Does your cat's breath smell bad?

sumosmom · Oct 23, 2005

I know this may sound weird, but I am wondering if anyone else's cat has really bad breath?

My kitten Kuri has very stinky fishy breath. (He only eats Nutro dry food.) Last Monday, the vet said he did not have worms, and he recommended the Nutro adult food (same as Geisha's) because he was eating both dry kitten food and wet food before. Now I've got him on the same food as Geisha and he has been doing great for a week, except that he threw up two days in a row (it was the color of the food but with no actual kibble in it).

He vomited on Fri and Sat. but nothing today, and he seems perfectly healthy otherwise. Before I go and make another vet appt., I am just wondering if anyone else has noticed this stinky breath issue in their kitties, and if it has indicated something or is it normal? Could he have just had an upset stomach for those 2 days and vomited? How common is it for kittens to vomit, anyway? I tend to get very anxious when it comes to my cats.... If this sounds really wrong to anyone, please let me know. I will definitely call the vet in that case, but it is quite expensive to keep taking them to the vet when it turns out to be nothing, you know? Thanks everyone.

mrod1 · Oct 23, 2005

I had the same problem with Buddy, it turned out to be Gingivitis!

At first I thought that it was because he was teething, since cats at teething age around 4-6 months tend to get bad breath, but when he vomited, I knew there was something more going on and it turned out to be Gingivitis, and he was put on Clavamox for 10 days. It could also be a digestive problem. Either way it is best to get to the vet and have it checked out.

In the mean time, take a look at his gums and teeth. If the gums are a normal color pink and the teeth are white, then there probably is no gingivitis. But if they are bright red around the base of his teeth, then there might be an infection, look at his back teeth on both sides.

sumosmom · Oct 23, 2005

Originally Posted by MRod1

I had the same problem with Buddy, it turned out to be Gingivitis!

At first I thought that it was because he was teething, since cats at teething age around 4-6 months tend to get bad breath, but when he vomited, I knew there was something more going on and it turned out to be Gingivitis, and he was put on Clavamox for 10 days. It could also be a digestive problem. Either way it is best to get to the vet and have it checked out.

Thanks, I'll do that. Well, I just picked up Geisha right now and smelled her breath and it's actually very sweet. Well, there's no strong scent or anything, but she kind of smells like those yummy Japanese Hello Kitty erasers or something.

I will call the vet tomorrow for Kuri. I guess something IS wrong with his tummy. I mean, normal humans don't even throw up twice in a row just for nothing!

Poor baby.

hissy · Oct 23, 2005

Sweet smelling breath can be a sign of a health issue as well- also when you switch foods you need to do so very slowly- otherwise your cat will hurl because of the change

nebula11 · Oct 23, 2005

Are all your kits teeth healthy.....

Rotting teeth, or abseses in the mouth can cause foul stenches

lisangel · Oct 24, 2005

what is normal cat breath?? hehe.. whenever ted brogan yawns i'll sit by, and this may sound weird, smell his breath and laugh, cause it smells like catfood(not a strong fishy smell a slight smell) and my family just laughs at me when i say that.

lets just say, i'm easily amused

sol · Oct 24, 2005

My cats used to have a fould odour coming from their mouths, but not today. I switched from dry food to raw food and within a week the foul odour was gone

No, it wasn't gingivitis or similar causing the fould odour, I had their mouths checked by a vet and she couldn't find anything wrong in their mouths.

My guess is that the odour came from the stomach and that the food somehow caused the odour.

stampit3d · Oct 24, 2005

Mine only have bad breath after they have had salmon to eat.....but if it persisted any other time i`d get them vet-checked to make sure there was`nt a problem.
Linda

sharky · Oct 24, 2005

Zoeys is not great but far from foal.....

purrpaws · Oct 24, 2005

Prego has pretty stinky breath, especially right after he eats. He had a complete dental cleaning 2 years ago, and my vet always checks his mouth very carefully anytime Prego is there.

I haven't really noticed Polly's breath, but Prego is more cuddly, so maybe I notice his more.

laureen227 · Oct 24, 2005

Originally Posted by MRod1

I had the same problem with Buddy, it turned out to be Gingivitis!

my 1st cat. Medley, is the only one whose had stinky breath. i thought it was just halitosis, & did nothing. found out at the vet visit she had 3 rotten teeth [the source of the odor] & had to have them pulled. the vet should've noticed any problems at the exam, but sometimes they don't look at the teeth unless you report an issue. so i guess you need to take him back.

jeanw · Oct 24, 2005

Bad breath can definitely be the sign of a health problem. My vet always stresses the importance of kitty's breath smelling right.

