Mary Allen
If the cat develops bad breath, it bothers the owner more than the protégé. Don’t belittle it: it can be a sign of serious illness.
No matter how great love may be: when our house tiger smells from its mouth, we involuntarily flinch. But bad breath is not the same as bad breath. Sometimes only the remains of the meal just eaten can be smelled. Other times, however, the note is so intense that you can’t tell if it’s decay or putrefaction.
Before you faint as a cat owner, you should talk to your vet about this issue. You can find out more about the causes, diagnosis, and treatment options here beforehand.
Symptoms of a cat with bad breath
Bad breath is not a disease but a symptom. This means that it can be an indication of harmless events in the mouth of the house tiger. However, it can also indicate health problems.
If your cat’s smell comes along with other symptoms, it’s a reason for you to pay attention. Such co-symptoms are:
- increased salivation,
- shaking head,
- chewing problems,
- decreased appetite or loss of appetite,
- nasal discharge,
- apathy or
- Rubbing the mouth on various soft or hard objects.
Does a cat with bad breath need to go to the vet?
If your cat is lively and has a normal appetite, you don’t have to worry too much. Then it is sufficient if you address the problem with your veterinarian at the next routine check-up.
However, if your cat seems different to you, if it no longer eats in the usual way, or if it seems apathetic and listless, be on your guard! It could be that health problems are the cause of the bad breath.
With a little care, you can prevent them or at least fix them with little effort. If the penetrating bad breath lasts for days or even weeks, take your cat to the vet! Especially with old cats, it is important that you get to the bottom of the cause of bad breath that has never existed before. Older house tigers are more often affected by illnesses that cause bad breath.
Causes why the cat has bad breath
Cats are mammals like us humans. Therefore, the causes of bad breath are primarily in the oral cavity, then in the pharynx, and only as a third possibility in the stomach and digestive tract.
You must not forget that carnivores are more likely to suffer from bad breath because animal proteins are broken down under different conditions (enzymes, oxygen environment) than vegetable raw materials are broken down. Veterinary medicine distinguishes between several causes. Read on and you will find out.
Bad feed
The main reason for symptoms such as the smell from the mouth is inappropriate food. Our house tigers probably used to smell much less often when they had to feed on mice and birds.
Unfortunately, many modern feeds – especially cheap feeds – have too high a carbohydrate content. This is neither digestible for our velvet paws, nor does it promote good perspiration. Cats as carnivores (i.e. meat eaters) need a high proportion of animal protein in their food (various guides speak of 80 to 95 percent).
Problems with the teeth
A third of all cats over the age of five suffer from what is known as feline caries (FORL). The term caries is misleading here because no caries bacteria are involved. The root causes of dental problems are
- a disturbed calcium metabolism,
- a hormonal disorder or
- inflammation of the gums
This disease leads to decalcification of the teeth, which can be very painful for the cat.
When plaque (tartar) builds up and hardens over months and years, it is called tartar. Brushing your teeth no longer helps as soon as a certain degree of hardening has taken place: tartar can then only be removed by machine.
The more tartar forms, the easier it is to get inflamed gums, periodontal pockets, and receding gums. All of these bacterial problems can lead to intense bad breath.
Certain breeds are more prone to tooth and jaw problems because of their short muzzle. These include u. also the British Shorthair, Burmese, and Persian.
Other diseases
The following other diseases can also be the cause of symptoms such as the penetrating smell from your cat’s mouth:
- inflammation
Numerous infections with viruses, bacteria, and fungi cause unpleasant bad breath in our purring housemates. What exactly these are can only be determined by means of detailed blood analysis. (However, not every vet sees this as a prerequisite for effective therapy, as many drugs have a broad-spectrum effect.)
The most common infections in cats include cat flu, FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus), and infections with mycoplasma or Bordetella.
- injuries
Many cats chew on objects that subsequently injure their tongue or palate. Cats with pica syndrome are particularly affected. Foreign bodies penetrate the skin and the immune system reacts with suppuration.
