There are a few different causes of bad breath and drooling in cats, and while most of them involve disease within the mouth, there may be other reasons for these symptoms as well.
- Oral tumors
- Periodontal disease
- Kidney disease
- Liver disease
- Diabetes
- Intestinal blockages
- Cats with Oral Tumors
Tumors or growths in a cat’s mouth can grow, get infected, and generate a foul odour.If the tumour is large enough to cause swallowing problems, your cat will have poor breath and drool. Tumors in the oral cavity can be hidden in the back of the mouth or even under the tongue, making them difficult to detect. They aren’t recognised until they start to create problems or until a complete oral examination has been performed.
- Cats with Periodontal Disease
If your cat’s teeth aren’t brushed on a regular basis, bacteria and food debris can build up. Periodontal disease is caused by the accumulation of these substances, which can create an infection around the teeth and irritate the gums. Abscesses behind the gums, foul breath, and drooling are all symptoms of periodontal disease.
- Cats with Kidney Disease
Unfortunately, a cat’s kidneys might fail at any time during its lifetime, and poor breath can be a clue. A cat’s kidneys filter poisons from the blood, and if the kidneys aren’t working properly or are failing, they can’t accomplish their job. This causes an accumulation of toxins in the blood, resulting in halitosis.
- Cats with Liver Disease
If your cat’s breath smells like bile or vomit, it’s possible that liver disease is at blame. The liver aids in the digestion of fats by detoxifying the body and producing bile, but if the liver is not functioning properly, you may notice a foul stench emanating from your cat’s mouth. Vomiting is common in cats with liver disease, and this, too, can result in poor breath.
- Cats with Diabetes
The bad breath of a cat with uncontrolled diabetes has an unique fruity or sweet odour. Because a diabetic cat is unable to transfer fatty acids from adipose tissue to triglycerides for energy, the fatty acids are instead transformed to useless ketones. These ketones are responsible for the sweet-smelling breath seen in diabetic ketoacidosis cats.
- Intestinal Blockages in Cats
Cats are known to eat things they shouldn’t, and sometimes these items cause a blockage in the intestinal tract. If the intestines aren’t able to move food through the body it can result in damage to the intestinal tract. Circulation may even be cut off leading to the die off of some of the intestines. This necrosis along with the vomiting that will occur in a cat with an intestinal blockage leads to very bad breath.