Keep Your Home Smelling Fresh and Clean
With dogs come odors and messes– if you have had dogs for very long you know it just comes with the territory. Baking soda is a safe and green way to clean up after your dog and keep your house from smelling like them and anywhere they have been. While baking soda is best known for odor absorption and can be safely sprinkled on bedding and places where your dog likes to hang out, it is also an effective cleaner.
Baking soda in dogs water for bad breath
This is actually quite a controversial issue.
Some people recommend adding baking soda to your dog’s water bowl but many other people don’t.
The origins of this idea probably comes from the fact that baking soda is used in human toothpaste.
Its abrasive nature helps to remove plaque from teeth and it will also act as a deodoriser by neutralising the bad smells from the bacteria in your mouth.
So why shouldn’t we use it in our dog’s drinking water?
Although baking soda has some superpowers, it has very high levels of sodium which make it unsuitable to swallow or ingest.
Just one teaspoon of baking soda contains over 50% of our recommended daily allowance of sodium.
And if dogs ingest too much sodium it can cause sodium toxicosis, which can result in brain swelling and seizures.
Then how come it is used in toothpaste I hear you ask? Well the thing about toothpaste is that we only swallow tiny amounts of it.
Most of it we spit back out into the sink.
If we dissolve it into our dog’s drinking water they are swallowing all of it.
And there is another very good argument for not dissolving baking soda in a dog’s drinking water as a way to cure bad breath: and that is that there are so many good alternatives.
In a bit, I will look at all of those alternative home remedies for your dog’s bad breath but before do that, I want to take a step back.
It is all well and good explaining all of the great bad breath solutions that there are out there but before we do that I quickly want to go through all the possible symptoms of bad breath.
Bad breath may not just be disgusting, it might be an indication that something is seriously wrong with your dog.
Gum disease in dogs affects over 87% of dogs that are aged three and over. This seems to be because dogs don’t have their teeth brushed and their mouths are more alkaline (than humans) which encourages more plaque.
One of several symptoms of this disease is bad breath.
And so, if your dog has persistent bad breath your first step should be to arrange a visit to see your vet because they can rule out any serious underlying causes.
In all likelihood, your dog’s bad breath is just related to a buildup of plaque in their mouth but bad breath can also be an indication of other worrying diseases such as liver disease, diabetes or kidney disease.
Once you have the all clear from your vet, it is time to look at other home remedies for your dog’s bad breath
Always consult your veterinarian before using baking soda on your pet and spot test before using baking soda to clean carpets and furniture.
Before using the paste or applying baking powder on its own, Dougherty suggests blotting up as much of the liquid as possible. “It helps to place a book on the cloth and stand on it to ensure you get it all out,” she says. Freshen the Litter Box
Baking soda will also eliminate doggy odors in your car. Dougherty suggests sprinkling it on the seats and floor mats. The longer the powder sits, the more odor it will absorb. Vacuum all surfaces and throw out the disposable vacuum bag immediately, just in case it contains any fleas, ticks or mites. Another trick to keep your vehicle smelling fresh is put a tablespoon of baking soda in the ashtrays. Clean Up Pet Accidents
“If your pet is sprayed by a skunk, baking soda alone will not remove the foul odor,” says Picard. But a mixture of ¼ cup baking soda, 1 teaspoon of liquid soap and 1 quart of 3-percent hydrogen peroxide is a recommended solution. It’s best to use this mixture outdoors or in a basement sink to avoid bringing the odor into your home.
Pet urine is usually acidic, which plays a role in its ability to produce a foul-smelling odor. “Baking soda is a base and pet urine is acidic. When you put them together, baking soda chemically has the ability to neutralize acidic substances and make them more alkaline, eliminating the odors,” says Donna Dougherty, owner of Go Green Cleaning Experts in West Chester, Pa.
Can I Put Baking Soda In My Dog’s Water To Fix Bad Breath? | Dogvela
Many people ask can dogs eat baking soda? It is important to know the potential health impact or risks of your dog eating baking soda. In this article we will learn everything there is to know about giving baking soda to your dog.