Email us  

Bad Breath

Pug Dog Bad Breath

Overview

While a dog's breath may not smell like roses, bad breath with Pugs is something to take note of. 

The odor may come and go or be chronic. Breath may have a nondescript bad smell or carry a strong whiff of dog food. You may have tried a few remedies at home with only temporary success, or not be sure what would resolve the problem.

This section will cover the top 8 reasons that a Pug may have bad breath, effective steps to fix this including at-home remedies, and how to keep your puppy or dog's breath smelling fresh and clean.  
If your Pug doesn't have overly bad breath, but you're just looking to make it smell fresher, jump to: How to Keep a Pug's Teeth Clean and Breath Smelling Nice.

The Top 8 Causes of Halitosis with Pug Dogs

#1: A dental issue. 
Dental issues including tooth decay and periodontal disease are common with both toy breeds and brachycephalic (short nosed) breed, which means that this is something all Pug owners need to keep in mind. It all begins with the production of plaque which happens around the clock. If this is not cleaned off of the teeth, it begins to harden into tartar. Still left unaddressed, it eats away at tooth enamel and can travel under the gum line. 

The next step is decay infection, and/or gum disease, both of which can produce a rotting-type odor. 

Signs of serious dental issues including decay include chronic and strong bad breath, trouble eating, reluctance to chew or chewing on just one side of the mouth, bleeding gums (blood may be deposited on toys or saliva may appear bloody), reluctance to have the face or head touched, and/or loose teeth). 
What to do: If you suspect tooth decay as the cause your Pug's bad breath, this warrants a veterinary visit. X-rays will be taken to look for any abscesses or spots of deterioration. The teeth may be scraped to clear them of plaque and tartar and any decayed teeth may be extracted. 
Once your Pug starts with a 'clean slate' it will be time to practice good dental hygiene. Look to: How to Keep a Pug's Teeth Clean and Breath Smelling Nice.
#2: The teeth have not been cleaned at home. 
While gnawing away on hard chews or crunching on dry kibble will clean away plaque to a small degree, this by no means is sufficient. The fact of the matter is that, just like us humans, if a dog's teeth are not cleaned they will hold an abundance of old food matter and sticky plaque which makes them yellowed and extremely stinky. This can be an ongoing issue, before any decay or infection sets in. 

What to do: It's always best to first have the veterinarian rule out serious issues of decay and each year when you bring your Pug for their wellness check at the vets, be sure that the teeth are examined. It will also be important to start implementing at-home dental hygiene. Look to: How to Keep a Pug's Teeth Clean and Breath Smelling Nice.  
#3: Teething
When Pug puppies have bad breath this can often be linked to the teething process which begins around the 4-month mark and lasts until approximately the 9-month mark. During this time, 28 milk teeth are falling out to make way for 42 adult teeth.

When teeth are becoming loose there is a mixture of blood and saliva that can produce an odd smell that may equate to sour milk. Other describe this as a sort of sweet-sour smell.

What to do: This issue will resolve itself once the teeth process is complete; however, it is recommended to brush the teeth and keep them clean since decay on milk teeth can spread to the adult teeth waiting to emerge. For this, look to: How to Keep a Pug's Teeth Clean and Breath Smelling Nice.
It can also help to offer a range of different teething and chew toys that will stimulate the flow of saliva which can help minimize the odor. 
#4: Food stuck to the teeth. 
If your Pug's bad breath smells like old, rotted dog food it may very well be just that and is referred to simply as 'dog food breath'. This can be a problem long after a dog has eaten a meal and, in fact, the odor can even worsen as the day goes on.

This is most common when a dog eats dry kibble. Kibble can be become coated with fine particle 'food dust' that mixes with a dog's saliva and then clumps to the inner pockets of the cheeks, around the gums, and into crevices of the teeth. Sitting there, it begins to ferment and can take on a terrible odor. 
What to do: 

1. Keep the kibble fresh. Stale kibble tends to break apart into fine particles, so keep your Pug's food fresh by sealing the bag well or transferring the kibble into an air-tight container. If you are buying large bags of food and find that you cannot keep it fresh, it can help to obtain smaller bags. 

2. Take care when using the very last bit of kibble in the bag. This is where a lot of the 'dust' may settle. It can help to first pour this into a strainer to separate the fine particles from the kibble itself. 

3. Encourage water intake. Having your Pug drink water right after a meal can help loosen some of the caked-on food. 
4. Clean your Pug's teeth on a regular basis. Just like many of the answers for halitosis, scrubbing the teeth or otherwise using methods to keep them clean will help a great deal. Look to: How to Keep a Pug's Teeth Clean and Breath Smelling Nice.
#5: A stomach issue. 
If a Pug is having certain stomach issues involving stomach acid, bile, or lots of gas, this can lead to bad breath. The smell travels up the esophageal tube, which is the main passage that leads from the throat to the stomach. 

