If Your Dogs Breath Smells Like Fish
Most of our dogs breath doesnt smell great becauselets be honest heremost of us pet parents do not brush our dogs teeth on a regular basis. However, fishy smelling breath may signal a problem due to one of the following reasons:
Dental Issues
Fish-scented breath may indicate a dental problem in your dog. Periodontal disease is caused by infection and inflammation of the structures that surround and support the teeth. Periodontal disease is the most common disease seen in dogs and is present in up to 84 percent of dogs over the age of three . If you lift your dogs lips and see a large amount of tartar, which looks like yellow or brown material stuck to your dogs teeth, or red or puffy gums, your dog may have periodontal disease. Periodontal disease should be treated by your veterinarian as soon as possible to stop it from progressing.This disease is best treated with regular professional dental cleanings under anesthesia and daily home dental care.
Broken or abscessed teeth may also lead to fishy-smelling breath in dogs, so make sure to have your dogs mouth and teeth examined by a veterinarian to rule out any specific tooth problems.
Gastrointestinal Disorders
Dogs with food allergies or food intolerances may burp excessively and have trouble digesting food which can lead to fishy breath. If your veterinarian suspects that your dog has a food allergy, she may recommend feeding your dog a prescription hypoallergenic diet.
Ear Cleaningeasy Does It
Ear cleaning is important for a number of reasons. Accumulated debris can make it difficult for topical medications to penetrate and effectively kill the mites, and the ear discharge itself can predispose the cat to secondary bacterial and yeast infections. In some cases, the accumulated discharge may be so severe that it plugs the external ear canal, preventing the cat from hearing normally.But ear cleaning must be done with special care. Flushing or blind probing of the ears can cause serious problems, including rupture of the eardrums. In some instances, the cats eardrums will already be damaged as a result of infection, and vigorous cleaning makes things worse. If one or both eardrums are perforated or ruptured, infection can spread to the middle and inner ears. It is also possible for ear cleaners and medications to cause deafness if the eardrum is not intact. In fact, many commonly used products are ototoxic, meaning that if they flow past the eardrum into the middle ear, they will irreversibly damage the specialized nerve cells there.
But caregivers can learn techniques to gently and safely clean cats ears. First and foremost, never aggressively flush the ear with a bulb syringe, or blindly probe it with a Q-tip.
Best Odor Control Dog Shampoo
If you ever took a whiff of your dogs paws and smelled a fishy, Freetos corn chip type odor, it could be yeast. Yeast tends to build up in between paw pads, in skin folds, a dogs ears, and other hot, moist areas of his body. After consulting with your vet to confirm yeasty paws, stop future outbreaks by keeping paw pads dry and clean. Keep paw pads clean year-round with Great Clean cleansing wipes specifically designed for dogs.
Highlights
- Ideal for hard-to-reach areas like cracks and crevices of dog paws
- Rich in conditioning ingredients like aloe and oatmeal
- The handy 60-wipe container is ideal for travel
- Multipurpose wipes remove mud, dirt, and debris anywhere, anytime
- Time-saving dander and excess hair remover in between baths
- Take them camping, hiking, and on walks for any unexpected messes or accidents
- Made in the USA with a light piña colada scent
Things to Consider
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How To Treat A Cat Ear Infection
Ear infections always need to be treated by a veterinarian, says Grant. Left alone they can spread to the inner ear. If unchecked, ear infections can lead to scarring, narrowing of the ear canal, and sometimes deafness.
At the clinic, your veterinarian will swab your cat’s ear and look at it under a microscope to determine the exact cause of infection: mites, yeast, or bacteria. Most of the time, your vet will prescribe a topical medication to rub onto your cat’s ear unless the infection is severe and calls for an oral medication.
Your cat should start to feel better within a few days of treatment, Grant says. But it’s important to complete the entire course of treatment recommended by your veterinarian to fully eliminate the problem so it doesn’t reoccur.
Types Of Ear Infection
There are three parts of the ear that can become infected.
This page deals with the most common type of ear infection – an outer ear infection. If an infection travels deep into the ear, it may cause a more serious middle or inner ear infection.
Outer ear infections are more common, but an infection can travel deeper
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What Youll Need To Clean Your Cats Ears
Cleaning your cats ears will likely take some practice, but these at-home cleanings can actually be quite easy. Heres what youll need to begin:
- Ear Cleaning SolutionThis is very important, since putting the wrong solution into your cats ears could lead to deafness, balance problems, or other issues. Ask your veterinarian for a recommendation.
- GauzeUse gauze to clean, wipe, and dry the inside of your cats ears. You can pick up gauze squares at most human pharmacies. You can also use cotton balls, cotton makeup rounds, or even a tissue. Just dont use cotton swabs to clean out your cats ears, as you could damage their eardrums.
