by Chris
(UK)

My cat came back from outdoors the day before yesterday and had obviously been fighting with another cat. Since then he is drooling loads and his breath smells rancid. I finally managed to get a hold of him today and noticed he has two small cuts on his tongue. Could this be causing these problems? I started panicking about rabies, but as far as I know, we don't have it in my country. I live in the UK.

We don't have much money and so don't want to rush off to the vet if it is not needed. Thanks

Dear Chris,

Cuts on cats’ tongues usually heal on their own and do not become infected. It may just be that you were more sensitive to your cat’s mouth condition because he had just returned from a cat fight. If your kitty has never had a professional dental cleaning, the odor from his breath could be the result of gingivitis or plaque buildup. The small cuts on your kitty’s tongue will likely heal on their own.

The odor could, however, be coming from a bite or scratch wound that could become infected somewhere else around his face. My best recommendation would be to look at your kitty’s teeth and gums if he will allow it, look in his ears, and to feel his entire body for any bite or scratch wounds. Cat bites can easily form abscesses and become infected.

Ultimately, the best thing for your kitty would be to have a thorough examination from a veterinarian. The cat illness symptoms you described may be the result of the cat fight, dental disease, or other feline diseases, and can really only be addressed by a veterinarian.

Best wishes,
Dr. Neely