Do Whippets Have Bad Breath?

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Your whippet is so adorably cute and you love them to pieces. When you are sitting on the couch all snuggled in for the night, your pup loves nothing more than to jump right up next to you and cuddle.

Their sweet face comes into view and they give you a big doggie kiss on your face. Yikes! What a stinky smell! It gives you flashbacks of a goodnight kiss on a bad date! How can this be? Do whippets have bad breath?

Look no further, my friend. By reading what follows, you will aim to gain some important information on remedying your pup of their problem breath and having it smelling sweet in no time at all.

Are Whippets Known To Have Bad Breath?

Whippets are not generally known to have bad breath. Unfortunately, bad breath does occur in some smaller dog breeds.

Smaller dogs have smaller mouths and can lead to overcrowded teeth, which can be harder to keep clean. Also, the enamel on a smaller dog’s teeth is softer than on larger breeds teeth and, therefore it isn’t as protective.

do whippets have bad breath? — Image: Andy J Lewis

If your whippet has very bad halitosis then some investigating is in order.

Why Your Whippet May Have Bad Breath

There are many reasons why your whippet may have bad breath. Some are easily remedied and others may be a little harder to resolve.

Teething

In puppies, when new adult teeth begin erupting, they push out the puppy’s primary teeth. Bacteria can form where the tooth and gum meet, causing bad breath. This is just a temporary issue and will resolve once all of your pup’s secondary teeth are in.

Poor Dental Hygeine

When you groom your whippet, you brush, bathe, cut their nails, clean their ears, but one important step in their grooming routine that is often overlooked is the regular care of your whippet’s teeth and gums.

Humans brush and floss their teeth, sometimes using electric toothbrushes and even Waterpiks. Do you practice good dental hygiene on your whippet? If not, that can be the cause of bad breath. In fact, that is the biggest error made in dogs with bad breath.

If your whippet’s teeth are not cared for, plaque builds up on their teeth, which then leads to calculus or tartar, which is harder to remove. Both plaque and tartar cause bacteria to multiply and lead to decay in your pup’s teeth.

This brings about bad breath and then can spiral into a cavity or an abscess, which can be quite painful. Gum disease can also develop, which is known as periodontal disease.

With all of this bacteria circulating in your whippet’s mouth it can eventually cause other infections and harm their kidneys or heart.

Neglecting to have a routine for dental hygiene can sadly affect your whippet’s health in many ways, not to mention becoming quite costly.

If you fail to care for your pup’s teeth, by the time they’re three years old. they can begin developing symptoms of periodontal disease.

Diet

Believe it or not, your whippet’s diet may be contributing to their bad breath. You may think that giving your pup dry food helps to clean their teeth but it actually can contribute to plaque and tartar build-up.

High-quality dog food is always needed and they often include nutrients that are good for your pup’s teeth and bones.

Feeding your whippet table scraps is never a good idea, especially for their overall health. Human foods can also be a cause for their bad breath.

Foreign Object

If your whippet chews on different things and they suddenly develop bad breath, check out their gums and between their teeth.

Something they may have chewed on may have broken off, such as a stick and is lodged somewhere, causing bacteria to grow and infection could be up ahead on the horizon. A piece of food may also be trapped between teeth.

Medical Causes Of Bad Doggy Breath

Sinisitus

Your pup’s bad breath could stem from a case of sinusitis. With a blocked nose, the combination of breathing out of their mouths and gunky mucus in their sinuses can be the cause of their halitosis. An antibiotic should clear this up.

Inflammation

Inflammation in your whippet’s mouth can be caused by stomatitis, which is an autoimmune reaction. They may have clean teeth but if they have swollen red gums and bad breath, this may be the issue. Stomatitis is treatable.

Digestion Problems

Gastrointestinal issues can also bring about bad breath. Your whippet may not digest their food properly and along with bad breath may also suffer from gas as well. Uh oh, not a good combination! Switching dog foods may be helpful or adding soothing supplements can help with digestion.

Malnutrition

This sounds horrifying because your whippet is well fed. You should be feeding your pup a high-quality dog food and sometimes they do have dental benefits in the mix.

If your pup has trouble chewing or can’t eat because of painful teeth and gums then they can become malnourished. Whippets are on the thin side already, so that is why proper dental care is imperative.

Diabetes

If your whippet’s breath should smell slightly fruity and sweet and exhibit other symptoms such as sleeping more and weight loss but have an increase in appetite they could have diabetes. If you suspect this, make an appointment with your pup’s veterinarian.

Kidney Disease

Bad breath along with behavioural issues, weight change, decreased or increased urination and loss of appetite may point to kidney disease. Usually, their breath will actually smell of urine, an important clue, if they suffer from kidney disease.

Oral Tumor

You may give your pup the best oral care, but they can develop an oral tumour. These tumours grow quite quickly and then bacteria moves right in, causing bad breath.

If you are giving your whippet impeccable dental care and they develop bad breath, have your vet check it out.

How To Freshen Your Whippets Bad Breath

The number one way to eliminate bad breath and to prevent dental problems in the future is to provide good dental care for your whippet.

Following are several important ways to do this.

Brush Their Teeth

Yes, brushing your pup’s teeth is a must! Start when they are puppies and make it routine. There’s absolutely no reason why you can’t brush your adult whippet’s teeth if you’ve never done it before. A little extra time and patience may be all that’s needed.

For their dental hygiene routine, you can buy dental kits either from your veterinarian, at a pet store or online.

The toothbrush will be just right for them and the toothpaste is made especially for dogs. Never use your own toothpaste to brush your dog’s teeth. It has too many chemicals and additives that can be harmful to them,

Aim for brushing your whippet’s teeth once a day or at least once every other day. Be gentle and don’t forget to brush way in the back. Oftentimes it’s those molars that are causing the stinky breath.

By the way, whippet’s have quite a few teeth. Puppies have twenty-eight teeth and adults have forty-two secondary teeth! So, for pearly whites, get brushing!

Dental Wipes

Dental wipes and even mouthwash are available for dogs. You can use dental wipes for quick clean-ups or occasionally in place of brushing if time is short.

Dental Treats

Dental treats can also be purchased in the form of bones and sticks and they can help remove built-up plaque and tartar. The chewing and scraping action helps eliminate some of this. Make sure these treats are big enough so they have plenty of chewing time before swallowing.

Dog Toys

There are a wide variety of dog toys available and made specially for removing plaque by having your pup chew on them. Many do an excellent job of cleaning.

Examine

While brushing your whipper’s teeth regularly, examine their teeth and gums, checking for any chipped or loose teeth as well as red and swollen gums.

Your veterinarian will check out your whippet’s teeth at their annual or bi-annual visits. As your pup gets older they may need professional teeth cleaning by their vet. This is performed under general anaesthesia. it will help maintain healthy teeth and gums.

Other Considerations

Many pet owners expect dogs to have bad breath and think it’s a normal thing. Just like humans, dogs may occasionally have bad breath because of something they’ve eaten. But halitosis is not normal

Maintaining good dental hygiene is essential to sidestep many of the problems listed above. There is no need to panic if your whippet has bad breath and you fear one of the above-mentioned diseases.

Some diseases just occur and we have no control over those, but by brushing your whippet’s teeth regularly you can prevent dental disease which can lead to more serious conditions down the road.

Most times the answer to the puzzling question as to where their bad breath is coming from is inadequate dental care.

Final Thoughts

Do whippets have bad breath? No, they don’t have bad breath. As an addition to their grooming routine, along with some time, patience and brushing your whippet will not only have more bonding time with you but their breath will be clean and sweet-smelling when they lean in for that big doggie kiss!