What could it be?

Sawyer's breath has been getting progressively worse lately and even the organic herbal breath spray I bought doesn't make more than a temporary dent in it. So I finally steeled myself for an onslaught of devil dog breath and started looking around the inside of his mouth. The gum tissue right around his right lower canine-fang is all swollen to about half-way up the tooth. Do you think this could be the source of the smell?

He's going to the vet this week anyway for his shots, so it's getting checked out then, but I feel bad I didn't notice it before now...I thought it was just stale Kong breath or something.

Is Listerine a doggie no-no?

Glad he's going in !! Sounds like an abscess ...which would stink .

I agree - sounds like an abcessed tooth.

I'd hold off on the listerine as well - I'm not sure what the chemicals in listerine are, but I think it contains alcohol.

if he'll let you, you could hold a cotton ball with peroxide against the swollen tissue. it does sound like that is the problem with his breath. it may not be an absess at all, (positive thinking here) it could be something got stuck in his gum.........a piece of meat/food. they will scale his tooth at the vet, but I'd put a bit of peroxide on the area til then. people with gum problems often use peroxide.....just don't let him swallow it.

Good idea ! I also agree that something foreign could be under the gum .