 The Short Answer is: |
Dogs should avoid ingesting baking soda, which is bad for them. Make sure you use toothpaste designed specifically for dogs. |
The purpose of this article is to explain the “Can I Put Baking Soda In My Dog’s Water To Fix Bad Breath?“.
Theres a problem with you. Theres nothing better than getting in close and giving your dog a real big squeeze when you love them. Alternatively you may have a dog that likes to climb up on the sofa and sit right next to you in the evening.
In either case neither thing is a problem except for the bad breath of your dog.
What are the chances that a dog will have bad breath for the rest of its life? It is impossible to avoid. The food they eat is disgusting and they enjoy nothing more than scavenging when out on a walk. Is it possible to make their breath better?
In this post I want to look at adding baking soda to their drinking water as a possible cure for the condition.
I’ll get right to the point and answer your main question first.
Baking soda in dogs water for bad breath. Can I Put Baking Soda In My Dog’s Water To Fix Bad Breath?
The issue is actually quite controversial.
Many people recommend adding baking soda to your dogs water bowl but others do not.
I’ll tell you why.
Baking soda is used in human toothpaste so this idea probably comes from there.
In addition to removing plaque from teeth it also works as a deodorizer by neutralizing bad odors caused by bacteria in the mouth.
We should not use it in our dogs drinking water so why not?
Even though baking soda has some superpowers it is very high in sodium which makes it unsuitable for swallowing.
Over 50% of our recommended daily sodium intake is contained in just one teaspoon of baking soda.
When dogs consume too much sodium it can cause sodium toxicosis which can cause brain swelling and seizures.
I hear you ask how come it is used in toothpaste? The problem with toothpaste is that we only swallow tiny amounts.
In most cases we spit it back out into the sink.
Adding it to dogs’ drinking water will cause them to swallow it all.
In addition there is another very good reason for not dissolving baking soda in a dogs water in order to cure bad breath: There are so many good alternatives.
I’ll look at all of those alternative home remedies for your dogs bad breath in a moment but before I do let me take a step back.
Lets talk about all the great bad breath solutions that there are out there but before we do that I want to quickly go over all the possible symptoms of bad breath.
The symptoms of bad breath
Your dogs bad breath might not just be disgusting it might be an indication that something is seriously wrong with him.
Dogs aged three and older are affected by gum disease in nearly 87% of cases. In addition to not brushing their teeth dogs’ mouths are more alkaline (than humans’) which encourages more plaque to form.
This disease has several symptoms including bad breath.
In this case you should schedule a visit to your veterinarian in order to rule out any underlying causes of your dogs persistent bad breath.
Your dogs bad breath is likely just due to plaque buildup in their mouth. However bad breath can also be an indication of other diseases such as liver disease diabetes or kidney disease.
Once you have received the all-clear from your vet you can try some other home remedies for bad breath in your dog
Home remedies for dog’s bad breath
There are plenty of other cheap and easy ingredients that you can use to make a home remedy for your dogs stinky breath so do not be too disappointed if you can not use baking soda.
The following are just four possible home remedies for solving a dogs bad breath but you can read this page for a full list of nine solutions.
Clean freshwater is accessible
Here is a simple one you might find odd at first but it is a basic “building block” if you want to fight your dogs bad breath.
The cheapest solution in this list is also the fastest to implement.
The problem is this.
You should wash your dogs bowl with antibacterial dish soap twice a day (I do it twice a day) and refill it with fresh water.
There is a heady mix of harmful germs in dog water bowls.
Salmonella E. coli and MRSA are among them.
The germs will not only cause your dogs breath to smell bad but they could threaten your familys health as well.
My mind keeps turning to the fact that there is a clear relationship between better dog breath and clean water.
As clean water passes through a dogs mouth and down his throat many food particles are washed away.
Whenever a dog drinks contaminated water it will also wash away some food particles but it will also leave bits of old food in their mouths.
Celery
Apples and carrots are well known for their fresh breath properties but celerys ability to boost your dogs breath is less well known.
In addition to the natural crunch that celery has it also has a much lower sugar content than apples and carrots which helps with pongy breath.
Do not overdo the celery and be cautious as it could cause choking in small dogs. If you use it as a treat remember that you should not exceed 10% of your dogs daily diet with treats.
