How to Cure Bad Cat Breath

There is sweet kitty breath and then there is rotting tuna breath. The former is benefit for a loving cat owner and the latter a bummer for both you and your cat. Bad breath in cats, as in humans, can stem from a number of different causes that can be either oral or systemic and sometimes both. Chronic bad breath can be a sign of a serious oral infection and should be treated by a veterinarian, rotting teeth or infected gums afflict cats the same as humans. People go the dentist regularly, but cats don't. Doing some detective work, testing the tried and true fixes, monitoring your cat carefully and consulting a professional when needed will allow you to zero in on a solution that brings back the sweet kitty breath.

Things You'll Need

• Constant fresh water supply
• Wet and dry food
• Fresh cat grass
• Small cat toothbrush and cat safe toothpaste
• Professional dental cleaning

Instructions

1. Provide a constantly refreshed supply of water in a clean bowl. As with humans, when cats are dehydrated, their breath will smell. Cats are not naturally big consumers of water and their sense of smell being so superior to ours, their notion of fresh water is actually much more refined. A surefire solution here is to invest in a cat water fountain that keeps the water moving and filters it constantly both which attract the cat to drink more water and more consistently.

2. Alter the cats diet to include at least some dry food or kibble along with wet food. The dry crunchy kibble works as an abrasive to clean the teeth and mouth. If your cat is on an all wet food meat-based diet, which is by far the healthiest diet for cats, just add some good quality kibble to the diet.

3. Use a cat toothbrush and cat safe cleaning paste to clean kitty's chompers. This can also be done at a good animal groomers or veterinarian if you are not up to the task yourself. This will also give you a good look into the cats mouth and you may be able to judge where swelling, loose teeth, redness or pain response is coming from in their mouth.

4. Visit the veterinarian for an oral exam. If there is an infection or a diseased tooth the vet can easily pull the tooth and treat with antibiotics. Many serious oral disorders can be treated effectively with medication but most do not improve with time on their own.

5. Maintain good oral health by giving treats and snacks that are oral health enhancing such as providing a supply of fresh cat grass to chew on and eat which has breath freshening chlorophyll. Give your cat treats designed to clean the mouth and teeth such as Greenies for cats.

Tips & Warnings

• A putrid smell from your cats mouth can be a sign of a serious health issue. If your cat is suffering from chronic foul breath, a vet visit is needed. A quick visit can nip the problem in the bud and spare your cat any suffering associated with the progression of a condition. If you are concerned about affording a vet visit, don't just ignore the problem, contact your local shelters and animal advocacy organizations to find out about low cost animal health clinics or free vet services in your area.

References

• Cornell University paper on feline oral health and halitosis.

Resources

• Greenies breath and mouth care treats for cats videos and free samples
• Quality and affordable options for cat water fountains
• Cat teeth cleaning brushes and pastes