My dogs mouth smells like fish! What to do,Vet advice inside!

Okay, here's my blog post about figuring out why my dog's breath smelled like fish:

So, the other day I got a big ol' whiff of my dog Max's breath, and whoa – straight-up fish market! It wasn't just a little bit, it was STRONG. I love my pup, but that fishy breath? Not a fan. So, I started my mission to figure out what was going on.

The Investigation Begins

First thing I did? I got down and inspected Max's mouth, I checked his teeth and gums. I was looking for anything obvious, like food stuck in there, red gums, or anything unusual. Everything looked pretty normal, maybe a little tartar, but nothing crazy.

Next, I thought about his food. Had I switched his food recently? Nope, same old kibble he's always had. I even smelled the kibble – no fish smell there. Hmmm...

• Checked teeth and gums: Mostly normal, some minor tartar.
• Considered food: No recent changes, kibble didn't smell fishy.

Then, I started to think about what else it might be. I remembered reading something about anal glands sometimes causing weird smells. Yup, dog anal glands. They're these little sacs near their, um, exit area, and they can get full and smelly. And sometimes, that smell can end up coming out of their mouths if they lick back there.

Taking Action

I'm not gonna lie, dealing with anal glands is NOT my favorite thing. It's kind of gross, and I don't want to hurt Max. So, I decided to make an appointment with the vet. Better to let a professional handle that situation!

The vet was super helpful, I took Max there, and he checked him over. It turned out, it did it! Max's anal glands were pretty full. The vet expressed them (basically, squeezed the gunk out), and I won't go into detail, but let's just say it was... fragrant. He then gave Max's teeth a quick clean and polish, and said to keep up with the brushing.

After the vet visit, the fishy smell was GONE! Max was back to his normal, non-fishy-breath self. I learned my lesson: sometimes, weird smells mean a trip to the vet is in order. And, I vowed to be better about brushing Max's teeth, and maybe even get him some dental chews.

The End.