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My senior cat has a broken tooth and bad breath. Is it serious?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Maine Coon | Male | neutered | 20 lbs

Hi there I have a 13 year old orange maine coon cat named toothless, I adopted him maybe 6-7 months ago and iv been noticing some issues he's been having. For one his real name is buzz, but he had apparently broke it off one of his feline fangs (super close to his gums) hints why I changed his name to toothless. But anyway his tooth that is broken off is brown and makes his breath smells awful. I was just concerned on if that could cause him any problems or complications. Also he has what I call

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3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Rebecca, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on June 5th, 2017

Hi. Toothless is a cutie. If he is having halitosis (bad breath) and you can see a broken doscolored tooth he should see a vet. There is a good chance he may need a dental COHAT (comprehensive oral health assessment and treatment) which will include extraction of broken or diseases teeth. The odor you are noticing is likely due to infection. If you've ever had a tooth ache, you know Toothless is hurting! He will feel so much better once his teeth are treated. If you I'd another question please repost. It didn't come through on this one.

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    Answered By Rosemary Barber, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Good morning! Toothless is a handsome guy! Broken teeth definitely can cause problems. They are prone to infection, and can cause pain. Would you be able to take him in to see a vet to have his mouth checked? They might recommend extracting what remains of the fangs, and possibly some antibiotics.

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    Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS

    Veterinarian

    Published on June 3rd, 2017

    These are usually signs of gum disease, which is quite common in cats, you should take Alex to the vet in order to have his mouth cavity inspected, he might need a course of antibiotics, anti inflamatories and possibly a dental procedure as well.

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