Cat breath

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-02-2004
Cat breath
4
Sun, 05-15-2005 - 6:20am

My Bella has the worst cat breath I have ever smelled! My previous cat, Felix, never had bad breath. I am taking her to the vet in the next week or two to get a check up before our big road adventure to Arizona, but does anyone have advice? She just turned 1 years old, so her teeth are not in bad shape at all! Is there anything I can do myself to curb the rotten smell? woooeeee! I am thinking it could be the soft food that I feed her, but I'm not sure. She eats both dry and soft food everyday. I've seen "treats" for cat breath at the pet store but I'm not sure if they work/ thanks

Heather

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
In reply to: felixsmomma
Sun, 05-15-2005 - 7:10am

You can try those treats, some people do say they *help*.

Cat =^..^=
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-26-2000
In reply to: felixsmomma
Sun, 05-15-2005 - 9:54am

Hi Heather,

Just because she's only a year old doesn't mean she can't have tartar buildup or gingivits. Pets are like people in that respect, you can feed them the same diet and one may have an issue with tartar build up and the other won't.

For bad breath I would suspect tartar build up on the teeth and/or gingivits or possibly a digestive or stomach problem. If the animal isn't properly digesting the food then the odor may be coming not just from the mouth but the esophogus and stomach.

Additionally some disease processes are closely related to gum health so a good veterinary exam is definitely in order.

By the way my kitties eat nothing but premium canned food and do not have dental issues, so it is a big misconception to think that it's caused by soft food.

Good luck and take care, Lynn

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-02-2004
In reply to: felixsmomma
Sun, 05-15-2005 - 10:50am
Thanks for the advice so far, I appreciate it! Yes, a trip to the vet is in order, I was just hoping it wasn't anything serious!! After the death of my felix last summer due to congestive heart failure, every little thing that Bella does- if it seems something is wrong, I freak out and get really worried!
I suppose I'll have to start teaching her how to brush her teeth! LOL
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-26-2000
In reply to: felixsmomma
Sun, 05-15-2005 - 10:55pm

Good luck at the vet's office on your visit with Bella. I'm sure it's nothing too serious, she probably just need her teeth cleaned. If they do need cleaning ask your vet(he/she will most likely mention it) about a product(and I can't for the life of me remember the name) but it's liquid that you put in their water and it helps to prevent tartar build up after a thorough cleaning is done.

I know it's hard to not worry about our furkids, isn't it? I worry about my little boys all the time!

Take care, Lynn