Causes
The pathology can be primary or secondary, in which case inflammation is a sign of another, more serious disease. It could be:
- infection, stomatitis appears especially often if the gastrointestinal tract is affected (distemper, panleukopenia);
- diabetes mellitus, a general metabolic disorder allows pathogenic bacteria to easily multiply;
- problems with hormones;
- fungi.
Primary reasons include:
- poor hygiene: dirty feeding utensils, lack of brushing of teeth and gums;
- malocclusions and caries;
- trauma to the mucous membrane: too hard and hot food, sticks, twigs with which the cat can play, etc.;
- getting detergents or other household products into your mouth.
Leukemia
Leukemia in cats
Leukemia in cats leads to an immunodeficiency state, one of the symptoms of which is glossitis - inflammation of the tongue. Excessive salivation develops, the hair on the neck is constantly wet, and the cat looks unkempt. The skin peels off the tongue, the surface becomes smooth, and ulcers form. Another name is lymphosarcoma.
Animals under three years of age are susceptible. The leukemia virus is extremely contagious, however, the disease occurs when the immune system fails, caused by frequent stressful situations, improper living conditions and feeding.
In some cases, the animal copes with the virus without any treatment and clinical symptoms do not occur or appear sluggishly.
An alternative situation is that the pet’s condition quickly deteriorates and it dies before the onset of characteristic signs. Glossitis develops during the chronic course of the disease.
Other symptoms:
- anemia - weakness, pallor of mucous membranes;
- spontaneous bleeding;
- cough, runny nose;
- pregnant animals abort;
- lymph nodes enlarge.
The diagnosis is made by clinical signs, blood smear microscopy, serological reactions - RID, PCR. Symptomatic treatment can prolong life. If tumors have formed, the prognosis is unfavorable.
Prevention consists of comfortable housing, a balanced diet, and regular treatments against arthropods and helminths. The Purevax FeLV vaccine protects against leukemia.
Symptoms
Signs of the disease differ depending on the type of disease, but similar symptoms can still be noted.
- salivation;
- bad breath; increased thirst;
- You may notice that your cat has difficulty eating or is refusing to eat.
If you look into your pet's mouth, you will see redness of the gums, wounds and ulcerations, and bleeding of the affected areas.
Squamous cell carcinoma
Glossitis due to squamous cell carcinoma
Malignant neoplasms in the mouth develop in cats over 5 years of age. The occurrence of a tumor is facilitated by congenital predisposition, papillomatosis, and immunodeficiency states.
In addition to ulceration in the mouth cavity, the following signs of cancer are observed:
- halitosis;
- exhaustion;
- diarrhea and vomiting;
- difficulty defecating;
- painful urination;
- lameness;
- intermittent breathing.
The diagnosis is established by clinical signs, standard blood analysis and biochemistry, ultrasound, x-ray, and histological examination of the biopsy specimen.
The treatment strategy is developing in the following directions:
- radiation therapy;
- chemotherapy;
- use of immunomodulators;
- surgical removal.
The prognosis for treatment ranges from questionable to unfavorable.
Types of disease
Catarrhal.
During this type of stomatitis, the cat’s body temperature often rises, the mucous membrane becomes very red and swollen, and drooling practically flows in a stream. With timely treatment, there are practically no complications.
Ulcerative.
Sores appear on the cheeks and gums. The cat drinks a lot and eats practically nothing. Without treatment, the wounds enlarge and grow. The gums suffer greatly, which means the teeth become loose. Self-healing does not occur with this type, so competent therapy is necessary.
Phlegmonous.
The mucous membranes become whitish or bluish. Pus is released from the lesions. All other features are also preserved.
Gangrenous.
The most dangerous type, with it tissue necrosis already occurs; bacteria, along with the bloodstream, quickly spread throughout the body. The animal is severely depressed, all symptoms of stomatitis are clear. The lips and cheeks swell, the breath no longer just smells bad, but an unbearable stench arises. Remember, gangrene is extremely dangerous, it can lead to sepsis and death.
Calcivirosis
Ulcers on the tongue due to calcivirosis.
Unvaccinated kittens older than two months get sick.
The main clinical symptoms are ulcerative stomatitis and conjunctivitis. High infestation and abundance of fleas increase susceptibility to the disease. Most often, kittens become infected in nurseries with crowded housing and unbalanced feeding. Mortality reaches up to 30%.
In the acute course of the disease, in addition to those mentioned, the following symptoms are observed:
- profuse salivation;
- halitosis - stench from the mouth;
- lameness - appears suddenly and disappears after a few days;
- sneezing;
- in severe cases of the disease, pneumonia develops;
- convulsions occur;
- fear, the cat tries to hide, or vice versa, aggression.
Before death, diarrhea and vomiting occur. In adult pets up to two years of age, the disease occurs with signs of mild malaise or asymptomatic.
The cause of the disease is determined by the clinic, anamnesis is collected, a general blood test is performed, and the pathogen is identified by PCR. Treatment is carried out in the clinic.
The following groups of drugs are used:
- antiviral antibodies - hyperimmune gamma globulin Vitafel, used for the first 2 days of treatment;
- immunomodulators: Maxidin; Fosprenil; Feliferon;
- detoxicants: Ringer-Locke solution or analogues;
- mouth sanitation products - Chlorhexidine, Lugol's solution;
- eye drops;
- restoratives - Gamavit, Katozal.
Be sure to read:
What causes growths on the pads of cats front or back paws?
It is painful for the kitten to chew, so dry food is soaked or wet food is used. Prevention - comfortable keeping, adequate nutrition, immunization of kittens and adult animals before mating, regular extermination of worms and fleas.
