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Many cat people are often interested in why cats have bad breath, what causes it and how to treat it.

At any cat’s age, certain disorders occur in the body, which lead to a not very pleasant odor coming from the cat’s mouth.

Let's understand together the causes and methods of treating unpleasant odor.

Cats have problems with the normal functioning of any organs or harmful microorganisms, bacteria, and viruses enter their mouths.

Halitosis or bad breath in a cat indicates an imbalance and can be completely different: mixed with ammonia, acetone or putrefactive.

Depending on what smell comes from the pet’s mouth, the owner can independently determine the violation that has arisen.

Thus, an ammonia smell indicates problems in the kidneys, and an ichorous smell with rot indicates abnormalities in the functioning of the digestive organs.

The presence of acetone or a fruity, slightly sweet odor indicates the manifestation of diabetes mellitus.

Bad breath must be treated by seeking advice from specialists.

What to do if your cat has bad breath

If a cat has bad breath, the veterinarian will conduct research to determine the causes leading to this phenomenon.

First, a visual inspection of the cavity is done with the assistance of a sedative or general anesthesia.

Then a urine, blood, and stool test is taken. A smear from the mucous membranes of the oral cavity is taken. An ultrasound or x-ray may be needed for a more accurate diagnosis.

After the results are obtained, appropriate treatment is prescribed.

In case of diseases of the intestines or stomach, it is recommended to reconsider the feeding process, replace cheap dry food and low-quality products with natural ones of high quality. Nutrition should be balanced, filled with vitamin complex.

Additional medications are also selected individually for each case.

The foul “aroma” caused by kidney or liver disease is treated with special medications aimed at restoring the active functioning of these organs.

Since halitosis is most often caused by any dental disorders, stones and plaque should be removed, caries, gum inflammation, etc. should be cured.

It is important to monitor the hygienic condition of the cavity, to accustom the kitten to regular treatment of ulcers and wounds on the inner mucous surface of the cheeks and tongue with various antiseptic agents.

After completing the treatment procedures, the not entirely pleasant smell will disappear without a trace.

Diabetic manifestations of odors from the mouth are treated with diet and medications that stabilize the sugar level in the body of the sick animal.

Effective treatment will help your cat cope with any ailment that causes stench and bad breath.

Preventive safety measures

You can prevent mouth odors by following certain measures. It is necessary to constantly visit a qualified veterinarian, conducting a timely examination of your beloved cat.

Brush your teeth daily using special pastes and gels to avoid gastrointestinal disorders. If a white coating or small wound appears in the mouth, treat with an antiseptic to prevent the further spread of infectious bacteria.

In your cat's diet, use only fresh vegetables, cereals, and dairy products. If you take dry food, then it is high-quality with bioadditives, rich in important microelements.

Regular treatment for helminths will help protect your cat from many problems, including bad breath.

Carefully monitor the general condition of the cat and its health. Remember! It is better to prevent a disease than to treat it!

By following simple rules for caring for your pet, providing it with good nutrition, caring for its oral cavity, hair, paying attention to it, walking in the fresh air, your animal will never know what it means to be sick and you will never ask the question: “Why does a cat have does your breath stink?

Since a cat is a domestic animal, and also such a cute one, it is natural that its contact with the owner involves communication at a very close distance. Pets sleep on your lap while watching TV, sit comfortably on your keyboard when you work at the computer, and lay around your head right on the pillow when you go to bed. The disgusting smell from your pet's mouth - halitosis - is immediately noticeable and causes not very pleasant emotions. What is its cause and is it possible to fight it?

Where does the bad smell come from?

There are three reasons:

dental problems such as tartar, pulpitis, caries and others;
problems in the oral cavity, such as diseases (stomatitis, pharyngitis) or neoplasms of various nature, as well as mechanical damage;
various lesions of internal organs (digestive, respiratory or urinary systems).

All of these diseases upset the balance of healthy microflora in the animal’s mouth. The number of pathogenic microorganisms increases significantly, and the body can no longer cope with their complete suppression.

All reasons can be divided into three parts and according to age:

In young animals up to one year Halitosis occurs quite rarely. Very young kittens are not at risk of this disorder at all, since it is not transmitted from the mother during the prenatal period. It is also impossible to become infected by feeding on mother's milk.
Usually, an unpleasant odor from a pet’s mouth appears during the period when baby teeth are replaced by permanent teeth, if disturbances occur in this process. Due to teeth not falling out in time, the bite is disrupted, and unwanted free spaces appear in the mouth, which are filled with food debris.

