Does your cat have bad breath? There are various natural remedies to solve your bad breath and improve your oral hygiene.
The problem of bad breath is a condition that also affects cats and not just humans. In fact it can happen that sometimes being in the company of our cat, we can perceive a very unpleasant smell coming from the oral cavity, that is the mouth.
Often this problem is linked to food but not only, it could also be the first alarm bell to identify stomatological and dental diseases, more frequent with the advancing age of the animal but also possible in young cats.
Investigating these possible diseases that hide behind halitosis is fundamental and is the first thing to do but then we must also act on this problem of halitosis which, although secondary, is very annoying.
So let’s see how to improve the cat’s breath through not only oral hygiene but also natural remedies.
Causes of bad breath in cats
Unfortunately, bad breath in cats is not always due to diet alone, there are several causes that can determine this condition.
It can always be good for the animal to investigate what lies behind this secondary condition.
Only by trying to understand what generates the bad smell of the cat’s breath will it be possible to eliminate this annoyance .
Below is a list of the possible and main origins that determine the occurrence of bad breath in cats:
- Nutrition : as we have previously mentioned, sometimes the use of purely moist and soft food can cause bad breath. This is because it tends to stick to the cat’s teeth, which hardly happens when using dry food. One solution might be to try changing the food to see if bad breath can be eliminated in your cat. We recommend that you always contact your veterinarian even if only for the change of diet, which is not always such a trivial thing to do;
- Gingivitis in cats : generally when plaque and bacteria accumulate in the cat’s mouth, gingivitis is formed, i.e. inflammation of the animal’s gums and this, in addition to causing pain, also causes discomfort, which in this case exists in halitosis;
- Periodontal disease : parandontal disease is the consequence of gingivitis, where this is neglected and not treated, it would cause the formation of stones under the cat’s gums and also of small pockets where different bacteria could proliferate and generate halitosis among other things ;
- Stomatitis in cats : Stomatitis occurs when a cat’s entire oral cavity becomes severely inflamed due to viruses and pathogens taking over. It affects cats of all ages, from 4 months to 17 years, with a higher incidence in older cats and in those of the Siamese, Persian, Abyssinian, Burmese and Maine Coon breeds;
- Diabetes in cats : behind bad breath in cats, the occurrence of diabetes in cats could very easily be hidden. Along with this discomfort of bad smell you will also notice an increase in the cat’s pee, an increase in thirst and appetite. Which is why it is better not to hesitate and go to the vet;
- Coprophagia and pica : these are the names with which the bad habit of the cat to ingest its own feces or any other object of inedible material is identified. By analyzing these two materials it is possible to understand the reason for bad breath in cats.
How to improve cat’s breath
The ways to improve the breath in the cat are based not only on the feeding but also on the oral hygiene of the cat.
Both solutions are simple to apply, perhaps a little less oral hygiene, as the adult cat may be less prone to this treatment if it was not used as a puppy.
Let’s see in the next paragraphs how to help improve bad breath in cats through oral hygiene, diet and natural remedies.
Oral hygiene
Cleaning the cat’s teeth is essential for dental and mouth hygiene, cleaning the teeth in addition to avoiding this annoying odor coming from the oral cavity, helps to reduce plaque and tartar.
Once the cat has passed the milk teeth phase, they are replaced by permanent teeth, for a total of 30. These teeth will remain for life and they will have to eat with them, which is why it will be up to you to take care of them.
The cat that does not have good dental hygiene can accumulate tartar on the teeth so cleaning your cat’s teeth twice a week is essential.
If you do this from the first moment when it is still a kitten, you will have no problem carrying out this task in the future.
If this does not happen, we can suggest some tips to keep in mind, such as:
- Pick a moment and create a relaxed atmosphere;
- Use special products for cleaning cat teeth;
- Stroking the animal to lower its defenses;
- Use homemade cat toothpaste or suitable ones, available in specialized stores;
- Absolutely never use human toothpaste or mouthwash;
- Very gently and slowly lift your cat’s upper lip and start brushing the outside of the teeth very slowly;
- Having established a peaceful contact, carefully open the cat’s mouth so that you can brush the inside of the teeth;
- When you’re done, there’s no need to rinse the cat’s mouth.
Natural remedies to improve cat’s breath
There are several natural remedies that can help solve the bad breath problem in cats:
- Catnip stimulates salivation and the mint scent will perfume your breath in a natural way;
- Food supplements specifically designed for halitosis problems. These are natural-based products, usually made up of medicinal plants, such as spirulina algae, malt, propolis, aloe Vera, magnesium, all elements with different therapeutic properties;
- The use of toys or products specially made to help maintain the cat’s oral hygiene;
- Bones specially made from deer antlers or coffee tree.
Feeding the cat with bad breath
There are specially designed snacks designed to keep teeth clean and healthy and to fight tartar.
Plus several cat foods that contain calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D to keep teeth strong.
Today, most of the superior quality kibble for cats have the task of keeping the mouth clean of tartar as well as feeding the animal.
This happens due to their crunchiness that does not allow residues to rest on the teeth but slide away, letting the body absorb them.
In fact, very often the cause of bad breath in cats is due to too much wet food intake that sticks to the gums and teeth.
