Symptoms of Cat Bad Breath
With just one look or smell, pet owners know when something is wrong with their cat. Know the common symptoms cat bad breath before health complications develop.
Bad breath, medically known as halitosis, is caused by a variety of health problems. When your cat bad breath goes beyond from a mild fish-like smell to an extremely fetid odor, it could indicate an underlying medical problem. Cat with bad breath is an urgent red flag that should be investigated.
Bad breath causes most often than not is caused by a build up of bacteria that produces odor in your cat’s mouth. The plaque and tartar build-up can also cause dental gum disease. Don’t underestimate persistent symptoms cat bad breath as it demonstrates serious medical problems of the oral health, respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, liver, or kidneys.
Symptoms bad breath
Check for symptoms cat bad breath to determine the need for medical attention. Although bad breath is an obvious symptoms, cat bad breath also show other signs and symptoms. The best way to differentiate symptoms cat bad breath is based on dental and non dental in origin.
Ask yourself if there are other symptoms cat bad breath:
- Does my cat show pain around the mouth area?
- Does my cat tries to eat but drops the food once it gets into the mouth?
- Does my cat show unwillingness to eat?
- Is my cat show excessive drooling?
- Does its teeth show signs of decay, plaque build up, or tartar formation?
If you answer yes to all symptoms cat bad breath questions, then your cat show signs of dental problems of having a bad, broken, or abscessed tooth or gum disease.
If the problem is related to dental structure such as abscess and tooth decay, cat bad breath illness has the following signs and symptoms of:
- Unwillingness to eat,
- Loss of appetite,
- Drooling,
- Reluctance to groom,
- Bleeding gums,
- Signs of redness and inflammation of gums and other tissues surrounding teeth,
- Plaque and tartar build up on teeth,
- Decayed tooth/teeth,
- Abscessed tooth,
- Pawing at the mouth,
- Pain around the mouth area,
- And bone or foreign body stuck between the teeth.
Bad breath causes can be non-dental origin such as health disorders of gastrointestinal system, diabetes, kidney, liver, and among others. Symptoms cat bad breath are:
- Increased thirst
- Increased urination
- Weight loss
- Lethargy
- Fruity or sweet breath
- Enlarged liver or kidneys
Cat bad breath halitosis is a common complaint of cat owners thus a veterinary examination is usually needed to identify the cause and prescribe the treatment for your cat bad breath.

