Why does my kitten's breath smell bad after eating? Is it her food?

Halitosis (bad breath) in a kitten can be caused by oral infections such as gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) or feline stomatitis (inflammation of the oral mucous membranes at the back of the mouth). Teething can also cause bad breath. Another cause that is harmless is certain food like canned soft food can sometimes cause the kitten bad breath, for example, smoked oysters or canned tuna. Other causes such as kidney/liver disease and diabetes are less commonly found in kittens. I would suggest to take the kitten to your vet to examine the mouth and identify the cause.

Meshmesh should not have bad breath. He may have an infection in his mouth. If you are unsure or worried, you should have him examined by a veterinarian. He also needs his first vaccinations now and needs to be wormed as well.

At this age the bad breath might be because of teething, which occurs until the age of around 5 months of age, after that if the bad breath remains it's probably due to gum disease, which is very common in cats, in most cases it doesn't bother the cat and thus does not require treatment.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Bad breath could be a sign of a bad tooth. Smelling like fish could be Iayl licking his anal glands (sacs inside the rectum). If these glands get full or infected, cats will lick the area. I recommend taking Iayl to the vet for an exam of his mouth and anal glands. He may need to have a dental cleaning or have the glands expressed. Good luck!

I am concerned that there is something more going on with Morzule. At 6 weeks they can eat dry food. You can try some wet food but if he isn't eating still them I would get a check up on him. It may just be stress related but kittens can get sick and decline rapidly so making sure he is ok is important. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Bad breath has nothing to do with worms. It’s due to tartar buildup on the teeth and bacteria in the mouth. Just like if you never brushed your teeth you would have bad breath too. The best thing you can do is start brushing his teeth daily. You can watch a YouTube video on how to do this properly or you can consult with your local veterinarian to get instructions on how to brush his teeth.

I would guess that this is potentially food related, and if it is transient and he is doing well on his food otherwise there may not be anything to be worried about. If it bothers you, you could try changing his diet to another flavor or another brand altogether (I recommend sticking to foods by Purina, Hill's, Royal Canin, Iams or Eukanuba). You could also consider trying a probiotic supplement. Although Guido is young he could still also have a tooth problem and if the odor seems to be around all the time you may want to have your vet examine his mouth.