If it's revolting all the time, terrible soon after having their teeth cleaned, or even a bit whiffy sometimes...
Add to this picture red or bleeding gums and yellow or dirty teeth...and that stinky breath aka halitosis, could signal something more serious - not just poor oral hygiene but also gingival and periodontal disease or mucosal disease.
Halitosis is a very unpleasant and potentially serious problem but research trials show that you can help reduce this oral health problem with the right dietary supplements.
Bad breath may be the first sign of periodontal disease that you actually notice. Periodontal disease, if left unchecked, will progress and won’t resolve on its own. Irreversible periodontal disease usually leads to bone loss, and tissue destruction. Periodontal infections have been linked to numerous systemic maladies including diabetes mellitus, heart, lung, liver, and kidney disease, early mortality.
Periodontal disease is by far the number one health problem in small animal patients. By two years of age, 70% of cats and 80% of dogs have some form of periodontal disease. Small and toy breed dogs are particularly susceptible.*
Given that only about 2% of pet owners practise daily tooth brushing, which is considered the most reliable approach to remove plaque and in turn reduce the onset of gingivitis, periodontal disease, and stinky breath, a research-based nutraceutical supplement, may make it easier to support good oral health.
*According to the World Small Animal Veterinary Association Global Dental Guidelines
Before we go on, yes, researchers have shown that pets can transmit their oral bacteria to you. So no kissing, and get onto the dental hygiene for your dog!
Periodontal disease is generally described in two stages: gingivitis and periodontitis. Gingivitis is the initial, reversible stage in which the inflammation is confined to the gingiva.
Good oral hygiene along with specific supplements can reduce the microbial load to the physiological level, reducing halitosis and avoiding gingivitis and periodontal diseases that have unpleasant effects on breath.
The Smooch is based on two key research studies, and is adapted by our holistic vet, Dr Kathy Cornack.
In a nutshell, this is what they show:
Stinky breath or halitosis is a common problem
It can be a sign of periodontal disease
While daily tooth brushing is the most reliable approach, most people don't do it
Dogs given a specific dietary supplement had a noticeable improvement in 10 days and significant improvement after 30 days
Cranberry juice powder, gelatin powder, citrus bioflavonoids powder, green tea extract, thyme, sage, egg albumen, blackcurrant powder.
Super quick delivery , well packaged , brilliant product this is my third Smooch for my dog who’s 14. No more smelly breath. If I run out of jellies and don’t have time to quickly make them I sprinkle a small amount on to his food.
That's brilliant! So glad to hear.
My 8 year old border collie is a fussy eater with a delicate stomach and bad teeth. No matter what we've done, it has been an issue with him. Then we found Bestie. We are using the Balancer and The Smooch. His breath isn't perfect but it is moving in the right direction. I have seen enough improvement that it has made me order two more bags of The Smooch and we will keep on.
Great to hear you've given this a go, and that there's been (slow) improvement...sometimes there are also a couple pf other things that may be going on too...I'm going to touch base with you privately about that.
Did not tell me on the packaging how much water to add. I had to look it up on the web site. Buddy won’t eat it and leaves it in his bowl but I will keep trying.
Thanks for that feedback - sorry the table wasn't clearer: in the left column it shows how much of the mix to make up and in the right hand side it has how much water...Have you tried mashing it up in the food? Perhaps give that a go. Sorry it's not an instant hit!
My Lucy Rose has suffered from a smelly breath for some time now in an effort to overcome the problem we discovered there was a remedy for this condition being trialed through Bestie Kitchen. We obtained a sample and after a week and a half we found Lucy's breath had improved out of sight and then we ran out of the jelly and had to reorder and within 4 or so days her breath smelt like roses again. We would endorse this product as it also helps with her anxiety problem as well.
We are so thrilled to have helped Lucy Rose. Thanks for being part of the trial family!