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My cat is drooling, chewing, and has bad breath. What's wrong?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | unneutered

My cat Oliver is starting to drool a little bit and he starts doing this weird chewing thing with his mouth when he has nothing in it. His breath also smells bad when you get close to his mouth. I can't afford a vet right now so I was wondering what was wrong and if there was anything I could do at home to help?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Sarah Derksen, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on January 30th, 2018

Hi. It sounds like Oliver has some severe dental disease. He most likely has gingivitis and possibly a painful, loose, or resorptive lesions on some teeth. Dental disease in cats can cause pain and discomfort.  This could impact quality of life. In some cases, the dental disease can cause a cat to stop eating. For dental disease, besides brushing teeth with pet toothpaste daily,  your veterinarian will recommend removing plaque and mineral buildup by scaling and polishing the teeth. Teeth will try to be saved wherever possible. In extreme cases, extraction of teeth might be needed.  Unfortunately a veterinarian will need to be involved. Look in to carecredit.com credit at carecredit.com as a possibility for a payment plan.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS

    Veterinarian

    Published on December 30th, 2017

    It's very likely to be due to a severe gum disease, which is quite common in cats. you will need to take Fred to the vet ASAP as he is not likely to be able to eat without treatment. there several approaches for treating this condition, depending on the severity and cause, once the condition is confirmed the vet will explain all the options.

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