In addition, kids are distinguished by their insatiable curiosity and strive to taste everything. Sometimes this leads to unpleasant consequences in the form of various injuries to the mucous membrane. In damaged areas, pathogenic bacteria begin to intensively develop, the excess of which explains the presence of a repulsive odor.
In adult cats (up to 10 years) There are many more causes for halitosis.
One of the most common is the appearance of tartar. If in the wild animals regularly clean the surface of their teeth by chewing solid food, then pets are often deprived of this opportunity due to the lack of forethought of their owners. When plaque that appears on teeth hardens over time and not only covers the top of the tooth, but also gets under the gum, pathogenic bacteria begin to multiply in the soft tissues, causing irritation, bleeding and an unpleasant odor. Tartar in some breeds with a flattened muzzle occurs due to a natural predisposition.

A poor diet that excludes solid food, abnormal teeth structure, and impaired metabolism increase the likelihood of an unpleasant odor coming from the pet’s mouth, since the source of pathogenic microflora in the mouth eventually leads to diseases such as stomatitis, gingivitis, periodontal disease, and many others. .

Another reason for the disgusting smell from the mouth can be a viral infection of soft tissues, leading to the appearance of ulcers, the formation of cysts and the destruction of tooth enamel.

Video recipe for the occasion:

In addition, a strong odor appears when there is mechanical damage to the gums and mucous membrane.
In cats over 10 years of age In addition to the problems of the oral cavity, various ailments of the internal organs are added, which are also often accompanied by halitosis. These could be problems with the digestive system, kidneys or liver.

The nature of the smell will help to more accurately determine which system of the pet’s body is out of order.

Putrid stench, the smell of rotten meat indicates disturbances in the functioning of the digestive system. Damages to the stomach and intestines are often caused by the use of cheap feed.

Ichorous "aroma" appears when an animal is bothered by worms. This means that the owner neglects his responsibilities and does not regularly deworm the animal.

Ammonia smell- a sure sign of a disease of the urinary system. It is especially pronounced in renal failure, when metabolic products are not excreted from the body in full, gradually poisoning it and additionally leading to the formation of ulcerative lesions of the mucous membranes.

Smell of acetone- this is always a symptom of diabetes, especially if constant thirst is added to it. When sugar metabolism is disrupted, the body has difficulty digesting carbohydrates, which leads to the production of ketone compounds that have a characteristic odor.

Sickly sweet smell speaks of problems associated with liver function.

Prevention of halitosis

Everyone knows that it is always easier to prevent any illness than to treat it later. To prevent halitosis, as well as the diseases that cause it, it is enough to regularly follow some simple instructions:

Regularly undergo preventive examinations at a veterinary clinic to be sure that your cat does not have serious problems in the functioning of the internal organs and oral cavity.
Inspect, clean and specially treat your pet’s teeth and gums on a weekly basis to prevent the formation of tartar and other diseases, as well as to notice possible damage in a timely manner.
Always eat a balanced diet, avoiding cheap and low-quality food.

What to do if halitosis has already appeared

If you notice an unpleasant odor coming from your pet's mouth, first inspect it carefully to see if there are any damage, ulcers, or signs of a more serious disease. Clean your teeth and gums using special preparations (pastes or gels).

Happy cat owners may encounter the problem of stink from their pet's mouth. An unpleasant odor will indicate problems in the animal's health. The oral cavity of felines is structured slightly differently than that of humans. It is for this reason that owners should know that the smell from the mouth may not always be pleasant, but if it causes a feeling of disgust, then it is time to take active action. In fact, brushing your teeth and changing your diet are not the methods that can solve this problem.

Normal cat breath odor is neutral scent, aggravated exclusively after eating. Otherwise, this means that the pet needs to be taken to a veterinarian for examination. We propose to dwell on this issue in more detail and first of all find out the causes of this pathology.

Causes

In veterinary medicine, bad breath is commonly called halitosis. In cats, this symptom indicates that the animal’s body has not only infectious problems of the mouth, but also diseases of other organs of the internal system.

The main causes of halitosis include:

It is important to note that many cat breeds are prone to bad breath, and therefore sometimes owners worry for no reason.

It is necessary to distinguish the smell from the pet’s mouth, only in this way can one determine where the malfunction occurred in the animal’s body. If you observe from the cat's mouth:

Ammonia smell– kidney problems.
Ichoric stench with rot– disruption of the gastrointestinal tract.
Fruity-sweet smell or acetone - diabetes.

But remember that under no circumstances should you self-medicate your pet; be sure to seek advice from highly qualified specialists.

What could it be?

