My dog Mia the 6 year old American Bully developed very bad breath that she had for years. The kind of breath that smells like rot as soon as the air hits it. It was so bad that I would actually worn people who got down to pet her. It was the worst breath I had ever smelled in a dog. It seemed to just be getting worse. Despite her teeth looking just fine, I bought her a toothbrush and began to brush her teeth every day. At first I thought it might be helping, but then I realized it only helped for a few hours right after I brushed her teeth and dried all the drool around her mouth. I think it was more wishful thinking than anything. I started wondering if maybe it was just her larger dewlaps gathering drool that was rotting in her mouth. More wishful thinking.
She started eating grass and sticks only to throw them up later. I was worried. I suspected she had an imbalance in her body. I tried giving her more grains in case her mostly grain free diet was the problem. Corn didn’t help her. She started looking skinny and her coat was not as shiny.
I came across a web page that mentioned that a wheat grass supplement helps with bad breath so I tried it. I bought pure wheat grass pills that came in a glass jar.
I also bought wheat grass powder and mixed it in the dog food. To my surprise all of my dogs acted as excited over the grass as they do when I give them steak. At least I knew they liked it. I am a firm believer in listening to the body’s cravings and Mia was definitely craving wheat grass. The first thing I noticed is she stopped obsessively eating sticks and grass outside.
Amazingly within two weeks her bad breath was gone and she looked overall healthier. I always wondered why my dogs liked to eat grass, but obviously regular lawn grass was not exactly what they needed. Wheat grass is a type of grass in the wheat family. It has vitamins, amino acids, chlorophyll, fiber, enzymes and collagen which has glycine. It helps the gut, aids in digestion and bowels. It is said to cleanse organs and help with body and breath odors. It contains antioxidants. It is an energy booster and has natual antiseptic effects. After years of trying different things I finally found what she was missing in her diet and was able to balance her body. I am currently growing fresh wheat grass in pots to give her along with the other supplements. Such a simple solution to an awful problem. It was hard to cuddle with her when she would lick your face with that smell of rot. Its only been two weeks and she is noticeably spunkier and her bad breath is totally gone. Thinking about it now, I didn't even wash my face since she last licked me. Something only a dog person would understand. :-)
Written by Sharon Rose © Dog Breed Info Center® All Rights Reserved
