University of Arizona researchers develop bacteria strain to combat canine bad breath

Eric Lyons (left) and Scott Zentack (right) in a University of Arizona Center for Innovation lab (Photo courtesy of Paul Tumarkin/Tech Launch Arizona).

Two University of Arizona associate professors in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences School of Plant Sciences have discovered a method for quelling bad breath in dogs, according to a university release.

Inventor Eric Lyons, BA, MS, PhD, and co-inventor David Baltrus, BA, PhD, Postdoc, explained the harmless bacteria strain produces a minty aroma, improving dogs’ breath when administered orally. In the canine's mouth, the bacteria strain remains for approximately 2 hours, and could be easily administered when included in specially formulated dog treats, chews and food.

“We’re working on improving the duration efficacy of the product up to 8 or 12 hours, and we want to develop other scent offerings,” Lyons said in the release.

Lyons and business development professional Scott Zentack devised the idea to combat canine halitosis while sitting around a campfire with their dogs.

“We figured that with all the knowledge available to scientists, we’re now able to modify bacteria in the lab, why couldn’t we make a bacterium that makes dog breath smell better?” said Lyons, who manages large research projects at the university’s BIO5 Institute, including a $115 million program that applies computational systems to biological research.

Lyons and Baltrus screened hundreds of bacteria in dogs' mouths and discovered 20 that were harmless and easy to modify. With assistance from the university's commercialization office, the professors then co-founded a startup, uPetsia, to commercialize this innovative technology and take it to the marketplace.

Currently, the product is undergoing trials while the team has joined forces with industry partners to find methods for incorporating the bacteria into existing pet foods and snacks.

“We hope that future trials can help transition the product from an additive that only cures bad breath in pet animals into one that can prevent tooth decay and other oral maladies,” Lyons said.

Though the technology is now only intended for dogs, Lyons and his team are considering expanding the technology to other pets.

Learn more about the bacteria strain and the team's goals here.