sumosmom · Oct 24, 2005

I made an appt. for Kuri tomorrow morning. I wanted to take him today but I was - and still am - swamped at work. I hope he is OK. He is doing fine otherwise, but was having some gas issues about 1-1/2 weeks ago (which is why I thought he had worms), and that plus the vomiting sounds like he might have digestive issues. We'll see what the doc says tomorrow. Thanks for the info./advice, all.

sumosmom · Oct 24, 2005

When I get home I'm going to smell Geisha's breath again, too. Was I really smelling something sweet or was it just that her breath was nice in comparison to Kuri's?? I'll have to recheck and will ask the vet about that, too. She's a very hardy girl, though.

aussie_dog · Oct 24, 2005

Buffy's got bad breath too, but I don't think it's a health problem. Her teeth are white, her gums are pink, and her breath has stunk since she was a kitten. She's tried a variety of foods, the smell never changes (unless I get those breath mints, which actually seem to help). Some cats just stink, whether it be from the butt end, the front end, or just their body in general.

sumosmom · Oct 24, 2005

Originally Posted by Aussie_Dog

Buffy's got bad breath too, but I don't think it's a health problem. Her teeth are white, her gums are pink, and her breath has stunk since she was a kitten. She's tried a variety of foods, the smell never changes (unless I get those breath mints, which actually seem to help). Some cats just stink, whether it be from the butt end, the front end, or just their body in general.

Thanks Aussie_Dog, that makes me feel a little better, knowing it might not be something really bad. But I am glad I have the appt. for tomorrow AM. I'll be relieved once I know what's going on with him and he gets completely well again.

When I first got him from the humane society, he had a feline respiratory virus (like kennel cough for dogs?). I was a little nervous because they told me he would always be a carrier and that the symptoms (sneezing, goopy eyes, just plain feeling under the weather) might come back whenever he got stressed out. Of course, I had no idea what this was because my other kitties never had this!!, but once someone explained to me it's like the common cold in humans (there are so many strains of cold virus that cold medicine does not kill, only helps the symptoms, as we all know), I went, OHH, that's what it is, and I did not hesitate! (Of course I made sure Geisha got caught up on her vaccines before I brought him home.) I just fell in love with the little guy and I knew I had to get him and give him a home with us. I felt like he also chose me because he was clinging to my shoulder and kept nuzzling my face and chin. He is such a precious little one.

sandtigress · Oct 24, 2005

How old is your kitten? If he's around 5 months, he's probably losing his baby teeth, which my vet said could lead to stinky breath. The fact that he's been vomiting might be a cause for concern, and you should definately do what you can in the way of teeth cleaning, but I wanted to at least give you hope that its nothing serious. Chay's breath was absolutely horrible at 5 months (so much so that it was making his fur stinky!!) but now at 7 months there's no odor at all!

anya · Oct 25, 2005

One of my cats Tinga has really bad breath. He has Calichi virus which causes gingivitus. He really stinks. Check you kitties mouth to see if his gums are red.

sumosmom · Oct 25, 2005

Originally Posted by Sandtigress

How old is your kitten? If he's around 5 months, he's probably losing his baby teeth, which my vet said could lead to stinky breath. The fact that he's been vomiting might be a cause for concern, and you should definately do what you can in the way of teeth cleaning, but I wanted to at least give you hope that its nothing serious. Chay's breath was absolutely horrible at 5 months (so much so that it was making his fur stinky!!) but now at 7 months there's no odor at all!

The shelter worker found him at 3 weeks old (she thinks) and calculated his b-day at 4/4/05, which now makes him 6 months and 3 weeks old. I wonder, though, because he's so small still! Today at the vet's, he weighed in at 4 lbs. and I think 1 oz.?

sumosmom · Oct 25, 2005

Well, the vet said he looked fine and his adult teeth are growing in, which might be the reason he is stinky - the food is getting stuck on his molars. He even ate just before the vet visit and when we got there, there was still some food stuck on his back teeth!

It was so cute.

Anyway, he said it could be just gingivitis due to the teeth activity (he also did lose a baby tooth last week! I found it on my bed when I got home from work, and I still have it) and that I should probably brush his teeth until his adult teeth are fully grown out.

As for the vomiting, it is intermittent, and he has regular poos (and no diarrhea ever since I took away his soft food last week). So the vet gave me an antibiotic for any anaerobic bacteria in his stomach that is making him feel uneasy. It's chicken flavored and I have to give it to him using a syringe, morning and night for one week. (I remember having to give this to Sumo when he was a kitten, too.)

So that is great news as far as I'm concerned! Kuri didn't like the thermometer check or his first dose of the meds. this morning, but I am ecstatic that there is nothing seriously wrong with him!! I will go home and give him EXTRA hugs and kisses tonight! I have some Greenies for him, as well.

I wonder if those will also help with his breath, since he likes to sleep with his face right up close to mine, and lick my nose and lips every morning.

Thanks so much everyone for your input....

Does your cat's breath smell bad?

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