- A TowelYou can gently wrap your cat in the towel in a purrito, but remember less is better in terms of restraint. Having a towel on-hand is also useful for drying surfaces after your cat shakes the solution out of their ears.
- A PartnerDepending on your cat, it may be easier for a second person to hold your cat while you clean their ears.
- TreatsOffer treats throughout the process to reward your cat and help them have a positive association with ear cleanings.
How To Prevent Stinky Cat Breath
If you notice your cats breath has started to smell, you can prevent this problem from worsening. Whether youre trying to reverse bad breath in cats or you want to prevent this problem in your pet, follow these tips:
- Schedule routine vet visits: Your vet can check for health problems that may be causing bad breath and perform professional teeth cleanings to remove tartar and plaque buildup. If you have specific concerns about your cats breath, you can bring them up to your vet.
- Brush your cats teeth: You can promote fresh breath and a healthy mouth between professional cleanings by brushing your cats teeth every day.
- Adjust your cats diet: Talk to your vet about how you can prevent stinky cat breath by changing your pets food while still ensuring the proper nutrition.
Dental health is often overlooked in cats, so by paying close attention to their breath and properly cleaning their teeth, you can help prevent further tooth decay.
Ready to take the next step in improving your cats bad breath? Schedule a professional dental cleaning at Village Vet of Urbana today!
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Symptoms Of Ear Discharge In Cats
The primary clinical sign of ear discharge in cats is a thick, irregularly colored wax buildup inside one or both ears. The discharge may or may not promote a foul smell, but almost all felines respond to the excess discharge with scratching. Additional signs of ear discharge to watch for in your cat include:
- Head shaking
- Large amount of earwax buildup
Bad Odors Could Be A Sign Of Illness
One of the best parts of owning a cat is the low-maintenance aspect. Usually, a simple, once-a-day scoop of the litter box is about all the maintenance a cat needs other than food and waterand, of course, affection.But sometimes, these normally very clean creatures can develop grooming or skin issues that can cause them to smell bad.If your cat normally kept him or herself clean but suddenly develops an odor or poor grooming habits, it may be time to take them to the vet or give them a little extra boost to keep them fresh.There are five common reasons a cat may develop odors, which include:Some of these issues can be corrected, and some will mean that you will need to give your cat extra care.
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Preventing Cat Ear Problems
To help your cats ears stay perky and pest-free, check inside their ears regularly for signs of wax buildup, inflammation, or odor. If you notice a problem, its time to talk to your veterinarian.
Cats ears are expressive, beautiful — and very fragile. To avoid damaging the eardrum or packing wax deep into the ear, never insert anything into your cats ears or use over-the-counter medication unless your vet has shown you the proper way to do so.
Its easy to interpret a cats ear discharge as mites when its something else, or to leave a mild infection untreated until it becomes serious or chronic. Dont leave your cats comfort to guesswork — always talk to your vet when you suspect ear problems.
S For Cleaning Your Cats Ears
If there isnt too much debris in the ears and your veterinarian has cleaned the ear initially, you can begin cleaning your cats ears.
Sit in a comfortable position and hold your cat in your lap.
Grasp the tip of their ear flap and gently pull it back.
Flood the ear with solution you should squeeze in enough to fill the ear canal .
Massage the base of the ear for 510 seconds with your finger wrapped in gauze to allow the cleaning solution to work. Allow your cat to shake their head to get out any of the excess solution.
Wrap dry gauze around your finger and gently wipe the excess liquid or debris out of the ear canal.
Repeat with your cats other ear.
While it may take some time to get your cat used to having their ears cleaned, with the right supplies, patience, and gentle handling, you can help them keep their ears clean at home .
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How Ear Infections In Cats Are Diagnosed
Your vet will start by using an otoscope to look into your cats ear canal, then taking a sample of ear debris to examine under a microscope to determine whether bacteria, yeast, or ear mites are causing the issue. If you bring your cat in for routine exams, your vet may be able to detect early signs of infection before they develop into long-term problems. We also have an in-house laboratory that allows us to perform tests and receive results quickly and effectively.
Could It Be Bad Breath Mouth Or Tooth Issues In Cats
Sometimes cats, especially older ones, can develop bad breath. This, in turn, affects the quality of their saliva. So when they groom themselves, the bad smell from their mouth transfers to their coat.If you have more than one cat and that cats groom each other, it may also make the other cats smell bad.You will need to examine your cats mouth and see if their breath might be the culprit. Bad breath is usually caused by tooth decay or can also be a sign of chronic illness such as kidney failure.Either issue will require a vet visit for either a tooth extraction and cleaning or possible treatments to help the cat with kidney function loss .
