Do you have a cat with bad breath? There are a few different reasons why cats get bad breath, but I recently learned something new about this subject. Keep reading to find the reasons behind the foul feline breath.
Reasons Cats Have Bad Breath
- The most common reason that cats get bad breath is dental issues. Periodontal disease, tooth resorption and other mouth infections can result in foul smelling breath. Infections in the mouth that go untreated can leak to other organs in the body and become a much bigger problem. If you have a cat with bad breath the first thing you want to do is schedule a dental checkup at the vet. Because cats are stoic and mask pain, we also recommend doing a yearly dental checkup so that we can catch these issues before they get bad.
- Other illnesses can also cause bad breath in cats. Kidney or liver disease, diabetes, respiratory illness or even cancer can create smelly breath. We recommend having your cat’s bloodwork checked once yearly if under the age of 10 and twice yearly for seniors.
- Now this is the new info that I recently learned on causes of bad breath in cats that I’d never thought of. We were interviewing someone on social media that’s certified in pet emergency care and we were discussing how to help a cat that’s choking. She told us that sometimes cat will have bad breath if they’ve got a piece of food stuck in their esophagus. Isn’t that crazy? But I guess it’s common, since the majority of cats are fed kibble. Since starches are hard for feline’s to process, I can see how food can get stuck. Heck, that’s one of the main reasons cats get hairballs too. Just another good reason to feed a moisture rich diet!
So if your cat has bad breath and their teeth and overall health is fine… get an x-ray to be sure nothings stuck in there!
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