How to Deal with Bad Breath in Cats

Bad breath in cats is mostly caused by excessive plaque and tartar in the mouth, food attached to the surface of the teeth, and some are caused by indigestion. We need to brush our cat's teeth, and if dental calculus has formed, we should take the cat to the pet hospital for dental cleaning. If this still cannot effectively solve the problem of bad breath in cats, it may be due to some oral diseases such as dental abscess, periodontitis, exposed roots, retained deciduous teeth, and indigestion. It is recommended to take the cat to the pet hospital for diagnosis.

Causes of Oral Inflammation in Cats

1. Vitamin deficiency: Can directly cause oral diseases, especially vitamin B.
2. Diseases: Complications caused by viral upper respiratory tract infections, cup virus, leukemia, AIDS, etc.
3. Chronic renal dysfunction: Such as diabetes and kidney disease, the severity of which is exacerbated by oral dryness caused by dehydration.
4. Systemic diseases: Complications such as uremia, hypothyroidism, and parathyroid hypofunction can cause oral mucosal ulcers and periodontal disease.
5. Chronic gastritis and gastric ulcers can also cause oral diseases.
6. Cats accidentally ingest sharp objects such as fish bones, chicken bones, needles, cacti, etc., which can injure the oral cavity and cause inflammation or ulcers.

Symptoms of Feline Oral Inflammation

Oral inflammation is an inflammation of the deep or superficial tissues of the oral mucosa, mainly caused by physical and chemical stimuli and complications of some diseases. Clinically, ulcerative stomatitis is more common, mainly manifesting as red, swollen, and bleeding gums and tongue mucosa, drooling. Cats usually have reduced or even absent appetite, and their exhaled breath has a bad smell.

How to Deal with Bad Breath in Cats

1. Brush teeth: Check your cat's oral cavity. If the cat has no oral diseases, buy a special cat toothbrush and brush its teeth.
2. Clean teeth: If the cat cannot brush its teeth normally due to oral diseases, wrap a piece of gauze around your finger and wipe the cat's teeth and gums with clean water.
3. Watch diet: Do not feed the cat meat. If necessary, feed probiotics to regulate the cat's digestion.