Doggy breath is often offensive and annoying to some people, whether it’s the owner or your other family members, and even your guests! Dogs will usually chew anything, which causes them to have this awful dog breath that could smell revolting.
This is why you may be looking for the best dog food for bad breath. Fortunately, there is actually dog food out there that lessens bad breath instead of worsening it. Usually, the problem comes from certain food brands that contribute to doggy breath due to the insane amount of preservatives, fillers, and the like.
If you are worried about your dog’s foul odor from their mouth, then it may be time to switch to different dog food for them.
Top 5 Best Dog Food for Bad Breath
Here are our top picks for the best dog food for bad breath:
Purina Bella Single Serve Adult Wet Dog Food
This wet dog food or topper can be ideal for small dogs and is served in a tray that is easy to prepare for your dog.
It has antioxidants for your dog’s immunity while its savory juices can help eliminate or lessen the bad smell in your dog’s gums or teeth.
Since it is a single-serve tray, you won’t have to guess how much to put into your dog’s diet.
Due to the wet nature of the food, it can help your dog to have less likelihood of bad breath. It can also be ideal for dogs who are picky eaters.
Things We Liked
- Easy to serve
- Doesn’t make your dog’s breath smell bad
- No guess measuring required
- A trusted dog food brand
- Okay for picky eaters
Things We Didn’t Like
- The foil could be sometimes hard to peel off
Cesar Home Inspired Wet Dog Food
If you prefer the Cesar brand, which comes from the famous Dog Whisperer, this one is also wet dog food that has different flavors, such as pot roast, New York strip, porterhouse, chicken, noodle, & vegetable, chicken & turkey, beef stew, rib eye, turkey, and others.
Each tray is at 3.5 ounces and since it is served with spring veggies, it can have a good effect on your dog’s teeth and breath while also maintaining a healthy and balanced diet.
You can also use it as a food topper other than being the main dish. The peel-away mechanism makes it easy to serve or store for your dog to eat up later.
Things We Liked
- Trusted brand
- Has spring veggies
- Easy peel-away design
- Many flavors available
- Can be used on its own or as a topper
Things We Didn’t Like
- May not be ideal for dogs with gluten sensitivity
Vital Essentials Freeze-Dried Grain-Free Limited Ingredient Dog Treats
If you want dog treats or dry food instead of wet food, there are actually options like this one. Despite the minnows as the main ingredient, it is actually not smelly since it is freeze-dried.
There are no added flavors, fillers, antibiotics, hormones, or any of the kind to make sure your dog only gets raw treats.
Its whole raw minnows have been sourced from the USA and freeze-dried as a treat.
Since it has limited ingredients, it won’t cause a stir in your dog’s diet, digestive system, and breath. It also contains no synthetic minerals or animal by-products – only pure animal meat.
Things We Liked
- Raw-sourced minnows
- No fishy aftertaste or smell
- Limited ingredients
- No animal by-products or fillers
- Can be given as treats
Things We Didn’t Like
- The ingredient labeling may not be that accurate
Cesar Steak Lovers Collection Wet Dog Food
Yet another wet dog food, this one can be used as both a topper and a main dish as well. It has various flavors such as porterhouse, New York Strip, T-bone, filet mignon, beef, and much more.
It has sauce which can be tasty for your little dog. Each container has 3.5 ounces of dog food, in which the first ingredient is U.S. beef.
It comes in a completely sealed packaging that can be peeled away for feeding your dog. As a bonus, other than little to no bad breath, it can also give your dog a shinier coat. Dogs that are picky eaters could also try this one.
Things We Liked
- Has different flavors available
- Sourced from U.S. beef
- Doesn’t cause bad breath
- Recommended for picky eaters
- Could be used on its own or as a topper
Things We Didn’t Like
- May have a small number of by-products
Purina Pro Plan Small & Toy Breed Formula
For adult toy breeds, this dog food has probiotics, which is known not only to improve gut health but could also help freshen their breath.
Probiotics can increase the good bacteria (explained in the FAQ sections below) so having this dog food can be an alternative to regular meals.
It also has omega-6 fatty acids, which can be helpful for your dog’s coat and metabolism. The dog food is made with chicken as the first ingredient, packed in small kibbles that are bite-sized and can be easy to eat for most toy breeds.
Since it has a crunchy outside texture with a tender inside filling, it can be a good start for picky eaters.
Things We Liked
- Has probiotics for gut health and better breath
- Ideal for toy breeds
- Has omega-6 fatty acids
- Chicken is the first ingredient
- Good texture
Things We Didn’t Like
- Your dog may sometimes leave the kibble part behind
Things to Consider Before You Buy
Before choosing the best dog food for bad breath, here are things you may want to know about first:
How do I choose the best dog food for bad breath?
