Updated On October 5th, 2017
Reviewed By Christie Long, DVM
Baking soda is good old sodium bicarbonate, one of nature’s best neutralizers of odors. If your dog (and subsequently, you) are unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end of a [skunk’s wrath](http://www.petcoach.co/article/removing-the-smell-of-a-skunk-from-your-pet/), you’ll need a good recipe for a shampoo that will effectively remove the smell.
Many recipes exist, but one of the never-fail concoctions used by veterinarians contains one quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide, ¼ cup of good-ole baking soda, and one teaspoon of liquid hand soap. Lather into the coat, and rinse very well – even as long as 10 minutes, to ensure that you remove all of the residue from the coat. This mixture may lighten the coat of black dogs, and will surely bleach your clothes, so use with caution.
Carpet smelling a little stale? A little baking soda sprinkled onto the surface, allowed to sit for 10 minutes, then vacuumed up may be all it needs to regain its freshness. And if your pet has an accident on the carpet, baking soda applied to the area after cleaning may be enough to hide the smell from your nose.
But don’t be fooled: your cat or dog can still smell urine that’s masked with a little baking soda. And an area of carpet that smells like urine to your pet continues to smell like a place that’s OK to eliminate. So be sure to use an enzymatic cleaner.
If your [dog](https://www.petcoach.co/article/why-does-my-dog-s-breath-smell-so-bad/) or [cat](https://www.petcoach.co/article/why-does-my-cat-s-breath-smell-so-bad/) has bad breath, it’s probably because they have dental disease or another illness. The idea that adding a teaspoon of baking soda to drinking water to freshen breath, while technically not harmful, the flavor of baking soda in the water may be a bit off-putting, and discourage your pet from drinking enough water.
But ultimately, if your pet has bad breath, it needs to be dealt with definitively. Get his teeth checked by your veterinarian, and consider lab work as well to rule out internal issues.
Pet toothpaste is formulated specifically for pets so that it is safe for them to ingest it, since we can’t teach them to spit out the toothpaste once they’re done. Because baking soda contains large amounts of sodium, if sufficient quantities are ingested it can cause hypernatremia, or sodium toxicosis.
Hypernatremia can cause swelling of the brain, and ultimately seizures and coma – even death – if not treated. Since you can’t make sure your dog doesn’t ingest dangerous amounts of sodium while brushing his teeth with baking soda, avoid it, and use a pet-safe toothpaste.
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