Sometimes our house cats also swallow things that can cause injuries in the esophagus. Outdoor cats and hunting cats in particular are more frequently affected.
- Cancer
Some – mostly older – cats develop benign or malignant growths (tumors) in the oral cavity. Ten percent of all malignant carcinomas in cats occur in the oral cavity, jaw, and tongue. This disease is referred to as squamous cell carcinoma, which is accompanied by intense bad breath.
- Liver, stomach, or kidney problems
Important digestive and detoxification processes in these organs can be disturbed. The blood has too high a concentration of urea and other waste products. This can also trigger the symptoms and lead to bad breath.
- diabetes
When diabetes is present, carbohydrate digestion and blood sugar levels are disturbed. Here, too, bad breath often occurs in cats.
- autoimmune diseases
Sometimes the penetrating bad breath is triggered by autoimmune diseases. These include all types of allergies, but above all allergies to components of the feed.
How does the vet make the diagnosis?
Experienced veterinarians can determine with a high level of certainty where the cause of the bad breath is based on the smell alone. If there are kidney problems, for example, the cat’s breath smells of urine. Fishy-smelling breath is an indication of disturbed protein metabolism.
After the smell test, your cat will be examined visually, i.e. the tongue, teeth, gums, and oral cavity will be inspected. The vet finds FORL, tartar, and periodontal pockets or inflammation.
The vet will decide if a blood test needs to be done to determine blood counts. These provide reliable information about liver or kidney problems. A disease such as diabetes can also be diagnosed with certainty.
Growths can only be examined for malignancy or benignity through biopsies. However, like X-ray examinations, these can only be carried out under anesthesia.
Therapy: What helps the cat with bad breath?
Each therapeutic measure depends on the cause of the bad breath. If there is no illness and if dental problems are not to blame for the grouchiness, you can try changing the feed first. Maybe you choose dry food instead of the previous wet food. Or you mix different food sources so that your cat gets enough liquid.
Cats need dental care too. Regular removal of tartar can work wonders here. It not only cares for the teeth but also prevents periodontitis (inflammation in the gums) and periodontosis (gums receding). This way, no pockets form in which bacterial foci can lead to bad breath.
Sometimes cats need to have their teeth surgically removed. You can recognize such dental problems by the fact that the cat not only has bad breath but also shows pain. It often happens that she doesn’t eat anything anymore.
If infections are detected in the mouth or throat, the vet will prescribe an antibiotic.
In the case of carcinomas, only surgical removal helps.
Is bad breath dangerous in cats?
Mouth odor is not dangerous as it is a symptom and not a disease in itself. The causes are rarely dangerous but can be uncomfortable and even painful for the cat.
Only carcinomas that turn out to be malignant or severe liver and kidney diseases are dangerous.
Prevent or relieve bad breath in cats
The best prevention of mouth odor with all its causes is a species-appropriate, healthy feed. This measure is probably the most important thing you can do for your house cat – in every respect.
If you can, encourage your cat to drink more. You may occasionally dilute her drinking water with a few drops of cat milk or gravy to make it taste better. A drinking fountain also encourages many cats to drink more water. If your kitty still drinks too little, you should think about switching from dry food to wet food.
As with dogs, there are also chew sticks for cats that are supposed to clean teeth and prevent tartar. The market for animal supplies offers toothpaste that contains enzymes and thus supports the breakdown of building materials in the mouth. Some cats are happy to accept them, others even have their teeth brushed. Under no circumstances should you use human toothpaste for this, it is absolutely unsuitable and, depending on the ingredients, can even be toxic.
If your house cat is only indoors, you should offer it cat grass. Outdoor cats regularly nibble on blades of grass to support their digestion. In addition, the chlorophyll in plants inhibits those enzymes that produce bad odors in the mouth and stomach by breaking down protein.
We wish you and your cat all the best!