my 6mo old puppy breath

[lollybye]

hi,my 6 month old foster chi 6 pound dog has beautiful (baby teeth ,some adult teeth )he eats a  great organic dog food diet,but has the worst breath,when i rescued him at 4 month old ,i had the pup vetted out ,he is in great health and yet he has always had and has now  the worst breath! why? Can i do anything to make it better ?    

[lollybye]

THANKS EVERYONE ! This little chi dog is such a character,smartest dog I have ever fostered and I have fostered 104 dogs over the years ~He loves a spoonful of yogurt-what a treat:) He also reads minds -he is potty trained ,dances ~Just the sweetest lil guy:)I'm gonna post a photo:)  thanks for all suggestions !  

[ginger899]

Don't over-use Echinacea. It is a good herb, and works to support the immune system, and can help 'fight' off infections. But it certainly isn't a herb to be used every day as a matter of course. Echinacea is OK for dogs, but for very short periods of time. ( a few days, no more)

[Misfits4Me]

Horrible Breath can come from the digestive track....Although you think it's coming from the mouth, it's actually coming from the stomach...I'd try a dollop of plain yogurt in his food & see if the good bacteria will help.....If nothing else, it's healthy and won't hurt him....Karla

[lollybye]

THANKS ,I will try some of those suggestions ,the only other  small dog I have fostered that had horrific breath had other health problems ,I'm a nurse and I immediately had the other dog with bad breath tested for diabetes but she had noticeable signs  drinking a lot and going to the bathroom and of course bad breath. BUT THIS DOG is in great physical shape just has stinky breath... so I'm gonna try Echinacea ...heck, I'll try anything to help this little guy:)  thanks!  

[Margot49]

My daughter had a Chihuahua that had  horrible breath too!!  Well, start at the beginning and give the mouth a real good inspection, both sides of the gums around all teeth.  Make sure nothing looks inflamed, nothing stuck, etc.  That is always the first suspect. Some foods can cause bad breath (lamb, being one of them). You might try changing foods.  Bad breath can be an early sign of systemic problems, esp kidneys.  Probably not at the top of the list cause this is a young puppy but one never knows. Has he had blood work done?  Other then all that, have you tried brushing the teeth daily?  Some dogs/breeds are more prone to dental and oral tartar build up then others.  Maybe try giving him some chew stuff.  I don't like giving rawhide but there are plenty of other products out there now. They also make dental sprays for dogs. I think I read some place before that  Echinacea can help but, truthfully, I can't vouch for that as I've never tried it.
Last but not least, any chance he is getting into cat feces or eats his own or any from other dogs? Disgusting, I know, but some dogs (esp little ones) will often do this.