Cat's breath odor:

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No matter how interesting the word halitosis sounds, it means nothing more than a disorder in a pet’s body, characterizing the smell of a cat’s breath . Ideally, no unpleasant odor should be heard from the mouth of a healthy animal: acetone or ammonia indicate a deviation from the norm.

The mouth of a meowing pet is home to many bacteria, both pathogenic and beneficial. The latter help maintain the normal condition of the oral cavity, inhibiting the growth of bad micro-residents, and a violation of this balance brings not only an unpleasant stench from the mouth, but also health problems.

Causes of bad breath in cats

If suddenly your pet opens its mouth, and from there comes the aroma of the Kraken’s mouth, then you urgently need to figure out why the cat has bad breath:

Age: most often this attack occurs in young animals aged 1-3 years. If a “charming” amber is heard from an elderly cat, the cause is probably a disruption in the functioning of the internal organs.
Changing baby teeth to permanent teeth: halitosis in kittens is quite rare, but it does happen during the period of teeth change.
Oral diseases: gingivitis, caries, pharyngitis, stomatitis, cysts and other diseases often smell bad.
Breed: Brachycephalic breeds (cats with a flattened face) also often cause their owners to suffer from bad breath.
Problems with internal organs: diseased kidneys, liver, gastrointestinal tract, upper respiratory tract - any organ can betray its illness in this way.
Inflammation: Any inflammation, from the lungs to an abscess in the oral cavity, can manifest itself as a stench.
Helminths: as a result of the activity of bacteria, a cat’s mouth develops a bad odor.

Based on the above reasons, it becomes clear that the pet needs to be examined by a veterinarian.

What reasons influence the problem?

Bad odors are observed in an ordinary cat and a sterilized one, and their root cause is not always a pathological condition. If there is a smell of urine coming from under your pet’s tail, this indicates the following factors:

Incorrect location for emptying the bladder. If a kitten or an adult has a tray that is not the right size, then it is emptied by and the urine remains on the floor, which, with a high probability, the animal will soon step into with its paws.
Insufficient tray hygiene. When such a cat item is rarely cleaned, soon the cats also stink.
Low quality toilet filler. It is worth keeping an eye on your cat when visiting the toilet, as some litters do not absorb urine well and it ends up on your pet’s paws. It is easy to get rid of the smell by replacing the litter in the tray with a better degree of absorption.
Poor placement of the tray. If the owners notice that the cat has urinated in the wrong place, then perhaps this is how he marked the territory or the location of the toilet is simply not suitable for him. The foul odor is caused by the animal stepping on its own urine.

Physiology is the basis of unpleasant odor

Often the problem is resolved after the animal is neutered.

A strong and pungent odor from a pet can be a result of sexual activity or an unbalanced diet. A neutered cat is less likely to smell as unpleasant as an unsterilized cat. During sexual activity, the pet produces urine that smells worse than during normal periods, while it actively marks the house. An unpleasant “aroma” permeates not only the marked areas, but also the animal itself. To solve this problem, they resort to castration or sterilization, after which the pet will stop stinking.

Veterinarians attribute problems in diet to the physiological reasons why kittens become smelly. The smell is caused by an increased concentration of uric acid, due to the large amount of fish in the diet. If even a small drop of urine gets on the fur, the cat stinks very much.

Pathological factors

An unpleasant odor that appears from a cat that has begun to smell like feces or rot deserves special attention from the owners. If a similar “aroma” appears, it may signal some health problems in the animal. When a bad smell appears in the fur area or the cat’s paw smells unpleasant, there are the following pathological reasons:

Sometimes an unpleasant odor from a pet is caused by a skin disease.

Dehydration of the body. The level of urea in urine depends on how much water the cat drinks. If there is not enough of it, then its concentration increases, which is why the urine stinks of ammonia. Pets with this diagnosis do not live long if they do not receive veterinary care in a timely manner.
Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract or dental type. In this case, the cat smells of fish or other unpleasant odors in the mouth area.
Diseases of the urinary system. Stones in the system, inflammatory processes and other pathologies can cause your pet to smell bad. A sterilized cat or neutered cat especially often faces this problem, since after sterilization the risks of stagnant processes increase.
Hypothyroidism or symptoms of diabetes. After pets with similar diagnoses excrete urine, it has a pungent odor.
Oncological diseases of different localization.
Signs of otitis. If a cat smells in the ear area, this indicates an inflammatory process in the ears caused by bacteria.
Dermatological diseases. Often for this reason, an old cat stinks, whose metabolic processes are disrupted and skin diseases are often recorded.

Diagnosis of bad odor from a cat's mouth

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//data-ad-slot=”2475549904″ $ads_google = empty($ads_google) ? false : true; ?> if ($ads_google == false) {?> $ads_google = true; ?> } ?> By the specific smell coming from the pet’s mouth, you can determine the organ that is malfunctioning:

Smells of acetone: If your cat smells of acetone from its mouth, and this is accompanied by copious amounts of water, the most likely cause is diabetes. Carbohydrates are not digested, and due to the breakdown of fats, ketone bodies that smell like acetone are formed;
rotten smell of rot: it makes sense to worm the cat. The cause may also be a disease of the digestive system. The stomach may fail because it cannot cope with the cat’s diet;
ammonia: problems with the kidneys or other organs of the genitourinary system.
fishy smell: the probable cause is poor oral hygiene and dental disease.

Whatever the cat’s breath stinks , a veterinarian can identify the true cause and prescribe treatment not for the symptom, but for the disease itself.

