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People often complain about the “wet dog” smell that seeps out of a dog
after a good romp in the rain. But we rarely hear complaints about the
smell of a wet cat. Or a dry cat, for that matter. Cats are fastidious
groomers and pride themselves on their cleanliness. Cat lovers know that
no self-respecting cat would allow itself to be caught emitting an
offensive odor.
Body
odors do serve a purpose in animals. They are important in species
recognition, mate selection, and social interaction. Interpreting the
significance of a pet’s body odor can be challenging for veterinarians,
as most clients insist on having a pleasant-smelling pet, or at worst, a
pet with no smell at all. It is up to the veterinarian to determine
whether the odor in question is a sign of disease, or whether it falls
into the realm of normal. As a veterinarian specializing in cats, I
find that the presence of a foul or unusual smell from a cat is almost
always a sign that something is amiss.
In
the latest edition of Ettinger’s Textbook of Veterinary Internal
Medicine, Dr. Karen Moriello, Clinical Professor of Dermatology at the
University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, describes a
scheme in which cats with problem body odors are divided into four broad
categories based on the patient history and physical examination
findings. There may be some overlap between groups. [See sidebar].
Category 1 would be a cat that the client feels is malodorous, but the
veterinarian does not. Fortunately, this is less of an issue in cats
than dogs. With no history or physical evidence of illness or skin
disease, and the veterinarian failing to find what he considers to be
any unusual odors during a head-to-tail,
top-to-bottom-including-ears-and-paws “sniff test”, the cat is
pronounced “normal”. Treatment is not required, although shampoo therapy
with a pleasant-scented shampoo may be appropriate if the client
insists. One notable exception is that of intact tomcats – they
sometimes have a rather pungent aroma. Another notable (and common)
exam-room scenario is the complaint that a foul odor appears “every now
and then”. Usually clients will describe a funky, musky, “fishy” odor
occasionally emanating from their cat. Often, when I examine the cat,
the smell in question is gone. In this situation, anal sac expression
is the most likely culprit. Cats (and dogs) have two small sac-like
glands just inside the anus that produce a sharp-smelling secretion.
Occasionally, this secretion will accumulate until the sacs become
full. The sacs may then empty their contents onto the fur or into the
immediate environment, especially if the cat becomes frightened or
excited. Dr. Jacqueline Nenner, a veterinarian and colleague at East
Side Animal Hospital in New York City, has her own fool-proof way to
convince skeptical clients. “If I suspect that anal gland secretion is
the cause of the mysterious odor, I will manually express the cat’s anal
glands in the exam room”, she says. “A minute or two later, as the
smell makes its way to the client’s nose, I’ll undoubtedly hear ‘Yes,
that’s the smell!’”. Occasional expression of the anal sacs is nothing
to worry about. Other anal sac diseases, however, such as abscesses or
tumors, are clearly a concern, and can lead to constant odor.
The
next category would be a stinky cat with an obvious cause. To become a
member of this group, the veterinarian should be able to tell
immediately what the cause of the smell is, whether it be urine, feces,
halitosis (bad breath), or having been sprayed by a skunk. What happens
next may vary, from simple recommendations on how to remove skunk odor,
to detailed discussions as to whether further diagnostics may be
necessary to elucidate the underlying cause, and which treatments might
be appropriate once a diagnosis is made. In my experience, halitosis is
the most common cause of obvious foul odor in cats. Dental disease,
oral cancer, and kidney failure are the most common causes of foul
breath seen in my feline practice.
The
third category would be cats with a systemic illness as a cause of the
foul odor. This is usually readily apparent to the veterinarian.
Abscesses, and oral or dental diseases are common illnesses associated
with odor. Urine and feces are common sources of odor in animals. Cats
can either be soiling themselves due to urinary or fecal incontinence,
or they may not be removing it from the haircoat due to an inability to
groom properly. In my cat practice, I see many cats that are unable to
groom their anal and genital region due to obesity. Arthritis is
another reason for difficulty in grooming. In some instances, cats
develop a foul odor because cats have simply stopped grooming
themselves, resulting in a greasy, matted hair coat. This should be a
warning flag for clients and veterinarians that a systemic illness
(diabetes, hyperthyroidism) may be present.
The
final category for fetid felines would be those with a skin problem.
This would include cats with an obvious skin disease, or a skin disease
discovered during a routine exam, or perhaps a history of past skin
disorders. This is by far the most common cause of unpleasant odors in
dogs. Fortunately, smelly skin diseases are much less common in cats.
While bacterial and yeast infections of the skin and ears are the most
common cause of foul odors in dogs, these types of infections are seen
much less frequently in cats, and when present, rarely produce odors as
offensive as that seen in dogs. “Ear infections are probably the biggest
cause of foul odors coming from cats in my practice” says Dr. Heather
Peikes, a board certified veterinary dermatologist at Animal Allergy and
Dermatology in New York City. “Some cats have terribly infected ears
that you can literally smell across the room, while others escape
detection until you kiss the cat on the head or nuzzle up close to it,
and then the odor becomes apparent”. Seborrhea, another familiar cause
of foul doggie smell (think of your neighbor’s greasy, oily cocker
spaniel), is relatively rare in cats. “Cats with autoimmune diseases,
in which the immune system attacks the cat’s skin, will occasionally
impart an unpleasant smell to the cat, but this is less common in cats
than in dogs” notes Dr. Peikes. Whether cats as a species are naturally
more resistant to skin disease, or whether their fastidious grooming
habits provide a natural defense against skin infections isn’t clear.
Regardless, skin disease in cats is not a significant cause of foul odor
in cats as it is in dogs.
Being
self-cleaning and being essentially odor-free are merely two of the
millions of reasons why cats make great pets. The presence of an unusual
or offensive odor could be a warning sign that your cat may have a
problem such as a systemic illness or a skin disorder, and a veterinary
visit is often necessary to determine the cause.
Sidebar: Categories of Foul-Smelling Felines
-
Normal smell – it’s all in your head
-
Foul smell due to an obvious cause – example: sprayed by a skunk
-
Foul smell due to systemic illness – example: uremic breath from
kidney failure
-
Foul smell due to skin disease – example: a bacterial skin infection
Updated 2/9/06 |
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