Ewww! Kitty Breath!

allysh0rty

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Okay so here's a typical night for me: I get all comfy in bed with the hubby, and all four kitties at one time or another, jump on the bed to cuddle with us. Domino, one of our youngest, gets all up in my face and wants to purr and lick. Aww, so sweet, right? WRONG. He's got horrible breath! I kinda just grin and bear it because he's so adorable and I love to snuggle with him, but his breath is way worse than the other kitties. His sister, Fiona, has bad breath too, but not nearly as bad as his. I've researched some things about it, and usually it's caused by a disease or some tumors in the mouth, which he has neither. He just went to the vet 2 weeks ago and got a clean bill of health. (Of course, I forgot to ask him about his breath.) Anyway, do you have any thoughts on the issue? What shall I do about it?
 

laureen227

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well, if you're brave enough, you can try brushing his teeth & see if that helps.
Chip has bad breath, too - he's the only one of the 5 whose breath is really nasty. he's also the only one who likes to lick & nibble at my face

 

coaster

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Originally Posted by AllySh0rty

He just went to the vet 2 weeks ago and got a clean bill of health.
But I don't think you can assume that. If it was a general wellness exam the vet may have not paid particular attention, or may have thought it wasn't progressed far enough to mention. Most probably is periodontal disease, as you've researched, though there could be plenty of other things, maybe as simple as the food you're feeding. But I think I'd want to give the vet a call and ask whether or not it'd be worth another trip for a close look at teeth and gums. Doesn't cost anything to call.
 

maxcat08

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It could be from a variety of things. It could be from the type of food that you feed them. My cats have bad breath from their wet food. The only good thing about dry food...is that their breath didn't smell.

It could be from some sort of dental problem such as gingivitus or gum problems. I don't know how well Vets look in the cats mouths to get a really good look. Usually they just look at the outside gums. If the gums are fine, they usually don't go any farther.

Some cats just have bad breath...brushing may help...it will remove any food particles and plaque from their teeth.

But....when I had the two cats..they were fed exactly the same food...one had bad breath, and one didn't...and neither had any tooth or health issues. So.....go figure!!!

To eliminate worry...have the Vet do a really thorough check of their mouths, teeth, gums, tongue, etc just to rule out anything medical/dental.

Stinky breath isn't enjoyable....I know that....LOL
 

althekitty

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Hi, obviously I would agree with a vet check if you are concerned that it could be more serious than just bad breath. I found that when my kitty had been sleeping and he woke up, his breath would be a bit stinky. A the vets i noticed that they had logic gel and a few people on here used it for there kitties. Its like a toothpaste for cats! I don't brush his teeth as you don't have to with this, you either put on paw or direct on gums and kitty does the rest with licking. He doesn't have bad breath now! Gosh, i sound like I am advertising! Also my kitty has regular check-ups as he should and no health issues!
 

snickerdoodle

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I'm not sure how young your youngest is, but could he still be losing baby teeth? My 5 month old is losing her back teeth and her breath smells like a very real dead animal. The vet told me that losing her teeth was why and it should go away eventually. My friend's 3-4 month old kitten also had bad breath and is losing her teeth as well.
 

coaster

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Originally Posted by Snickerdoodle

I'm not sure how young your youngest is, but could he still be losing baby teeth?
Good point!! You've got sharp eyes!! Nice going!!
 
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