These sorts of problems can stem from a switch in food; it is normally recommended to do a gradual change over the course of 3 weeks. Gas can also develop when a dog eats too fast. And, issues with bile can occur if food is not spaced out enough over the day. 
What to do: 

1. If you've just changed your Pug's main food, and he is struggling with the new diet, you may want to mix in some of his old kibble and do a slower transition. 

2. Space meals out over the day; most Pugs do best with 3 small meals plus 2 or 3 dry snacks in between meals. 

3. If your Pug is ingesting his food very quickly, this can lead to stomach issues including gas and in serious instances, it can lead to killer bloat. A step to help prevent this is to serve food in a slow-feeder bowl like the DuraPet Slow Feed Premium Stainless Steel Bowl
4. If your Pug is burping a lot, has a lot of flatulence or has other signs of an upset stomach, it's best to have this diagnosed by the veterinarian. Chronic issues can be caused by anything from parasites to partial stomach blockage.  
#6 Coprophagia 
This refers to the ingestion of feces and if your Pug's breath smells like dog poop, it may indeed be just that. Sometimes, this is a known problem, but in other cases, owners may not be aware that their Pug is doing this. If a Pug is left home alone, he can have a bowel movement and ingest the evidence, leaving owners to have no clue. A dog may be let out into the yard unsupervised or, even if he is being watched, it may appear that he is sniffing the ground but may be eating his own feces or that of another dog.
Animal behaviorists and veterinarians alike have various ideas about why dogs do this. Lacking certain vitamins, minerals and nutrients is one popular theory. This may have some truth to it, since low-quality foods are often packed with fillers, which are empty ingredients that pass right though the body. This can cause a dog to be hungry soon after a meal. And, if there is no other food being offered, a dog may resort to eating feces. 

Another reason may be habit; though some theorize that a dog may eat his own poop to cover up the evidence of a housebreaking accident, it is more likely that a bored dog eats poop and in doing so, it becomes a bad habit. 
What to do: 

1. Reassess your Pug's food to be sure that you are offering a high-quality brand without fillers. 
2. If your Pug is on a good food, you may want to speak to the vet about offering a probiotic. These promote good digestion by balancing the 'good' and 'bad' bacteria in the intestines, allowing for better absorption of nutrients, and in turn is thought to help cut down on coprophagia. 
For this, a recommended powder supplement is Premo Probiotic for Dogs
3. When outside, closely supervise your Pug. Be sure to use a short or retractable leash and a harness, not a collar, which allows you to control your Pug in a safe manner; you can quickly preposition your puppy or dog away from any feces that they may be attempting to eat, without putting pressure on the neck. 
4. If your believe that your Pug may be eating his own feces while you are not at home, you may wish to try a deterrent supplement. These do not work for all dogs, but may be worth a shot. The idea behind these is that they taste good going in but during the digestive process these add a terrible taste to the stools on the way out. 
One that has a time-release formula and additionally helps freshen breath is NaturVet Coprophagia Deterrent
#7: A foreign object stuck in the mouth or between teeth. 
Dogs are incredibly curious by nature and for this reason, it is not uncommon for them to mouth things simply to discover what they are, even if eating it is not an intention. This, unfortunately, can lead to non-food objects being swallowed but also can lead to pieces of an object becoming lodged in the mouth or stuck between teeth. 

If this happens, the body will react by increasing saliva, which can lead to drooling and is oftentimes mixed with a small amount of blood due to tissue being pierced. The longer the object is stuck in the mouth, the more of a bad smell it will produce. In some cases, if it has been more than 24 hours, infection can set in which can cause an even stronger case of bad breath.

What to do: It is easiest to have a look in a dog's mouth using a flashlight and with the assistance of a helper, since most dogs will not 'open up and say Ahhhh'. If you can spot the culprit, you'll have to make a judgement call as to whether it is feasible to remove it.

Objects that are only stuck between teeth may be able to be removed by using a thin, dry washcloth and with two fingers on either side, doing a firm downward or upward sliding motion. 

Thick floss may also be used for some issues. In other cases of an object being stuck like a splinter, it is best to have a veterinarian handle this, since removal of the exposed portion may still leave pieces in the oral tissue. 
#8: Health issues. 
Although this is not a common reason for a Pug to have really bad breath, it is a possibility and must be mentioned. There are certain health conditions that have halitosis as a symptom. 

