Bad breath and other issues

I am taking my cat to the vet tomorrow, but I wanted to post here and get some feedback. I'm starting to freak out a little.

Bella, the black cat I rescued in November, is having some issues.

She has ROTTEN breath. I don't think it's her mouth that's causing the issue. Teeth and gums look healthy and she's eating with no problems. I'm worried it's something else.

I've read that bad breath can be a symptom of things like kidney disease, diabetes, or even feline leukemia. My vet once told me black animals are more prone to cancer.

The other thing that concerns me: She also does not tolerate us petting her on her back or back end. She growls when you go below her neck. She doesn't appear to have an injury - she jumps and runs normally.

Sometimes she will be walking through the house and no one is near her, but she makes a weird-sounding growling noise.

Like I said, I'm taking her in tomorrow, but if anyone has experienced this type of thing, I'd like to hear your thoughts please.

Thanks.

AGE???

If 7 or older get a senior blood panel.. likely a dental will need to be done

What about the other issues? Could they be related?

My husband just thinks she's "mean", but I think she's grumpy for a good reason and I'm going to get to the bottom of it.

yes arthiritis in a older cat ( hence the asking HOW OLD) can cause grupiness ... as can senior issues like kidney

Originally Posted by snuggy's mom

I am taking my cat to the vet tomorrow, but I wanted to post here and get some feedback. I'm starting to freak out a little.

Bella, the black cat I rescued in November, is having some issues.

She has ROTTEN breath. I don't think it's her mouth that's causing the issue. Teeth and gums look healthy and she's eating with no problems. I'm worried it's something else.

I've read that bad breath can be a symptom of things like kidney disease, diabetes, or even feline leukemia. My vet once told me black animals are more prone to cancer.

The other thing that concerns me: She also does not tolerate us petting her on her back or back end. She growls when you go below her neck. She doesn't appear to have an injury - she jumps and runs normally.

Sometimes she will be walking through the house and no one is near her, but she makes a weird-sounding growling noise.

Like I said, I'm taking her in tomorrow, but if anyone has experienced this type of thing, I'd like to hear your thoughts please.

Thanks.

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The only way you will know for sure is by going to the vets so try not to worry. Could just be that it`s her teeth.

Do you know what her history is? It could be she`s been abused and not happy about being touched or that just may be what her nature is.

A vet will be able to rule out physical causes and then you`ll have a better idea of what you`re dealing with.

Good luck tomorrow and let us know what they say

Thanks for the replies.

I do not know her age or history. I adopted her from a kill shelter. She was picked up as a stray. They estimated her age to be about five.

Our appointment is at 4:30 (Central) today. I will update afterward.

It could be that she has plaque build up on her teeth. So they may look healthy, but they really might not be.

I.e. Luna's teeth and gums are good looking, however I may need to get her in for a good teeth cleaning in the next year or start buying her kitty mints.

Any news yet??? Ill be waiting to see what the vet says! Good to you and your kitty!

I'm so glad I took her in to see the vet!

Here's the run-down:

- Teeth and gums are bad. She may need a couple of teeth pulled, but he won't know until he gets in there. I scheduled the procedure for the 18th.

- BAD ear infection (yeast) - prescribed Tresaderm drops twice daily

- She may need a spay.

The shelter told me she was spayed. My vet tried to find a scar and said he felt something, but couldn't be absolutely sure. She has been acting like a cat in heat (treading, rolling, yowling, trying to get out all the time). Doc said even if she had been spayed previously, she may still have part of an ovary or something left in there that's making her act this way. He said if I brought her in when she's acting like that, he could do a vaginal smear and determine from that if she is actually "in heat".

I'm on the fence about this one. If the test is positive, should I let him go in there and "explore"? Could leaving her in this state have an effect on her health? If there is still something in there, could she be susceptible to cancer? If that's the case, I'd do it in a heart beat, but if it's only to curb her behavior, I'm not sure it's worth the risk.

If she still has an ovary left, get it taken out.

One vet I had a long time ago put it to me this way: it sucks being a female animal. They have a higher risk of ovarian cysts that human do.

He estimated her to be between six and seven years old. Would her age make surgery risky?

She's not an elderly cat, and if she doesn't have any problems with her organs there shouldn't be any additional risk with anaesthesia or surgery. Painful ovarian cysts are common in female cats where they haven't been removed, so I would think the best course of action would be to have the swab done for the vet to check, and then have the removal of any ovarian tissue (or spay if she hasn't been done at all) scheduled at the same time as her dental work - she's going to need anaesthesia for that anyway, so best to try and have everything done in one go.

Do your vets do ultrasounds? If so, it might be worth asking for one when she has her dental to see if she is spayed. If there is something left, please do get it operated on, as she will be susceptible to cancer, and it will help her mental health by not having all these hormones raging and unable to do anything about them.

Thanks.
The vet suggested we do the spay and dental at the same time so she wouldn't have to go under anesthesia twice. I really didn't want to put her through so much in one go, but I guess Doc knows best. Both procedures will be done on the 18th. My poor Bella girl is going to be in so much pain. I can't stand the thought of it, but I know it's what's best for her.

She has been such a sweetheart with the ear medicine. I think she knows I am helping her. Even though it burns, she never gets angry with me. She was glued to me all weekend, being very affectionate.

My Odo is in his teens, and he's had three dental surgeries with two rounds of extractions. Each time he came home a little groggy, but otherwise normal. The grogginess was the result of the anesthesia wearing off. Odo's about 13-15 years old. As long as she is otherwise healthy, the anesthesia risk is low. The bad teeth could be contributing to her grumpiness as they can be very painful--they can also allow bacteria into the blood stream and cause additional illnesses and organ failure. Having both procedures done at the same time minimizes the cost to you and the small risk of anesthesia a second time. Make sure you opt for pain meds--with extractions, they will be helpful. I strongly prefer Buprenex over Metacam.

You might be surprised actually, I have had oldies have dentals and not found too many issues, one had a fatty lump removed at the same time (he was 13 then) and the only issue we had was keeping him in for 10 days while he had stitches!! PEbbles had a leg amputated at the age of 11, which is a much major op, and was demanding to go out the day her cage rest finished (in fact, she got out of her cage the day she got home, she just hopped over me!!), so they dont always seem affected like we do.

After the surgery, how long should I keep her confined? She's a jumper and I don't want her to hurt herself.

I have a large dog crate I could use. I could take the plastic bottom out and just put in lots of towels to keep her comfy and warm. I'm planning on putting it in my bedroom so I can keep a close eye on her.

I have a low-side litter box I can put in for her.

Anything else I should do?

How long are they on pain meds (typically)?

I would let her dictate things - I have tried to confine females in the past and they have ended up doing more than they would if I hadn't tried, and one was more hyper after coming back than she was before, so I left her to it

Originally Posted by laureen227

....my Chip was similar - he would snap at anyone who tried to pet his sides or back.

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Maybe it's a black cat thing!

BTW, Smudge is gorgeous! What breed is he/she?