Pet Cats

　　This issue seems to affect many cats, after all, they cannot brush their teeth daily like we do to keep their mouths clean. Possibly due to this subjective thinking, some oral diseases that could be treated early are often delayed. Healthy cats have no bad breath; it’s normal for some food smell to linger right after eating, but if there is persistent bad breath, this is definitely abnormal and requires immediate veterinary attention to diagnose and treat the cause.

　　Possible Causes of Cat Bad Breath

　　1. Tooth decay — frequently feeding cats soft foods and canned food often leads to tooth decay. Food residues around their teeth create plaque, which then causes gingivitis. If bacteria invade the alveolar bone further, it causes periodontitis.

　　2. Indigestion — when cats suffer from gastrointestinal diseases, bad breath can also occur.

　　3. Oral infections and ulcers

　　4. Malnutrition and vitamin deficiency

　　Special Reminder

　　1. Cat bad breath should never be ignored; if your cat has this symptom, you must consult a professional vet to find the cause.

　　2. Avoid frequently feeding your cat soft foods or canned food, as this seriously threatens their dental health.

　 Prevention and Treatment of Cat Bad Breath

　　We can apply different preventive and treatment measures based on the cause of bad breath.

　　There are many causes of cat bad breath, such as tooth decay, oral infections, ulcers, indigestion, and vitamin B deficiency. Careful observation of your cat’s behavior can help you roughly judge the cause.

　　If a cat’s teeth are very dirty, the cause is plaque. If a cat drools or has oral ulcers, it could be mouth infection or gingival disease. Pay special attention to kittens during teething; discolored old teeth that do not fall out on their own also cause bad breath and should be extracted. Frequent feeding of soft and canned foods easily leads to tooth decay; these foods cause plaque around the teeth and gingivitis, and if bacteria enter the alveolar bone, periodontal disease follows. This can lead to loose teeth and dental nerve death, at which point tooth extraction is necessary.

　　When a cat is young, you can try to help it develop good tooth brushing habits. Brushing a cat’s teeth requires two people: one person holds the cat with one hand, placing the palm on the top of the cat’s head with proper pressure, gently lifting the cat’s upper lip with the index finger and thumb; the other person places the index finger into the cat’s lower front teeth, gently pressing the lower jaw down. Use a children’s toothbrush soaked in light saline to clean the cat’s teeth once a week. (Note: Few cat owners probably do this, right?)

　　If a cat has mild indigestion, feed smaller, more frequent meals with fresh, high-quality cat food. With vet approval, human antacid tablets may be used.

　　Cats can also have bad breath due to vitamin B deficiency. There are many kinds of B vitamins, all essential for cats. Excessive consumption of over-processed foods can cause vitamin B1 deficiency, showing symptoms like convulsions and strokes. Over-processing also destroys vitamin B6, which shows as weight loss, anemia, and convulsions. Treatment can involve vitamin B complex injections, various vitamin B tablets, and yeast tablets.

　　In short, if a cat develops bad breath, it’s best to take it to the vet for diagnosis and follow the prescribed treatment.