Cat Bad Breath - No Laughing Matter
It's a fairly common situation. One day, you're petting your cat. She stretches out, yawns, and suddenly you notice that she has terrible breath. Halitosis in cats, or cat bad breath as it is more commonly known, is not rare. Most often caused by poor oral hygiene, halitosis can actually indicate a serious underlying issue that should be carefully evaluated by a veterinary professional.
Possible Cause #1 - Kidney Disease
As kidney disease moves forward in a cat, the membranes surrounding its mouth can actually become infested with ulcers. This can lead to bacteria infestation, which may produce terrible breath in your cat. While there are no cures for kidney disease in cats, there are many possible treatments that can help you and your feline friend deal with the complicating side effects, including the bad breath.
Possible Cause #2 - Periodontal Problems
While this is actually caused by poor oral hygiene habits, if you've reached this stage, you have more serious difficulties on your hands than a simple cat toothbrush will take care of. From gingivitis to infected and abscessed teeth, if you allow your cat to continue with serious periodontal problems, it could affect the cat's health as a whole. A vet needs to look at your cat's mouth and treat any problems immediately to ensure your pet can properly eat and digest its food.
Possible Cause #3 - Diabetes
If your cat is unable to properly process the sugar it takes in, infection can set in, which is part of what leads to the terrible breath. Because this condition can be fatal in cats, it is essential that you have your pet professionally evaluated so you can learn to treat the disease at home.
Fortunately, for most, the cause of cat bad breath isn't that serious. Here are a few things you can do at home to keep kitty's breath as fresh as possible.
- Begin dental care early in your kitty's life. The earlier you can get your pet used to a toothbrush or simply a piece of gauze wrapped around your finger, the more likely they are to accept it as a life long need. You can begin dental care as early as three months old.
- If you do plan to use a toothbrush or toothpaste on your cat's mouth, be sure to buy something that has been specially formulated for felines. Using human products, dog products, or even something as simply as baking soda can seriously harm your pet.
- Talk to your vet. In some cases, cleaning your cat's teeth isn't going to be an option, and a vet can recommend a food that works to control oral health problems or even a solution to add to the water dish that may help with the bacterial growth that is causing bad breath in the first place.
In most cases, bad breath in cats is no laughing matter. Make an appointment with your vet to have the problem evaluated immediately so you and your kitty can get back on speaking terms.
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