We all love our pets and want them to be healthy and beautiful. But, unfortunately, animals, like people, are not immune from injuries and illnesses. One of the most common diseases of cats is the problems associated with the oral cavity, in particular, with teeth and gums. This should be treated quite seriously, because the unpleasant odor from the mouth of a cat can be associated with other diseases of the body.
Causes of unpleasant odor
If you feel bad smell from the mouth of a cat, then the cause may be a buildup of tartar on the surface of the teeth. Tartar is formed due to the breakdown of food particles left in the mouth after eating. In the process of decomposition of these particles in the oral cavity creates a favorable environment for the multiplication of bacteria. In this way, dental plaque is formed, which consists of decomposed food, minerals and bacteria. Subsequently, accumulating and hardening, dental plaque turns into tartar and entails various infections of the oral cavity, which causes an unpleasant smell from the mouth of the cat.
In addition, tartar can lead to inflammation of the gums. The most common gum disease is gingivitis, an inflammation that occurs under the influence of general and local negative factors. The primary stage of gingivitis is expressed by the reddening of the edge of the gum, which is adjacent to the teeth, and its thickening, as well as an unpleasant odor from the mouth. When the disease progresses, edema develops, while the gums become loose and bleeding may occur even with a slight touch. In this case, it is urgent to begin treatment, otherwise gingivitis, progressing, can lead to paradontitis. To treat gingivitis should be complex, because its appearance can cause not only tartar, but also diseases of internal organs or viral infections.
Periodontitis is the inflammation of the tissues that surround the tooth. This disease is characterized by the destruction of periodontal disease. Periodontitis, if left untreated, can lead to loss of teeth or to the development of other diseases of the dentofacial apparatus.
Also, an unpleasant odor from the mouth of a cat can be associated with more serious health problems of the animal. These can be diseases of the respiratory tract, liver, gastrointestinal tract, kidney and other diseases of cats. Smell from the mouth - this is one of the first signals to take your pet to the veterinarian.
It should be borne in mind that the above problems mainly arise in adult animals. In kittens, such serious diseases are rare. And the cause of an unpleasant smell is most often a violation in the change of teeth. For example, the baby teeth that fell out of order at the wrong time lead to incorrect bite formation, resulting in cracks, and in them jams of food get stuck, and therefore an unpleasant smell appears.
Treatment of bad breath
Treatment, of course, appoints a veterinarian according to the diagnosis. When the cause of a bad smell is the presence of plaque or tartar, then your pet needs professional cleaning of teeth. If the odor is caused by abnormalities in the functioning of your kidneys, liver, lungs, or diseases of your cat's gastrointestinal tract, you should definitely check with your veterinarian what measures you should take to prevent this from happening again.
Do not forget that prevention is better than treatment, so you should regularly visit a veterinarian as a routine checkup. And so that the unpleasant odor from the cat does not come off, one must daily brush the teeth of the animal with a special paste.