If your cat's breath smells, it's important to stay vigilant for signs of ill health, such as weight loss, inability to eat or lack of appetite, going off food, and becoming withdrawn or listless. 

If you see any of these symptoms, your vet should check your feline friend promptly.

Why Does My Cat's Breath Smell So Bad?

Cats have very different diets from humans, and there's often a disparity in oral hygiene measures. Sometimes, bad breath in cats can be normal.

A fishy smell can be due to underlying problems but is often just due to diet. This is a more common occurrence when using wet cat food. Food particles being trapped between teeth is another common cause of bad breath in cats.

Don't forget that your cat's breath will smell of whatever they have been licking or eating recently. Given that cats lick their own bottoms, drink from muddy puddles and will eat all kinds of yucky things, it's unlikely that their breath will ever smell particularly nice. So, a cat with bad breath is not uncommon!

7 Medical Conditions That Cause Cat Bad Breath

Several health conditions can cause bad breath in cats, so your vet should check out any odour or other symptoms. Other causes include:

1. Dental disease in cats: there will often be other symptoms that you may notice, such as redness of the mouth and gums and or plaque and tartar accumulation on the teeth, which causes the teeth to have a dirty appearance. Sometimes, cats with dental issues take longer to eat and may drool or eat less food. You might notice that your cat is favouring one side of their mouth when they chew, dropping food from their mouth, or going to eat but then hesitating. Cats are good at hiding when they're in pain, so it's essential to notice little changes and let your vet know.
2. Kidney disease: the structures in the kidneys that usually filter waste from the blood become damaged and destroyed, and the waste material builds up in the bloodstream, leading to odour in the breath. This is common in cats over 9 years of age.
3. Liver disease: waste products build up in the body when the liver is not working properly, which causes smelly breath.
4. Diabetes: an accumulation of ketones caused by high sugar levels can result in a sweet smell to the breath. The scent can resemble pear drop sweets. This can be a serious condition, so you should contact your vet promptly if you notice this smell.
5. Foreign bodies in the mouth: you may also notice your cat pawing at its mouth, drooling or struggling to eat.
6. Mouth cancer: lumps in the mouth can cause the breath to smell, you might also see blood in the saliva, drooling and problems eating.
7. Digestive issues: you might also see vomiting, diarrhoea and altered feeding patterns.

How Will My Vet Test for My Cat's Bad Breath Cause?

Your vet will do a full examination to check your pet's health. It's likely that your vet will do further testing, such as blood testing or urine testing, even if your pet has dental problems.

The tests required will depend upon what your vet feels is the most likely cause. Sometimes, quite a lot of tests may be required to get to the bottom of the problem, and unfortunately, this can be expensive.

How to Treat Bad Breath in Cats

Depending on the cause, your pet may be cured of the bad breath, or in some cases, it will not be possible to get rid of your cat's bad breath.

Your pet may require ongoing monitoring or treatment. Your vet may advise medication, a dental procedure or measures to improve your cat's oral health and dental care.

In many cases, the extent of dental disease (tooth problems) in cats is not evident from examination alone. Your vet will need to anaesthetise your cat and probe along the gums (using a special tool) to check the tooth and gum health. Dental x-rays may be required to see what's happening with tooth roots.

Cats can have significant and painful tooth problems below the gum line, even though the tooth visible in the mouth looks OK, so a full dental workup is often required to treat bad breath in cats.

How to Get Rid of Cats' Bad Breath at Home

If your cat's bad breath is dietary related, your vet might advise you to move to dry food to reduce the symptoms. Your vet will likely suggest you start brushing your cat's teeth.

Brushing can remove the food particles, preventing the build-up of plaque and tartar that leads to gum disease and periodontal disease. Your vet will provide toothpaste, a finger brush and guidance on how to brush your cat's teeth. Never use a human toothpaste!

It's also important in cat dental care to avoid food with high sugar content. There are various dental diets available that are formulated to improve dental health and gum health. You should discuss your options with your vet. If your cat has a sore mouth and is struggling to groom, it's advisable to brush your cat daily to prevent knots and matts forming.

There are many causes of bad breath in cats, and it's an important indicator that your pet needs a check-up with your vet. Early intervention can help with oral health and underlying problems, helping your cat live a comfortable and happy life.

It's never too early to start an oral hygiene regime. Discussing teeth brushing with your vet is a good idea, even if your cat's breath has no odour at all. 

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Content provided from Vetstream's Vetlexicon Felis - www.vetlexicon.com/treat/felis

Vetlexicon is the world’s largest peer-reviewed online clinical reference source. All our content is written and peer-reviewed by over 1,000 of the world’s leading veterinarians, ensuring relevance, accuracy and quality.