Parsley
The herb parsley is safe for your dog to eat since it has been used for centuries as a breath freshener for humans. Due to its high chlorophyll levels it is thought to act as a deodorizer due to its naturally minty flavor.
For every 20 pounds of body weight use about one teaspoon.
Make sure that you use curly parsley and not spring parsley because spring parsley is toxic to dogs.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Another versatile nontoxic substance that is a staple of many households is ACV.
Where does it come from? ACV is produced by fermenting crushed apples with yeast. By adding bacteria to alcohol acetic acid is formed which is the main compound in vinegar
However how does it help with bad breath? By killing off bacteria in the mouth apple cider vinegar can help cure bad breath.
Furthermore it promotes digestion which is a great benefit because a digestive system that is struggling can contribute to bad breath.
Having tackled bad breath I want to revisit baking soda: give it a second chance if you will.
How else can we use it to help our dogs if we should not really use it to freshen their breath?
In the next section we will discuss that.
Common Uses Baking Soda Dogs
Based on my research I have found nine safe ways to use baking soda with your dog.
Furthermore they are all for external use- none of these require your dog to ingest or eat baking soda.
The smell of dog urine that permeates most of our homes is one of the downsides of dog ownership.
Despite vacuuming the house or cleaning and drying our dogs after the wettest of walks our house will still smell of dogs.
Baking sodas natural ability to neutralize any bad odors can help in numerous ways around the house.
For a complete list of my favorite methods please click here. I have listed just a few below but click here for a full list.
Deodorizing carpets
For a carpet or rug that needs to be freshened up sprinkle some dry baking soda on it and let it sit for 15 minutes.
You can then vacuum it all up and hopefully the bad odor will disappear along with the baking soda.
Before you vacuum your car you can do the same thing.
My car smells like dogs and I do not know about yours.
Due to the fiddly nature of vacuuming a car I would advise you to vacuum it out first. Sprinkle some baking soda on top wait for a few minutes and vacuum it all up.
Lets see if that helps.
Your dogs bedding can also be neutralized by removing that odor.
Throw some baking soda in with your washing powder when you wash their bed
Dry and wet shampoo
You can also use baking soda as a dry shampoo or wet shampoo on your dog.
The coat of a dog is very similar to a carpet isnot it?
Its best not to spray it anywhere near their faces.
Start by brushing your dog to remove loose hair before applying the dry shampoo. Brush the powder out of their coat after rubbing some dry baking soda into their coat.
So that your dog would not ingest any baking soda as they clean you must get rid of all the baking soda.
Alternatively you could find some grass or hay to roll in after brushing them!
Skunk/ fox smell
It is one of the hazards of owning a dog in the U.S. to get sprayed by a skunk.
A similar hazard for U.K. dog owners is when their dogs roll in fox poop.
The result is the same- your dog stinks in the worst way possible.
The dog can be cleaned with typical shampoos but the smell cannot be eliminated.
Lets move on to baking soda which will work wonders in reducing the awful smell.
In addition tomato ketchup is very effective at neutralizing odors.
Conclusion
Therefore adding baking soda to your dogs water is probably best avoided as a method of freshening bad breath.
Your veterinarian should be consulted if persistent bad breath persists just in case it is the symptom of a more serious medical condition.
However once your veterinarian gives you the all-clear there are plenty of other home remedies you can try to treat canine halitosis! Here is one of them: apple cider vinegar.
Do not give up on using baking soda on your dog. Dogs can be safely handled with it in many ways- just make sure that they do not ingest it.
Amanda (Author)
With over a decade of experience, Amanda is a distinguished dog trainer. Her expertise in canine behavior has transformed countless lives, fostering harmonious human-canine connections. Through compassionate and personalized approaches, she empowers owners to understand and connect with their furry companions, creating a legacy of joyful tails and transformed lives.
Osvaldo Maciel (Content Reviewer)
Osvaldo Maciel, a stalwart in the field with 14 years of experience, is a revered dog trainer. His journey is defined by a profound understanding of canine behavior, shaping unbreakable human-canine bonds. Osvaldo guides owners to connect with their beloved pets, leaving an indelible mark of happiness and transformation. His legacy shines through the countless lives he has touched.