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Symptoms Of Ear Infection In Cats
If your feline friend is rubbing their ear or looking otherwise uncomfortable, your pet may have an ear infection. Other common symptoms of ear infection that your cat might display include:
- Ear discharge resembling coffee grounds
- Yellowish or black discharge
- Swelling or redness in the ear canal
- Hearing loss
- Waxy buildup near or on the canal
- Disorientation
- Swelling or redness of the ear flap
- Strong odor from the ear
Healthy cat ears are pale pink in color and have no visible debris, or odor, and very little wax buildup. When a cat’s ear becomes infected they are often red or swollen, or will have an odor.
Check Your Smelly Cat For Signs Of Infection
Sometimes, if an animal has an infection, it may smell bad. Infections can hide, especially if the cat has longer fur that could hide any injuries or wounds easily. Check the cat carefully, noticing any tender spots. Also check for fleas, as reactions to flea bites can turn into scabby sores that can, in turn, smell bad.If your cat does have an infection, they most likely will need an antibiotic issued by a licensed vet to help clear it up.
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Why Does My Dog Smell Like Fish
While there are lots of funky odors that can come from our pups, the fishy smell is one of the most off-putting. Unfortunately, its also a fairly common stench for your pup to omit. Sometimes bad smells such as a fishy scent from our pup are part of their natural flora.
There are a variety of different culprits for the fishy smell. Its important you identify the source to make sure the stench isnt a sign of a bigger issue.
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Why Is My Cat Sniffing Me More Than Usual
The reasons why your cat might be sniffing more than usual are numerous, but mostly it is about getting to know you better.
Your cat relies on its sense of smell to get to know you. It can pick up information from your skin, hair, and clothes to tell it who you are and what mood youre in.
A cat can smell the difference between one human and another, so it makes sense that your little furry friend wants to smell you to know who you are this also allows them to recognize your scent if they havent seen or heard from you in a while.
This may sound odd to some people, but it is perfectly normal for a cat, which will naturally recognize scents as a way of determining information about others . With this in mind, consider the fact that your smell is unique from others or even from yourself on different days.
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When To Treat Bad Cat Breath
If left untreated, the condition causing your cats bad breath could worsen and lead to serious health problems. To prevent this, watch for these signs that you should speak to your vet about your cats halitosis:
- Brown teeth: Tartar buildup makes your cats teeth turn brown, especially near the gum line. This problem definitely needs attention if its accompanied by drooling, inflamed gums, and difficulty eating.
- Sweet or fruity breath: This may seem better than a rotten odor coming from your pets mouth, but saccharine breath could be a sign of feline diabetes, especially if your cat is also drinking and urinating more frequently.
- Ammonia breath: The smell of urine in your cats mouth could be a symptom of kidney disease.
- Vomiting, loss of appetite, or yellow-tinged eyes and gums: See a vet right away if your cats bad breath is accompanied by these symptoms because they could be signs of a serious liver problem.
If your cat is showing any of these symptoms, give us a call at 228-0681 or contact us online. Well help you determine why your cats breath stinks and what you can do about it.
How To Recognise An Ear Mite Infection
Your feline friend scratching its ears regularly is usually the first sign of a parasite infection. Infected cats tend to shake their heads and hold it in an angle. You may notice a dark coloured discharge in ear which may be coupled with an offensive smell. Pets might scratch the infected area and alopecia may be spotted on the ear, head and face.
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What Is Ear Discharge
Irregular ear discharge in cats is commonly referred to as otitis in the veterinary world, as otitis means inflammation of the ear. Tumors, allergens, parasites, and infections can all cause ear discharge otitis, leading to painful, pruritic ears. A feline with infectious ear discharge will scratch her ears profusely, which often progresses to eardrum rupture and permanent damage to the ear in general. Ear discharge in cats is regularly misdiagnosed by cat owners incorrect treatment will cause the condition to worsen. Ear discharge in cats must be diagnosed and treated by a veterinarian to avoid secondary ear trauma to the feline.
Ear discharge in cats in a thick, waxy substance that prevents particles from entering the inner portions of the ears. In a healthy cat, the ears will have very little ear wax and the discharge will be a light brownish color. The healthy discharge will have no smell and be accompanied by a pink, clean inner ear canal. However, black, dark brown, or irregularly pigmented discharge in a cats ears, accompanied by a foul smell, is a red flag to a health problem. Ear mites and yeast infections account for the majority of abnormal ear discharge cases in felines, but the condition can also be caused by bacteria, immune-related conditions, and drug reactions, as well as allergies.
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Since Primary Ear Infections Are Uncommon In Cats Should I Be Concerned That Something Else Is Going On
“Normally cats are very resistant to ear infections.”
Normally cats are very resistant to ear infections. Therefore, if a cat develops otitis externa, and especially if it recurs, it is necessary to look for an underlying cause such as an ear mite infestation, an unusual shape of the ear canal, or a disease affecting the cat’s immune system.
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