My Pet World: How to handle your dog or cat's bad breath
Dear Cathy,
We rescued our golden labs -- a 6-year-old brother and sister -- three months ago, and they are great fun, and just the best. However, they have horrible breath. Despite giving them a 'greenie' a day, it is still bad. We know and have kept other dogs and have never had complaints, like we have with Cookie and Clancy. We do not feed them junk food or food from the table. Our vet is stumped too. Do you have any ideas? -- Jo and Doug, Yorkville, IL
Dear Jo and Doug,
Bad breathe can be a sign of several diseases, from stomach problems to diabetes and kidney disease, but the main culprit is often poor oral hygiene. In fact, periodontal disease may be seen in dogs and cats as young as 3 years old.
Have Cookie and Clancy's teeth cleaned, and then brush their teeth a few times a week with a toothbrush and doggie toothpaste to reduce tartar and plaque build-up. There also are some great products like dental chews, breathe fresheners (sprays and treat bites), even some probiotics that can help maintain good oral hygiene. You can go old school and give them carrots, since it can help reduce plaque build-up, and add some chopped parsley to their food to freshen their breath.
Dear Cathy,
We're having a huge problem with our cat. We bought a new bed a few months ago, and she has peed on it five times. My poor husband washes the sheets and mattress covers, and we get the quilt cleaned. We had no choice but to keep her out of the room unless one of us is in bed. This has gone on for a couple of months. She was very unhappy, and so were we and our dog. We gave in, and that night she did it again. She has never peed on anything else. Any insight would help. -- Ellen, Mount Sinai, NY
Dear Ellen,
If you aren't extracting every molecule of urine out of the mattress, sheets, and quilt, your cat will return to the same spot to urinate -- no matter how much time has passed.
Purchase an enzymatic cleaner at the pet store or online to clean your mattress. An enzymatic cleaner "eats up" biologicals like urine and poop, thus eliminating any residual odors. These cleaners only work when wet, so you may need to wet the mattress and put a wet towel over the spot to activate. Repeat the process until the area is completely neutralized.
Washing sheets is not enough. Soak the sheets and quilt in the enzymatic cleaner before washing them. (Test it on a corner of fabrics first.) Some enzymatic cleaners can be added directly to your washing machine, so check products for more information. Make sure the quilt is cleaned and not dry cleaned. Dry cleaning can leave subtle odors that a cat may want to cover up with their urine.
Finally, when everything is clean, spray your bed, sheets, and quilt with feline pheromones and/or put a feline plug-in pheromone near your bed. You won't smell the pheromones, but she can, and it may calm her and prevent her from urinating in your room again.
Dear Cathy,
We have a 3 1/2-year-old Labradoodle named Rocco. He is basically a good dog, but he has a bad habit we can't seem to break. He constantly steels stuff, socks, clothing, paper, anything he can get his paws on, and chews them and sometimes even swallows them. He even vomits stuff up sometime. We have tried everything, including hiring a professional dog trainer who was quite expensive. Nothing has worked. Can you please give us some advice? -- Frustrated Dog Owner, Allentown, Pennsylvania
Dear Frustrated Dog Owner,
Your dog sounds curious and smart. Keep training him as much as possible. Trained dogs often behave better overall because the training engages and keeps their minds busy.
Next, pet proof your house, as if he is a puppy. Put clothing in the hamper, papers in drawers, books on shelves, shoes in closets, etc. I know you can't secure everything, but secure as much as possible to remove temptation.
Finally, buy him puzzle toys. Start with simple toys like a Kong Wobbler and work your way up to more challenging puzzle toys that will engage more of his brain. When he has a puzzle toy that dispenses treats, he will more likely forget about the socks and paper. By training and engaging him in the right activities every day, he will stay engaged and eventually lose interest in the "nonrewarding activities."
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(Cathy M. Rosenthal is a longtime animal advocate, author, columnist and pet expert who has more than 25 years in the animal welfare field. Send your pet questions, stories and tips to cathy@petpundit.com. Please include your name, city, and state. You can follow her @cathymrosenthal.)
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