Hey all,
First time posting, long time lurker! This site has been a fantastic resource for my cat questions, but I recently found myself stumped by an issue that I can't seem to find anything on.
I have 2 cats, both adopted as adults. They are fed the same diet (Primal raw frozen, with added water mixed in due to previous urinary tract irritation in my older boy). Both are healthy, playful, have normal bathroom habits, keep themselves well-groomed, and are given very little "people food" (a dab of butter or leftover yogurt scrapings now and again is all). They also get a beef or lamb jerky dog treat that they both love and devour, since one has a poultry allergy (chicken and turkey) and the other can't eat fish, and the only treats I've been able to find that don't have those ingredients are for dogs!
So here's my question - why does my younger female cat have absolutely AWFUL breath, especially after sleeping? She's showing no signs of feeling mouth pain, eats well and drinks plenty of water (although she ignores water in bowls or glasses, so doesn't drink more than the generous helping I add to her food), and grooms herself and her brother frequently. She recently saw the vet for her annual checkup, and the vet said her teeth looked good with minimal plaque buildup. She does drool when she sleeps, but also has very watery eyes and a small, somewhat squished in snout, so I figured the drooling might be due to facial structure. There's never any blood in her drool. Her breath is ESPECIALLY stinky after she sleeps, which I notice because she often yawns in my face after sleeping on my pillow next to me. It's not nearly as bad when she's been up and moving for a while. Her brother (not actually related, in case a genetic issue could be the cause), who eats the same diet and consumes the same amount of water, doesn't have any bad breath issues. I've never even noticed his breath, which makes me think it likely isn't due to the food they eat. Finally, her breath has been like this as long as I've had her, this isn't a new worrying development but rather a persistent curiosity/worry of mine.
Any ideas on what could be causing her stank breath? I'm inclined not to think of it as a huge issue given her total lack of any other symptoms (besides the drooling), but I can't help but worry that maybe I'm overlooking anything. Any help would be much appreciated!
(Sorry for the HUGE block of text - I wanted to make sure not to exclude any relevant & potentially helpful details!)
First time posting, long time lurker! This site has been a fantastic resource for my cat questions, but I recently found myself stumped by an issue that I can't seem to find anything on.
I have 2 cats, both adopted as adults. They are fed the same diet (Primal raw frozen, with added water mixed in due to previous urinary tract irritation in my older boy). Both are healthy, playful, have normal bathroom habits, keep themselves well-groomed, and are given very little "people food" (a dab of butter or leftover yogurt scrapings now and again is all). They also get a beef or lamb jerky dog treat that they both love and devour, since one has a poultry allergy (chicken and turkey) and the other can't eat fish, and the only treats I've been able to find that don't have those ingredients are for dogs!
So here's my question - why does my younger female cat have absolutely AWFUL breath, especially after sleeping? She's showing no signs of feeling mouth pain, eats well and drinks plenty of water (although she ignores water in bowls or glasses, so doesn't drink more than the generous helping I add to her food), and grooms herself and her brother frequently. She recently saw the vet for her annual checkup, and the vet said her teeth looked good with minimal plaque buildup. She does drool when she sleeps, but also has very watery eyes and a small, somewhat squished in snout, so I figured the drooling might be due to facial structure. There's never any blood in her drool. Her breath is ESPECIALLY stinky after she sleeps, which I notice because she often yawns in my face after sleeping on my pillow next to me. It's not nearly as bad when she's been up and moving for a while. Her brother (not actually related, in case a genetic issue could be the cause), who eats the same diet and consumes the same amount of water, doesn't have any bad breath issues. I've never even noticed his breath, which makes me think it likely isn't due to the food they eat. Finally, her breath has been like this as long as I've had her, this isn't a new worrying development but rather a persistent curiosity/worry of mine.
Any ideas on what could be causing her stank breath? I'm inclined not to think of it as a huge issue given her total lack of any other symptoms (besides the drooling), but I can't help but worry that maybe I'm overlooking anything. Any help would be much appreciated!
(Sorry for the HUGE block of text - I wanted to make sure not to exclude any relevant & potentially helpful details!)