If your dog has bad breath and you want a decent dog food for them, these can be your guidelines:
- Consider less or no preservatives. In most cases, artificial preservatives can sometimes contribute to bad doggy breath due to the number of sweeteners or flavor enhancers. Too much of these could even cause your dog diabetes or other problems that may ruin their digestive system. The catch is to keep your dog away from too many artificial flavorings.
One tip you can use for this is to look at the label. Make sure there aren’t any foreign ingredients that could be dangerous or not advisable for your dog:
- Ethoxyquin – they actually use this same preservative on synthetic rubber. Yikes!
- BHA and BHT – they have been both linked to cancer due to their carcinogenic properties, so be careful.
- Propylene glycol – while it is less poisonous than ethylene glycol, it is still not that safe since it can be used in most antifreeze used in cars.
- TBHQ – usually used for preserving fats, TBHQ has been discovered to have carcinogenic (cancerous) properties.
- Propyl gallate – while it emulates estrogen (the hormone found in female humans), this one could also be carcinogenic and may even affect reproductive health in dogs.
- Find limited ingredients. The word “limited ingredients” just means that there are only about 2 to 3 ingredients and no animal by-products in the list. For example, a flavor would have chicken and sweet potato only – that is a viable choice. Or, you can also look for one that has lamb and a certain vegetable.
Limited ingredients limit the likelihood of your dog having a mud mixer in their stomachs. If their tummy is filled with all sorts of garbage that weren’t sorted out, this can eventually develop into a digestive upset, which can cause bad breath when they get gas or reflux.
- No fillers. This one cannot be stressed enough. Fillers are commonly found in commercial foods and they usually take the form of grains, wheat, soy, and the like. Unless your dog is okay with grains, it’s best not to feed them, since most dogs are sensitive to grains, anyway.
Sometimes, grain-rich dog food products can be the source of bad breath due to the excessive amount of fillers, which may be compromising your dog’s health overall.
- Consider wet food. Most experts and vets agree that wet food is much better to feed than dry food in the case of bad breath problems. The viable explanation here is that wet food contains more H2O (water), which can help cleanse your dog’s mouth as compared to dry food. Kibble is okay, but if you do feed your dog kibble, make sure they stay hydrated. Or better yet, consider adding wet toppers to your dog’s meal.
- Look for probiotics. Did you know that aside from your dog’s stomach, probiotics can also work wonders for your dog’s breath? Yes, that’s right. This is because bad breath is usually caused by bad bacteria, and when your dog does have good bacteria in their gut, it can fend off the bad bacteria, causing the source of the awful doggy breath to go away.
What are the benefits of dog food for bad breath?
If you feed your dog some food that is usually made to combat bad breath, you may get some benefits, such as the following:
- Better digestive health. Dogs who have good breath are actually also getting a good stomach. This is because sometimes, bad breath comes from bad bacteria that live in your dog’s tummy, which could be from a digestive upset. If your dog gets treats or mixes that have friendlier ingredients then you can not only alleviate your dog’s bad breath but also your dog’s digestive problems.
- Less likelihood of diseases. Dogs who chew or consume quality food, which is usually the case for dog food for bad breath, can have more immunity against most canine diseases, especially with relation to their gut or stomach.
- Healthier teeth. If your dog eats food that doesn’t make their breath stink, it can help strengthen their teeth as well. Of course, this is best combined with brushing their teeth as well as dental chews.
- You won’t feel awkward around them. Bad breath can be off-putting not just when you’re facing humans but also when you’re facing man’s best friend. Considering dog food for bad breath can make your life easier (and less gross) when your dog jumps on your face and gives you that “welcome home, master” lick.
- Excessive farting can be lessened. Usually, bad breath is associated with bad farts as well, so it could be helpful if your dog takes food that could lessen that doggy smell or breath.
How do I feed dog food for bad breath?
To feed your dog properly, here are the things you need to do:
- Read the food label for feeding instructions. Know how much to feed your dog per serving. Most wet dog food, however, is single-serve so you don’t really have to do a lot of measuring.
- Know your dog’s feeding schedule. Keep in mind if your dog has been already fed or not to avoid overfeeding or underfeeding.
- Consider whether feeding it alone or as a mixer/topper. Some dog foods for bad breath can be fed on its own or you can mix it with other food
- Observe your dog’s breath for a while. If the dog food works for their bad breath, it’s a success!
- Ask your vet for additional help. If you need more help and the dog food isn’t working, consider asking your vet for other options.
Conclusion
To wrap it up, our top pick for the best dog food for bad breath is the Purina Bella Single Serve Adult Wet Dog Food because of the fact that it is easy to serve and the ingredient list doesn’t make your dog’s breath smell bad. It is already served in a single-serving portion with no guess measuring required to give you less hassle.
Coming from a trusted dog food brand, Purina’s option can be okay for picky eaters due to the dog-friendly taste. While the foil could be sometimes hard to peel off, this is a minor con and it can actually be viewed as a pro to avoid having your dog food spoil too easily.
