Asking why is my dogs breath fishy? Check these hidden health issues you should know.

Okay, so I wanted to share something I went through recently with my dog, Buster. Maybe it helps someone else out. For a few days, I kept getting this weird whiff whenever Buster came close for a cuddle. At first, I thought maybe he’d gotten into something outside, you know how dogs are.

But this smell, it wasn't just regular dog breath. It was distinctly… fishy. Yeah, like old fish. Pretty gross. It was strong enough that I knew something wasn't quite right. My first thought went straight to his mouth. So, I did the whole awkward dog-owner thing, trying to pry his jaws open and get a good look inside.

Checking the Obvious Stuff

I grabbed a flashlight and peered in there. His teeth looked okay-ish, maybe a little bit of buildup, but nothing looked obviously rotten or infected. Gums weren't super red or bleeding. So, I thought, alright, maybe not his teeth directly. What else?

Next, I thought about his food. Had I changed anything? Given him any new treats? Nope. Same old kibble he's been eating for ages. We hadn't given him any fish oil supplements or fishy treats recently either. So, diet seemed unlikely to be the culprit.

Thinking Outside the Mouth

This is where it got a bit weird. I started thinking, could the smell be coming from somewhere else? I did a bit of searching online, typing in stuff like "dog breath smells like fish". Lots of things popped up – dental disease (which I'd sort of looked at), kidney problems, diabetes… scary stuff. But then I saw mentions of anal glands.

Honestly, I didn't know much about those things before. Apparently, dogs have these sacs near their butt that release some stinky fluid, normally when they poop. Sometimes, though, they can get blocked or impacted. And the smell? Often described as fishy.

Then it clicked. I realised Buster had been doing a bit more licking back there lately. And maybe a little bit of that awkward scooting thing across the carpet. I hadn't really connected it before, but now with the fishy breath clue, it started to make sense.

Figuring It Out (The Vet Visit)

I decided this was beyond my basic home checks. Made an appointment with the vet. Explained the fishy breath situation and my suspicion about the anal glands based on the licking and scooting.

The vet listened, did a quick check of Buster's mouth just to be sure, and then went straight for the rear end inspection. And bingo! She confirmed his anal sacs were indeed full and impacted. It wasn't a serious infection, thankfully, just blocked up.

She expressed them right there – not the most pleasant procedure to watch, let me tell you, but it was quick. And almost immediately, that intense fishy odour started to fade.

So, yeah. The fishy breath wasn't coming from his mouth at all. He was probably licking himself back there because of the discomfort from the full glands, and then the smell was transferring to his mouth and breath when he panted or yawned near me. Wild, right?

It was a relief to figure it out and that it wasn't something more serious like kidney failure. Just goes to show, sometimes the source of a problem isn't where you first expect it. If your dog suddenly gets fish breath, definitely check the mouth, but don't forget to consider those pesky anal glands!