Tom Clark
Havinga cat as a pet is an amazing feeling. When you are cuddling your feline pet andsmell her up with love, and get a real bad smell, then something is not rightwith your cat. Just as our tongues broadcast the health status of our bodies,which can be examined by doctors in their attempt to diagnose our overallhealth – in the same way, a cat’s breath can tell you a lot about the overallhealth of the cat.
Expertsare of the opinion that a healthy cat’s breath will not smell offensive to you,and that a bad breath is cause for concern and must be looked at immediately.
Why is good breath important for cats?
Bad breath can show many healthproblems in the cat– like dental problems, liver diseases, skin problems amongst other problems.But the most common problem that can be diagnosed from the bad breath of thecat is of a dental nature – called periodontal disease. In order to be able tounderstand this properly, try to imagine the health of the teeth in your mouthif you failed to brush your teeth over a long period of time.
Yeah!You get the picture, right? In the absence of proper dental care, there is agood chance that this disease will result in tooth loss, infections as well assevere pain, which can be transmitted to other body organs easily. As the teethare not brushed every day, plaque (which is a yellow film) starts forming onthe teeth and starts growing with time, leading to swelling of the gums -called gingivitis.
Thiscan be treated by getting the teeth of your cat professionally cleaned by a vetdentist, and this needs to be done in regular intervals.
Badbreath also indicates the occurrence of diabetes in the cat, incase if there isa sweet smell in the breath, as well as a disease in the kidney, if the breathsmells like urine, or if the breath is dirty, then it could be the sign of aliver disease or a digestive tract disorder.
What can you do about your cat’s bad breath?
Perth Veterinary Clinic Pet Practice told us that this canmostly be combated by making sure that you clean the teeth of your cat everyday, which ensures that the breath smells fresh, there are no pieces of food stuckto the mouth of your cat, which ensures proper oral hygiene.
If youare worried about the deeper underlying conditions that were indicated above,then it would be wise to take your cat to the vet, to be able to get a clearand accurate diagnosis of the cat’s health condition, and then you will be ableto pursue the appropriate means of treatment for your pet.
Rememberthough, that not every instance of bad breath from your cat can be the resultof a serious health problem. Sometimes, the bad breath can just come as aresult of the food your cat ate. It might smell bad for you, but is heavenlyfor your cat. So just be alert and on the lookout for your pet’s health.
