bad breath

Question
hi,
I have a black cat and he is a little over a year.  I noticed that is breath is kinda odd/bad. so I looked in his mouth and he has black round spots on the ruff of his mouth. it seems like he might have some black on the sides of his gums, but it was hard to tell because of his black fur. he is on a vegan diet and I give him some fresh foos, he likes kale, avocdo and pumpkin. these all all in small amounts not very often.

Thanks, Robert

Answer
Robert,

Unfortunately cats are obligate carnivores and can't be healthy for too long on a vegan diet. There are amino acids and nutrients found in meat that aren't bio-available to cats in plant forms. If you would like to learn more about appropriate cat nutrition please check out www.catinfo.org - Dr. Lisa Pierson a veterinarian created this page to help pet parents understand the unique needs of their feline companions. If you would prefer not to make your cat's meat based food there are good quality canned cat foods that you could purchase.

The bad breath could be related to his inappropriate diet and impairments of organ function caused by the vegan diet, it also may be a dental issue. Either way this kitty needs to see a veterinarian immediately for a full blood panel and to have his heart and eyes evaluated for damage caused by his diet. The veterinarian should be made aware that this kitty has been on a vegan diet and for how long he's been getting these foods at the first appointment. If you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me again at any time. I'm more than happy to help in any way that I can.

Kind regards,

Ali