Our four-legged buddies have a unique place in our hearts. When the weather becomes cold, we want nothing more than to cuddle up to them and give them a belly rub or a stroke on the head. In so many ways, kids enhance our lives, and they don’t want a lot from us in return. Dogs are, in my view, the most wonderful creatures on the face of the world.
But if there’s one thing us dog owners can’t stand about our lovely little pups, it’s when their breath starts to smell like a dog. It appears and disappears at random intervals, and at other times, it persists much too long. Your own poor breath may be embarrassing to you, but when you watch people come up to pat your dog, eager, only to turn away, their noses dangling in terror, you know that something must be done.
There is no doubt in my mind that I am speaking from personal experience here. Even my 5-year-old kid can’t get enough of my 10-year-old American bulldog Pie’s filthy, stinking breath, and the only one willing to kiss him is my 5-year-old son.
Whatever the case may be, I’ve had to experiment with a few different approaches of treating my pup’s foul breath. There are a plethora of items on the market to address difficulties like these, I’m sure. However, the majority of them include several unidentified substances that may result in adverse effects on the health of pets. I was curious to see what I might do with a more organic approach, and the results were encouraging.
This is what I came up with.
Slices of Apple
Apple slices were the first thing I tried to freshen Pie’s breath. For both humans and their pets, I had heard that they were good sources of hydration! He, too, devoured them with gusto. This humiliating matter was left unattended by them.
Carrots
For a time, I decided to go the food way since it was easy enough to give my dog a handful of something crunchy or toss it in his food bowl. This dog will eat everything, even fruits, and vegetables, even if he doesn’t like them. Neither carrots nor carrot juice did the job. They’re still a great treat, however!
Probiotics
ancient dog probiotics that I used to feed Pie when he was often scratching his paws and developing rashes You can just sprinkle the powder on your dog’s food, and probiotics have been shown to alleviate a wide range of common health concerns. Pie stopped eating the meal I put the probiotics in so I didn’t go too far with them. When I attempted to drink his water, he refused to take a sip. Because it doesn’t taste particularly pleasant, the powder must be ineffective.
Vinegar made from the juice of apples
It’s said that cider vinegar has several health advantages for humans. When it came to feeding it to my dog, I was apprehensive. My buddy, a vet tech, advised me to give it a try since it’s made from apples and is said to help with stomach problems. So I added a little amount to Pie’s water. Again, he was unwilling to get his hands on it. How could I have been so blind to this fact about him?
Cocos Nucifera (Coconut)
All kinds of things may be done with coconut oil! It’s a one-stop shop for everything from skin problems to stomach disorders. Also, I learned that there are dog-specific brands! However, for the sake of this experiment, I just used a couple of tablespoons of coconut oil that I had in the pantry to experiment on Pie. He devoured it in a jiffy. His breath, on the other hand, remained unchanged.
Biologically Appropriate Treats for Dogs
I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on this dog-breath experiment. In addition, I wanted to keep everything I fed my dog on the natural side of the spectrum. Natural dog treats, on the other hand, had been recommended to me by others. So I did some research on a few other brands.
Greenies
Even though I’m a huge believer in the power of food to treat many common ailments, it seemed that nothing I had around the kitchen worked for my dog’s breath. So I started with Greenies, a popular brand of dog treats.
Compared to the other ways I tested, they proved to be the most effective for me. But there was one brand that helped a little more than the others.
Chew Dental Sticks & Bones.
A brand of all-natural dental chews called Bones & Chews was the last product I tested in an attempt to alleviate Pie’s nasty canine breath. Unlike many other dog dental care products, which can be quite pricey, I found these on the internet for a reasonable price.
I decided to buy it for $9.99 since I thought it was a reasonable price. After purchasing dental chews, I began feeding Pie a few each day throughout the day. A tremendous change was immediately noticeable in his breath. It didn’t cause anybody to flee. In addition, he enjoys eating them, and they’re reasonably priced.
Pie will be happy to hear this. This is great news for everybody who wants to cuddle him. Of course you would. I can’t stop staring at that lovely face!