Possible complications

If any disease is neglected, it can lead to serious consequences. This is especially true for such complex systemic diseases as endocrine and hormonal disorders (diabetes, thyrotoxicosis, and so on), diseases of the digestive system, liver and kidneys. A number of diseases threaten the cat with death.

But even damage to the gums and teeth can cause irreversible consequences. The cat may lose teeth, which will cause disturbances in its nutrition and lead to complications with the digestive system in the future.

Reviews from veterinarians about halitosis

Veterinarians often encounter an unpleasant odor from the mouths of cats. The reason for this is often an incorrectly formulated pet diet, which leads to diseases of the stomach, liver, kidneys, and poor oral care of animals.

The owner will definitely be consulted on the proper nutrition of the cat. If the cause of the stench turns out to be poor hygiene, the specialist will recommend brushing the cat’s teeth regularly.

Treating cat bad breath

You should not listen carefully to the words of your cat-loving neighbor, who cured his purring dog’s mouth stench in some way. The causes of the problem can be completely different, so the first thing you should do is visit a veterinarian: after the appointment, it will be clear on what principle to treat the disease.

If the trouble was caused by an incorrect menu, then the first thing you need to do is balance your diet. The doctor will prescribe medications that will help eliminate the cause.

Problems with metabolism will be revealed by a blood, urine and stool test, as well as a swab of the oral mucosa. An additional symptom will be diarrhea in the cat or rare bowel movements. The diet will require the exclusion of economy-class feed and food from the host’s table.

If diabetes is suspected, it will require lifelong therapy and veterinary supervision.

If problems with internal organs or chronic diseases are indicated, an ultrasound scan or x-ray is taken.

Sometimes it is difficult to independently assess the condition of the oral cavity, so the cat is shown to a specialist: if periodontitis, tumors, caries, or excessively grown tartar are detected, qualified treatment methods will be taken.

When to contact a veterinarian

Almost all inexperienced owners make common mistakes that affect the health of their pet. The good news is that the pet’s body quickly responds to correcting errors and returns to normal. Unfortunately, some mistakes can lead to irreparable consequences.

You can monitor your pet for some time, change its diet, living conditions and care methods. However, it is important to remember when to contact your veterinarian:

Once every six months - a preventive visit to the veterinary clinic.
A sharp deterioration in the quality of the coat and the cat’s reluctance to take care of itself is a sign of severe apathy.
Increased or decreased body temperature is a sign of excitation of the immune system in the first case, and anemia in the second.
Obvious pain syndrome - the cat is hiding, may show aggression or look too depressed.
Refusal of food for more than a day or categorical refusal of water.
Unsuccessful attempts to go to the toilet.
The slightest signs of intoxication.

It is important to remember that Cats live in conditions that are unnatural for them. There are household chemicals and cosmetics stored in your home that can be toxic to your pet. All substances that may affect the cat's health should be kept out of reach. When poisoned, the cat experiences intoxication, and an unusual odor from the skin, saliva or other secretions is one of the symptoms.

How to remove odor from a cat's mouth

In the case where the cause of a cat’s bad breath is a disease of the cat’s mucous membrane or tartar, then you can cope on your own: brushes and gels can and should be purchased at the veterinary pharmacy that can and should be used to clean the cat’s teeth. It is better to accustom your pet to cleaning from childhood, but if the moment is missed, you will still have to start.

If the examination reveals wounds, then they must be regularly treated with miramistin or hydrogen peroxide 3%: after such simple steps, there is a chance that the cat will have much less bad breath if the cause is wounds or diseases of the oral cavity.

Remedies for cat bad breath

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//data-ad-slot=”2475549904″ $ads_google = empty($ads_google) ? false : true; ?> if ($ads_google == false) {?> $ads_google = true; ?> } ?> There are several remedies that can help if your cat’s breath stinks.

Fresh Breath Tablets - Beafar company offers products containing chlorophyll. The medicine acts as a disinfectant on the mucous membranes of the mouth and is easily combined with food. The pet is given 2 tablets per day, one in the morning feeding, the second in the evening. The pack contains 40 tablets, the price of the medicine is about 500-800 rubles.

Another product with a lot of positive reviews is called Api-San spray or gel “Zubastic”. The medicine costs about 200-250 rubles. Instructions for use: apply the product only from the factory bottle 2-3 times a day for one or two weeks. Since the animal will experience profuse salivation in the first half hour, food is offered no earlier than 30 minutes after treatment.

Mouth Odor Control Spray is suitable for use on cats. The medication acts by destroying tartar, whitening teeth and strengthening gums. The stench that appears due to lack of oral hygiene is eliminated without harm to the animal’s health. You can spend about 200-250 rubles on the drug Cliny.

Gel Dentavedin is an anti-inflammatory and disinfectant for the care of the oral cavity in cats. By combating gram negative/positive bacteria, yeast and dermaphytes. The gel is rubbed into the gums and teeth. Feed the pussy only half an hour after the procedure. The cost of the drug is on average 70 rubles.

Timely care of the animal’s health will prevent the appearance of a bad odor from the pet’s mouth.

What can you do at home?

If your cat has bad breath, it is important to understand that treating the animal at home is dangerous. However, the owner needs to examine the pet and try to help him, if possible.

To remove the stench, the root cause must be eliminated:

If there are ulcers and redness, treat the oral cavity with a solution of Miramistin or a product containing chlorhexidine.
If plaque is detected, your teeth will need to be cleaned. This can be done with a brush and paste or by wrapping a piece of gauze around your finger. However, if the animal is not accustomed to hygiene from childhood, most likely difficulties cannot be avoided. As an alternative to toothpaste, you can consider special toys. Severe dental plaque can only be removed by a veterinarian.
If a foreign object is found during inspection, you can try to pull it out.