Pets"

Natural Remedies For Bad Dog Breath

Holistic Dog - Symptoms A through C

 

[AussieLass]

Ooh, thanks for those links, I've opened them all in separate windows and will have a read. Sigh, I sure hope there's something that doesn't involve adding something to their food because I'm flat out trying to get them to eat at the best of times and if I dare add any tiny little thing, they're prone to sniff & walk

Yes Tracy I know you're right, and it's just me being overly fearful. The fireman analogy is perfect! So, Titers it is *I guess .... good grief I won't have blood drawn myself, how am I gone to cope with them sticking those ruddy needles in my babies Good luck with the tiny, his legs are like chicken wingtip bones lol.

* Disclaimer: unless I get more fearful and there's every chance I will due to my excessive, compulsive, paranoia condition

 

[kimr]

Is it possible that you have a poop eater? That would also explain the horrid breath. It seems to be fairly common in Chis.

 

[OzChi]

I look forward to hearing what your vet says. My Chloe's breath stinks like a sewer and she eats exactly what Axle eats (ZP and raw and 100% chicken or duck jerkey for treats) and his breath is fine (he regularly licks inside my nostrils so I know his breath is lovely). Her teeth are fine and she only throws up when she eats beef because she's intolerant. She has been like this since I picked her up at 8 weeks old. Apart from that she's a healthy active almost 2kg 9 month old so i'm puzzled. She also farts way more than Ax but they are not lethal on the current diet like they were when she was on canned food from the breeder - she almost made us dry retch when she was a baby!

 

[AussieLass]

Is it possible that you have a poop eater? That would also explain the horrid breath. It seems to be fairly common in Chis.

It's possible because I caught the little bitch doing it a couple of times, but her breath was no-where near as ghastly as his.

I got some "Plaque Off" (Made in USA, Liquid Form though) today from the pet store, it's supposed to help with bad breath and from what I've read, it's super-duper fantastic to erode existing plaque or keep new from forming, even though I don't expect mine to ever get it with the amount of bones they get & being fed raw. I hope this is the same brand as the powdered one everyone swears by and gets stopped by customs when they try to bring it in - bleedin' morons (Customs, not the peeps who want the best for their dogs) - as if it's a bio-hazard, pfft. This breath is a bio-hazard to put it mildly.

Sarah, let's make this our mission in life, to solve this stinky problem .... I really can't cope with it, it stops me from handling him and interacting with him as much as the others and that's just sad.

In the natural websites above, I found a parsley tea recipe that I'm certainly going to try ASAP and will grab some activated charcoal tablets from the chemist too. I loved those websites thanks Huly, they're so great for so many things

 

[Huly]

It's possible because I caught the little bitch doing it a couple of times, but her breath was no-where near as ghastly as his.

I got some "Plaque Off" (Made in USA, Liquid Form though) today from the pet store, it's supposed to help with bad breath and from what I've read, it's super-duper fantastic to erode existing plaque or keep new from forming, even though I don't expect mine to ever get it with the amount of bones they get & being fed raw. I hope this is the same brand as the powdered one everyone swears by and gets stopped by customs when they try to bring it in - bleedin' morons (Customs, not the peeps who want the best for their dogs) - as if it's a bio-hazard, pfft. This breath is a bio-hazard to put it mildly.

Sarah, let's make this our mission in life, to solve this stinky problem .... I really can't cope with it, it stops me from handling him and interacting with him as much as the others and that's just sad.

In the natural websites above, I found a parsley tea recipe that I'm certainly going to try ASAP and will grab some activated charcoal tablets from the chemist too. I loved those websites thanks Huly, they're so great for so many things

Glad they had some info that might help! My kids are all on holistic stuff so I always go that route to help with issues. When I go buy more food etc from DogGone Natural I will ask Kim (my holistic nutrionist) is she has any ideas too. I will probably go by there next week as I need to get Huly and Sadie more Olive Leaf.