UA researchers may have a solution to your dog’s bad breath

TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - If your fur baby has bad breath, there’s fresh hope on the horizon.

University of Arizona researchers have developed a harmless bacteria strain to battle bad breath in our furry friends.

When administered orally, the additive produces a minty aroma that improves dogs’ breath, instead of just covering it as other products do.

When the harmless bacterial strain enters a dog’s mouth, the bacteria remain for about two hours, producing a pleasant smell.

Eric Lyons, an Associate Professor at the University of Arizona and inventor of the bacterial strain is currently working on making that last up to eight or 12 hours.

He’s also working on making this available to the public.

With help from Tech Launch Arizona, Lyons, along with business development professional Scott Zentack, co-founded uPetsia to commercialize this new technology.

“Right now, we’re concentrating on getting a product into the hands of consumers. We hope to do that in the next one or two years,” said Zentack.

Zentack, the Chief Executive Officer of uPetsia, said they’re working with industry partners to integrate these bacteria into existing pet foods, toothpaste, and chews.

The team is also thinking about expanding the technology to other pets, but dogs and their owners are the first target market.

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