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As much as dog owners love to have their canine pet kiss them out of affection, bad breath from dogs is usually a turn-off.
Using essential oils for dog breath is an effective way to prevent halitosis.
Oils derived from plants’ roots, bark, leaves, stems, or wood are popular for their fragrances. Using these essential oils for dog breath falls under a practice known as aromatherapy.
Dogs are not like humans; they can’t brush or floss, at least not by themselves. The accumulation of food left in their mouth causes plaque to stick to their teeth.
Over time, the plaque transforms into tartar, manifested as a mouth odor in dogs.
While aromatherapy is effective at removing Haliotis in dogs, safety measures must be taken. Hence, below is a guide to help dog owners use essential oils for breath.
5 Safe Guide For Using Essential Oils For Dog’s Bad Breath
1. Use Essential Oils That Are Non-toxic To Dogs
Dog experts provide a couple of options to get rid of mouth odor in canine pets but using essential oils for dog breath is not a popular recommendation.
Why? Certain essential oils are poisonous to dogs. Even though using critical oils for dog breath is effective, dog experts prefer other methods of neutralizing bad breaths.
Therefore, if you use essential oils to freshen your dog’s breath or cure mouth odor, avoid using toxic oils like pine oil, citrus oil, tea tree oil, and ylang-ylang.
When these oils are consumed or applied to the skin, dogs may exhibit symptoms such as vomiting, depression, dermal irritation, hypothermia, and ataxia.
What Essential Oils Are Safe For Dog Use?
Amongst all the types of essential oils, the few that are safe to neutralize bad breath, cure halitosis and freshen dogs’ breath are oils derived from ginger, spearmint, peppermint, helichrysum, and myrrh.
These oils have antibacterial and antimicrobial properties that help kill germs that cause mouth odor.
2. Dilute The Oil
Before using any essential oil for your dog’s breath, dilute the oil with carrier oils or water. Although more toxic essential oils are not recommended to control bad dog breath, cutting them with either a carrier oil or water reduces their toxicity.
For example, tea tree oil is safe for dogs when diluted with coconut oil, aloe vera oil, or avocado oil. Yet, before administering the oil orally, test the oil on its skin first, and watch out for any reaction.
The oil can safely be applied to the dog’s mouth if there is none.
Additionally, essential oils are considered to be safe for aromatherapy. They should be diluted before using them to freshen or cure your dog’s bad breath.
How To Dilute Essential Oil For Dogs Breath
Ginger Oil:
- Add 2 drops of ginger oil to a ¼ cup of water
- Pour in a bowl for your pet to lick
Tree Tea Oil:
- Add 2 drops of tea tree oil to 1 teaspoon of coconut oil or aloe vera oil
- Apply to its teeth
Spearmint:
- Add 1 drop of spearmint oil to any of the carrier oil
- Apply the mixture to the teeth
- You can also rub the oil beneath its ears down to its guts.
Peppermint:
- Add 1 drop of peppermint oil to a teaspoon of coconut oil
- Apply to its teeth and tongue
Helichrysum Oil:
- Add two drops of helichrysum oil with one drop of coconut oil
- Apply the oil to its teeth and tongue
- You can also rub the oil beneath its ears down to its guts
3. Add The Oil To Your Dog’s Food
It may be difficult to successfully get your dog’s cooperation by rubbing liquid in its mouth, especially if your canine pet dislikes the taste of the oil.
In such a situation, you should consider using essential oil for your dog’s breath by adding a few drops of the essential oil to its food.
While the taste of the oil will not be conspicuous, the fragrance from the oil will freshen the dog’s breath after eating. Peppermint and ginger oil are the recommended essential oils to use.
Add a drop of any of these oils to its food and mix. You can also rub some of the diluted oil below its chin after eating to achieve a stronger last, longing, deodorized breath.
4. Floss Your Dog’s Teeth After Eating And Spray A Mixture Of Essential Oil
Since bad breath is often caused by food left in the mouth, removing meat or other food stuck to your canine pet’s teeth after eating will go a long way to preventing halitosis.
Flossing using the traditional method for dogs may be difficult. Providing chew toys for your canine companion can help to achieve the same result as flossing.
After flossing, spray a mixture of essential oil diluted with water or carrier oils to freshen your dog’s breath and cure mouth odor.
Mix: myrrh, helichrysum, and peppermint; aloe vera, peppermint spearmint, and rosemary; or eucalyptus, spearmint, and coconut oil in a spritz bottle.
Spray the mixture in the mouth and under the chin of your canine companion.
5. Use The Essential Oil To Brush The Teeth
Instead of rubbing the oil on your dog’s teeth with your fingers, dip a toothbrush into the diluted mixture and brush your pet’s teeth.
Apply Aloe vera gel or essential oil to its teeth before bed. Aloe vera will help to soften plaque stuck to the teeth, making it easier to clean the teeth while brushing for your canine pet.
How To Use Peppermint Essential Oil As + dog’s Toothpaste
- Add two drops of peppermint oil to two tablespoons of coconut oil
- Dip the toothbrush into the mixture
- Lift its lips and gently brush the teeth and gums
- Dip the brush into the liquid while brushing to reapply the oil
Should I Consult The Vet For Dog Essential Oil Advice?
Absolutely yes! Veterinarians know more about dogs than an average dog owner. A vet can give you the best type of oil for your dog according to its breed.
As a dog owner, it can be tempting to draw your conclusion about the best essential oil for your dog. This can turn out to be hazardous to your dog’s health.
Precaution is better than cure. Before taking matters into your own hands, do in-depth research and consult your vet for advice.
Conclusion
Although using essential oils for dog breath seems like a good idea, study your dog closely and determine the cause of the bad breath.
Sometimes, bad breath is a symptom of underlying medical conditions such as kidney or liver diseases. Consult your veterinarian before using essential oil to correct your dog’s breath.
Also, if your dog shows an allergic reaction, quit using the essential oil to correct bad breath. Also, consult the veterinarian if your canine shows any symptoms of ingested poison.
Purrfect n’ Pawesome is the brainchild of Amanda, who has been into researching and writing about pets to help other pet parents in nurturing their adorable pets. Currently, she runs Purrfect n’ Pawesome along with her team of experienced and dedicated pet experts. Along with being an awesome writer and entrepreneur, Amanda is a cat mom to two innocently spoiled cats, Balanca and Scruffy.
She has been writing about pet care and nurturing and wants to share her readers’ experiences, learnings, and knowledge.
Over the years, she had the opportunity to work with various pet owners having multiple breeds, and that exposure gave her experience and the lessons of a lifetime.
Her family, her entire universe revolves around her two cats, who give her endless support and inspiration to move ahead with her objectives in life. Amanda is a live example of a balanced approach to all parenthood questions we all face in life.
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