Veterinarians suggest two main reasons for the occurrence of this pathology:

Oral diseases. For example, a sore gum or tooth can provoke an unpleasant stench from the mouth. The owner can independently determine this problem; to do this, it is worth observing how the cat behaves. If he eats food, he has become slower than before, chews food only on one side, bowing his head, then this indicates problems with the oral cavity. Sometimes cats can scratch their paws at their mouths, which is often how stomatitis manifests itself. Plus, eating soft food is accompanied by an accumulation of it between the teeth, which ultimately provokes an inflammatory process in the gums and contributes to the formation of tartar.
Pathologies of the pet's internal organs. In this case, it is impossible to determine the cause of the stench without the participation of a veterinarian.

What to do and how to treat?

The veterinarian must conduct a complete examination of the cat's body, in order to establish the true cause of bad breath. Initially, a visual examination of the oral cavity should be performed. To do this, a sedative is administered under general anesthesia. Afterwards, the veterinarian takes urine, feces and blood tests. You also need a swab of the oral cavity from the mucous membranes. It may be worth conducting an ultrasound or x-ray in order to establish an accurate diagnosis. After the results are obtained, the veterinarian will prescribe an exact treatment course.

In cases of intestinal or stomach disease, you need to reconsider the feeding process, change dry food and remove bad, low-quality foods from the diet. Nutrition should first of all be balanced and filled with a complex of vitamins. Plus, the veterinarian will select additional medications in each individual case.

The cat's owner needs carefully monitor your pet's oral hygiene, you need to accustom your kitten to brushing its teeth from an early age. If ulcers or wounds form on the mucous surface of the cheeks or in the area of the tongue, then they need to be treated with an antiseptic. If the course of treatment is prescribed correctly, then there will be no trace of the unpleasant odor.

Only thanks to regular consultations with a specialist, the cat will not encounter problems with unpleasant stench from the mouth. An important factor is the implementation of preventive measures:

The cat needs to be trained brush your teeth, treat wounds in his mouth that arise in the oral cavity. It is best to brush your teeth daily. Special veterinary pharmacies offer a wide variety of toothpastes that will be beneficial for the cat’s body.
Veterinary pharmacies offer special toys, helping to eliminate unpleasant odor from the mouths of cats. By gnawing on a favorite toy, your pet will not only enjoy the game, but also cleanse the teeth from small food stuck between the teeth, and also cleanse the gums from plaque.
You can clean tartar at home. Again, gels and brushes are sold at veterinary pharmacies. If you are unable to clean it yourself, it is recommended to seek help from a specialist.

And lastly, you should definitely monitor your cat’s diet; only a balanced and fortified diet will help the animal avoid problems with bad breath.

Question: Elena

Hello, I probably have a very simple question. I love my kitty, but lately my communication with her has become clouded by one trouble - her face smells very unpleasant. Why does my cat's breath smell rotten? I have never noticed such a strong smell before.

Answer:

good day, Elena! Your question is simple only at first glance. In fact, the reason why a cat's breath smells like rotten meat is the release of hydrogen sulfide gas. The usual smell that owners smell when their nose is close to the cat's face is not so intense and pungent.

Of course, it is very specific, but it is not as unpleasant as the smell of rotten eggs, although some say that a cat’s breath smells like rotten fish.

Why does a cat's breath smell like rotten meat: reasons

The reasons why a cat’s mouth smells like rotten meat is most likely hidden in the activity of the gastrointestinal tract. Since the basis of a cat’s diet is animal proteins, it is their prolonged and improper breakdown that can cause excessive release of hydrogen sulfide.

Why does this happen? With proper functioning of the stomach, food is first exposed to gastric juice, especially the hydrochloric acid contained in it and pepsin, which acts on proteins, and then, as the softened food mass moves through the digestive tract, other digestive enzymes come into play, breaking down proteins into those available for absorption amino acids.

When proteins are broken down, hydrogen sulfide is always released in small quantities, since many amino acids contain sulfur. If a cat's breath smells rotten, this means that an excessive amount of hydrogen sulfide has been formed, it has accumulated in the stomach and comes out with belching.

This most often happens when overeating, when protein food simply does not have time to be completely digested and constantly fills the stomach. In this case, the solution will be quite simple - just reduce the portions of the animal and feed it strictly at a certain time.

Feed imbalance

However, there are other reasons that explain why cats’ breath smells like rotten meat. For example, an unbalanced diet or poor digestibility. When choosing a diet for your cat, you need to take into account its individual characteristics and ensure that the food is well digestible and suitable for the animal.

Sometimes a cat’s breath may smell like rotten meat if there are functional disorders of the digestive tract, for example, with a decrease in stomach acidity, inflammatory processes in the digestive organs, or the proliferation of pathogenic microflora in the intestines.

If bad breath is accompanied by changes in stool, bloating and loss of appetite, it is better to consult a veterinarian who can determine the exact reason why your cat’s mouth smells like rotten meat.