Kidney issues can cause a dog's breath to smell like urine or ammonia. Stomach or intestinal blockage can make a dog's breath smell like feces and in some cases, stools can even be vomited out. Canine diabetes may cause chronic bad breath and in some instances it can smell very sweet and fruity. Infection in the lungs or sinus passages often causes bad breath as well.  
What to do: Any sort of suspected health issue warrants a veterinary check-up and this should be your first priority. If your Pug is found to be in good health, it will then be time to implement a routine of dental hygiene at home. Look right below to: How to Keep a Pug's Teeth Clean and Breath Smelling Nice.  

How to Keep a Pug's Teeth Clean and Breath Smelling Nice

There are several ways to keep a dog's teeth clean and in turn, breath smelling fresh. The more of these you implement, the better off your Pug's oral hygiene will be. 
 #1: Brush the teeth. 
Routine brushing using a canine toothbrush and a canine toothpaste is one of the most effective ways to clear the teeth of old food and scrub away plaque. Ideally, you'll want to do this once a day to prevent buildup and keep breath smelling fresh. Just 4 to 5 minutes is needed. 

This said, some dogs are not tolerant of this. But, it is always recommended to try since a Pug may very well become accustomed to this over time. And, if not, you can then move onto another method, such as a spray (see next tip).
While there are flat brushes, a 3-sided brush allows you to scrub all three visible surfaces of the teeth at once, which cuts down on the amount of time that your Pug must sit still. In regard to paste, never use human toothpaste; the foaming agents can cause a dog to choke and fluoride is toxic to canines. 
The Nylabone Advanced Oral Care Triple Action Dental Kit is a nice set that includes both a 3-sided brush (either small for puppies or larger for adult dogs) and an effective non-foaming toothpaste that leaves the teeth smelling fresh. 
#2: A dental liquid supplement.  
This is a spray that is spritz onto the teeth or a fluid that is added to a dog's water bowl and is meant for dogs that do not tolerate having their teeth scrubbed. There are different types, with some working to fight against plaque and gum disease, some making breath smell nice, and some doing both. Of course, it's best to choose one that does both and for fresh breath, you won't want something that simply masks foul odors. 
It's common for these types of products to have grain alcohol and you'll either want to avoid this all together or look for low content since this can cause a dog to get an upset stomach. 
If you'd like to try this, one to consider is Premium Pet Dental Spray by Pets Are Kids Too. This is both an oral spray (2 to 3 sprays along the gums and teeth on each side, once per day) and a water supplement (1 spray pet cup). 
#3: Dental chews. 
Dental chews are treats designed to help scrape off plaque as a dog gnaws away on them, via both consistency and shape. While many are marketed as replacements for brushing the teeth, it is recommended to use this alongside your main cleaning method. This said, the right dental chew alone can be quite beneficial. 

Note that these are very hard, they have to be to do their job, and for this reason a Pug should be supervised when chewing on one since any broken off pieces could be potential choking hazards. If a piece does break off, simply discard it. 
This is meant to be given once per day and should be offered to take the place of one snack that is normally given in between meals. 
For this, there are a couple of good options. One is Virbac C.E.T. VeggieDent Dental Chews which have earned the approval of the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) and are a good way to avoid rawhide type products. These have a z-shaped design that works well to scrape off plaque and freshen breath. Note that 'extra small' is for dogs under 15 lbs. and 'small' is for dogs 15 to 44 lbs.
And, one of the most popular ones among dog lovers is Greenies Dental Chews. Note that there are wheat-free options and even a weight management option, as well as a blueberry flavor. The petite size is for dogs 15 to 25 pounds and the teenie size is for dogs 5 to 15 lbs.

A Final Word

While dogs may not be able to have super-fresh smelling breath round the clock (they just can't compete with us humans that brush their teeth multiple times a day and have access to breath mints), dogs should have neutral-smelling breath.

If your Pug has breath stinky enough to make your head turn and your nose wrinkle, this is a sign that something needs to be addressed. While you are taking steps to help keep your Pug's breath smelling nice, you will also be improving dental health which plays a huge role in a dog's overall care. 

Halitosis rarely resolves on its own and requires intervention to both resolve the initial cause and prevent issues going forward. 
Things to do now:

Become a Member - Receive reminders when we add new pages of information. You'll also be able to suggest a topic for us to write about; we always look to Member suggestions.
Check out The GIANT Book of Pug Care - Simply the most comprehensive, helpful Pug dog book that exists. Available in both hard copy and eBook.
You may also like:

Helping a Pug with Separation Anxiety - If your Pug has trouble coping with being home alone, our guidelines will help keep your puppy or dog calm and occupied while you're away. 
Pug Sleep Issues -  There are a number of things that can cause a Pug to sleep too little or too much. See the main reasons, along with helpful tips for a good night's sleep. 
Share by: