Symptoms, Causes & Natural Remedies

Is your cat’s breath extra? Like extra strong, run-away stinky? You’ve come to the right place. A cat’s breath should have minimal smell, so if it raises your eyebrows, we need to get to the root of the health problem and address it quickly.

Symptoms of Bad Breath in Cats

• Fishy smell
• Fruity smell
• Yeasty smell
• Musty smell
• Just bad smell

Common causes of Bad Breath in Cats

• Poor quality diet
• Periodontal disease
• Tooth resorption
• Halitosis
• Oral cancer
• Kidney disease
• Liver disease
• Diabetes (typically a more fruity smell)
• GI infection
• Respiratory infection

Natural Treatments for Bad Breath in Cats

If your cat has bad breath, it’s best to first take them into your vet and get a checkup and blood panel to find the root issue. Because more than 70% of cats will have dental disease by age 3 (as of this posting), we want to ask our vet to check their teeth first.

If the underlying issue is related to a disease of another organ, please search our symptom checker for a guide on how to help those health issues. Once you get to the root of the problem, your cat’s breath should get better.

To help prevent bad breath in cats:

• Add supplements to your cat’s food or water that can help fight dental disease. We use Oxy-Cat for this.
• Feeding your cats raw meaty bones helps to keep their teeth sharp, strong and healthier. Chicken necks or whole quail are a favorite in our home.
• Brushing your cats’ teeth with a feline toothpaste is a great way to keep the teeth cleaned and the breath smelling good. Click here for the best toothbrush for cats that we’ve ever used.

Pro tip: Put Oxy-Cat on the toothbrush when you brush your cat’s teeth and it will help fight infection and inflammation of the gums!