What Do You Do When Your Cat’s Breath Stinks?

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Have you ever been cuddling on the couch with your favorite little fur monster and realized that something smells a little fishy, and not in a good way? That’s right, sometimes our cats get nasty breath, and while sometimes that is just the way of the life as an animal, bad breath can also be related to health issues as well. We are here to enlighten you on what specifically could be making your cat’s breath so putrid, and what you can do to help get rid of the stink. Let’s get started.

1. What Could Be Wrong With My Cat

As we said before, the reasoning behind your cat’s stinky breath could be a multitude of things, and they could also range from mild conditions to something more severe. One of the most common reasons that cats have bad breath is simple halitosis. Basic halitosis forms from simple behaviors that happen in every day life, and is no cause for worry whatsoever. It could be caused by the type of food that you are feeding them.

If you start to notice other symptoms that are occurring along with the bad breath, it may be a sign that it is time for a checkup. Periodontal disease is something that is quite prevalent in cats, and is caused when there is significant inflammation that surrounds the teeth, mostly in the gums. Depending on how severe the periodontal disease and gingivitis has gotten in your cat, many different treatments may help to relieve them of their pain in their mouth. However, it is always good to try to keep your cats mouth and teeth clean as often as you can, by brushing their teeth, and giving them toys to play with that help with strengthening teeth. Periodontal disease isn’t the only worry that could be causing your cat’s stinky breath, however. Your cat also has the potential of having abscesses or other ulcers in their mouth that could be causing the foul odor. These tumors are also something that is quite often found in cats, and depending on their size and condition, they can be taken out and treated as well.

The worst case scenario that could be causing the stinky breath is some type of systemic illness in their body. This can include conditions such as kidney disease, and other severe illnesses, that can be dangerous for your cat’s health. Other symptoms that your cat could be experiencing in this type of scenario could include a loss of appetite, weight loss, vomiting, et cetera. However, this type of stinky breath would be a lot worse than just your typical fish breath; It would revolve more around the smell of something that is rotten or rotting, rather.

2. What Should You Do?

In any of the cases, whether you believe that your cat has some type of illness, or if you think they may have just gotten into something stinky while you were out for the day, it is always a good idea to err on the side of caution. The best thing that you can do is schedule your friendly feline for a checkup, as your veterinarian will be able to find the source of the problem, and give you the best treatment regimen for your lifestyle and for you cat as well. Depending on the severity of whatever condition is found, treatments may be more extensive, including surgery to remove any tumors or ulcers that are getting in the way. It may also require that you make some changes to your cat’s lifestyle as well, including a diet change and other environmental/surrounding changes as well.

Although, the majority of the time, your cat just found something they shouldn’t have had in their mouth that is causing the funk, it is always important to make sure that your cat is in excellent shape health wise. Even if the vet may seem like an extra errand to add to your week, it could make all the difference in your cat’s health and well being. You can always try to find other remedies to help your cat’s breath at home as well if you feel that it is not as much of an issue, but again, it is always great to get that opinion from a veterinarian who knows what the problem may be. So, if you smell something fishy coming out of your cat’s mouth the next time you go in for a hug, you may want to double check that mouth. You never know what you are going to find.