Listerine For Bad Doggie Breath? Read This First!

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Are you wondering if Listerine is safe to use on your dog’s bad breath?

Straight to the point: This mouthwash product, whether it contain alcohol or not, isn’t a good idea for your pet.

Can I Give My Dog Listerine?Besides, dogs cannot gargle so Listerine can’t be a solution for killing off germs or improving hygiene.

In fact, your buddy may swallow a bunch of this antiseptic which would obviously be bad.

Do Not Use Listerine On Your Dog

The entire product line contains a bunch of harsh chemicals that can easily end up in the stomach.

Avoid any possibility that your dog could swallow human mouthwash.

A look at the ingredients in Listerine reveals chemicals such as:

  • Methyl salicylate
  • Menthol
  • Ethanol

Listerine On Accident

Did your dog manage to chew up a Listerine bottle and lap up the contents?

There’s no need to panic but be sure to closely monitor their behavior.

Most likely the strong taste and burning sensation would have prevented your dog from ingesting a whole bunch. The worst case is they may vomit the contents up or have a bout of diarrhea later on.

But contact your vet ASAP if your dog exhibits any serious side effects.

Mouthwashes Made For Dogs

Hopefully, at this point, you have ruled out using Listerine.

Instead, look into mouthwash products that are made specifically for dogs. You’ll be glad you did because the chemicals, by contrast, are not harmful.

Based on personal experience, we recommend this dog-friendly water additive mouthwash. It will freshen up your buddy’s breath without worries because it’s okay to swallow!

Combine that with routine teeth brushing, and it will go a long way towards maintaining your dog’s dental health. As a result, it should improve a foul breath problem.

Preventative maintenance really is the key. Forget about using Listerine or any other human fixes such as mints or other candies!

Canine Oral Health

Sometimes even routine at-home cleaning is not enough.

Having a clean and healthy mouth may require the help of your vet in the form of assistance with cleaning your dog’s teeth. It’s an important chore that you have to be diligent about.

Each time they eat their dog food, and you don’t clean their teeth, it starts to accumulate over time. This is where the foul smell and discoloration eventually come from.

Dental plaque build up is a fact of life. In any case, Listerine is not going to solve any of these problems.

Brushing your dog’s teeth on a regular basis is key!

The Bottom Line

Listerine doesn’t make sense for your dog.

Canines cannot swish this mouthwash around or gargle it. Further, swallowing it would be unhealthy.

Make no mistake: Listerine contains some nasty chemicals.

Preventative care is the best way to keep your dog’s mouth smelling fresh.

What Do You Think? Have Your Say Below…

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3 thoughts on “Listerine For Bad Doggie Breath? Read This First!”

  1. Well, I think it’s a good idea that is worth a try. I would never have my dog drink Listerine, but I can rub it on his gums and teeth using my finger or a swab. Listerine kills germs on contact.

  2. Listerine does kill plaque. My hygienist recommended that I brush it onto my teeth. If you could apply a bit to your dog’s teeth I think it would help.

  3. I am looking into using Listerine because one of our dogs may have very itchy gums. My thoughts were to brush my pet’s gums. Very little would be swallowed as most foams out as drool, and less if I wiped their teeth and gums with a dry towel afterwords.

    If there is a safer solution that actually kills bacteria on contact, like Listerine, then I would rather use that. Unfortunately, there is little data on that. If you know of specific ingredients that can do that I would appreciate your feedback.

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