Treatment
Stomatitis brings a lot of discomfort and pain to the cat, so it is necessary to go to the clinic so that the veterinarian can accurately determine the cause of the disease. With secondary stomatitis, treatment takes quite a long time.
Biochemical blood and urine tests and oral culture are required. In severe situations, even surgical treatment, tooth extraction under local or general anesthesia, removal of tartar, etc. are indicated.
For mild forms of the disease, therapy is carried out at home. A thorough examination is necessary; stomatitis may be caused by an object stuck in the mouth.
After eating, you will need to irrigate or rinse your pet's mouth with infusions of herbs: chamomile, oak bark, St. John's wort. It is possible to use local antiseptics, such as Chlorhexidine, Miramistin. You can also use weak solutions of potassium permanganate or hydrogen peroxide, but it is better not to abuse them, otherwise you may injure the mucous membrane even worse.
For small ulcers, you can use special ointments (Actovegin, Mexidol, Levomekol, Cholisal).
A special diet is required. Do not feed your cat dry food or hard foods. It is better to use soft, ground food.
For a bacterial infection, the treatment regimen includes broad-spectrum antibiotics, which will be prescribed by a specialist, because it is important to choose the right dosage and duration of use.
For fungus, antifungal agents are prescribed.
Additionally, painkillers and antipyretics are used.
The doctor will recommend that you strengthen your pet’s immunity and prescribe special supplements and vitamins.
What does a cat's bad breath and drooling mean?
The causes of unpleasant odor include diseases of the oral cavity or teeth; such problems are more typical for cats from 1 to 3 years old . For older individuals, pathologies in the functioning of internal organs are added to these problems. Halitosis is a rare manifestation in animals under 1 year of age, but it does happen.
What to do if your cat smells like rot, acetone or rotten meat?
If an animal smells urine from its breath, it may be due to diabetes. In the case of a rotten and putrid smell, it may be problems with the esophagus, stomach or intestines.
A rotten smell may indicate cheap dry food, which can cause stomach and intestinal diseases. In this case, you can switch feeding to natural food, which should help.
When caring for your cat, you should remember to brush his teeth. If putrid odors occur, it should be taken to a veterinarian to understand the exact cause. Then receive the necessary treatment.
What to do if your kitten smells like rotten fish or rotten eggs
In most cases, the appearance of such odors is associated with diseases of the teeth and oral cavity. In this case, it is worth treating the teeth for plaque and tartar, and, if necessary, the oral cavity. When there are lesions in the oral cavity, they can be treated with any antiseptic medications (miramistin or chlorhexidine).
This treatment is usually administered by a veterinarian. For the normal condition of the oral cavity, constant prevention is needed in the form of regular teeth brushing, which must be taught from an early age. This will help avoid putrefactive processes in the cat's mouth.
Bad breath as a sign of worms
To avoid problems with bad breath caused by worms, it is enough to carry out preventive and regular persecution of parasites.
What to do when there is an unpleasant odor and your cat is drooling from its mouth?
Any cat in its normal condition does not have any odors, but if it does, then there are some problems.
Cheap dry food leads to illness. When such food becomes the cause of the smell, the food is made more balanced or the pet is completely switched to natural food.
In a situation with drooling, drool with an odor emanating from the mouth is released, it can be assumed that the cat has a foreign body or has developed stomatitis. Including a bad odor is a consequence of a viral infection, where the cause may be kidney failure. Under such circumstances, you need to consult a veterinarian and add special food to your cat’s diet. For any disease, treatment and necessary medications are prescribed by a veterinarian.
What does the smell from a cat’s mouth mean when changing teeth , after feeding, during the birth and postpartum period, and with chronic renal failure?
A bad odor from a cat's mouth may indicate an incorrect cycle of changing teeth from milk to molars. Also, the milk teeth may not fall out, but the molars have already grown in, which has formed an incorrect bite. Including if food gets stuck in the teeth, it can contribute to the development of a putrefactive process, hence the smell. In the case of extra missing milk teeth, you need to contact a specialist to remove them.
No direct relationship was found with the appearance of odors from the cat’s mouth during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Therefore, you should contact a veterinarian.
If there is chronic renal failure, then the cat's mouth emits ammonia or the smell of urine. Afterwards, you need to consult with a veterinarian and then give the cat special food Renal Special. Contraindications for this food include: growth, lactation, pregnancy. You need to give food for 6 months, then check again. If the problem is eliminated, feeding this food is stopped. If the treatment result from the food is negative, then the cat switches to this food forever.
Why does my cat's breath smell like acetone?
If a cat owner smells acetone from the mouth, this may indicate diabetes. This disease is characterized by increased water consumption and frequent urination.
Prevention
The basic rules of prevention include the following points.
- Regular teeth cleaning. Accustom your pet to this procedure from childhood, then you will not have problems. Pet stores sell special brushes and pastes.
- Check the condition of your pet's oral cavity, then you can notice changes at an early stage and take appropriate measures.
- Make sure you eat properly and drink enough fluids.
- Vaccinate your pet according to age, isolate it from sick animals if necessary.
- Maintain hygiene when feeding. Wash bowls thoroughly and change water.
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Diagnosis of saliva flow in a cat
When there is a bad odor from the mouth, or there is a protruding tongue with an active flow of saliva , it means that it is necessary to carry out a diagnosis in order to subsequently carry out the correct treatment.
- The veterinarian first examines the oral cavity to identify foreign bodies.
- The second rule is to examine the tongue and teeth for inflammation in the oral cavity, chips, and wounds.
- They do an x-ray and an ultrasound if a foreign object is stuck in the esophagus.
- To determine helminths, a blood and stool test is performed.
- To identify problems with the genitourinary system, a urine test is performed.