Ellie -Mae still not well....

[carole]

I am really concerned about my Ellie, even after finishing her steriods, i can tell things are not right with her mouth, since her dental over two months ago we have been battling with this, she has had so much medication, antibiotics, sterioids, injections and pills, you name it we have tried it.

I am going to have to take her back to see Gabe, but someone here mentioned chronic gingivitis, after reading that article i am sure that is what we are dealing with, it say's it is often hard to treat, and unfortunately it seems the case with my Ellie, i feel so sorry for her having a painful mouth all the time.

She has been eating reasonably well, but i mash all her soft food up and sometimes i have to encourage her to eat,i am sure it hurts at times,it breaks my heart to know that,and i am sure the steroids helped her appetite along some what.

I feel very stressed, wondering what we can do for her,gosh that previous owner has a lot to answer for who neglected this wee girl for so long,makes my blood boil.

Please keep her in your thoughts, and any ideas much appreciated.

[Taz_Zoee]

Oh, I am so sorry to hear about Ellie-Mae. It is so difficult when they are not feeling well. And when there's not much you can do, it's even worse. :(

I will keep you and Ellie-Mae in my thoughts.

[kb2yjx]

I am sorry to read about Ellie-Mae. We had a cat, Raven, whose mouth was so neglected by her previous owner. In the first year that Raven lived with us, ALL her teeth were removed. Raven did really well after all the bad teeth were gone!!! When she was mad at me, she would gum my arm!!!! We sure miss our Princess.....Good luch with Ellie-Mae!!!

[carole]

Thank you everyone, yes i am not certain if total teeth removal is the answer here, but will discuss with my vet, she has picked up some today and eaten well, not sure whether to just keep an eye on her this weekend and maybe go a bit later, she is does not appear to be in discomfort as such, but i strongly suspect things are not normal in the mouth.

Oh yes i find it quite stressful dealing with two sick cats,not my idea of joy, i can tell you, but i can only do my best for them, and that i am.

Fingers and paws crossed we can get Ellie back to normal and this problem sorted once and for all, but from what i read, it is ongoing and chronic, so i am not holding my breath for such a positive outcome, but you never know eh?

[Medusa]

My RB Puddy had gingivitis and Dr. Lee gave me a bottle of Chlorhexadine to squirt on her gums and it seemed to help. Maybe talk to your vet about it.

[carole]

i will mention it to him , thanks Mary, i also read you can put on an antiseptic gel, for cats who one finds too hard to brush their teeth, i dare not even go near her mouth,she does not particularly like that i can tell you, not that i blame her, will discuss all the possible treatments other than steroids, maybe they will give her another injection,i really don't know , she is eating really well today, so i might go early next week, rather than tomorrow, depends on how she is tomorrow, hopefully they might be able to sneak me in.

[slick]

Awww, poor little girl. My RB Speckles has a mild case just a few months before she passed. I didn't do anything for it because she ate well and didn't appear to be in any discomfort. She even ate dry food.

Prayers on the way Carole. I hope she can find some relief soon.

[carole]

Thanks Slick, i did not go in the weekend to the vet, as she seemed ok and was eating like a horse, so i am keeping a very close eye on her, and may just take her in wed night for a check up anyhow.,fingers and all paws crossed she is improving.

[mrspunkysmom]

I feel very stressed, wondering what we can do for her,gosh that previous owner has a lot to answer for who neglected this wee girl for so long,makes my blood boil.

Please keep her in your thoughts, and any ideas much appreciated.

Do you give him tap water or bottled water?

Sam has the same trouble, so I took him for a dental, then had to go back three months later for more meds. A friend suggested I try bottled water. Sam hasn't had to go back since. There have been some minor flares with stinky breath but nothing that stopped him from eating and he eats mainly dry-food.

I rinse the bowl with filtered tap water and then dry it before putting more water in.

Good luck and don't forget to check the source of the water on the bottle.

[Catty1]

I hope dear Ellie is still eating like a champ!

Re: water - I use a pitcher with a filter in it, and my cats get that water. Might be worth a try.

I started doing that when, years ago, I had a cat and my roommate had two- and my cat ALWAYS went to the other cats' water dish, which was filtered. Apparently it tastes more like rainwater, cause there is no chemicals in it. I guess cats have really sensitive noses, because I never noticed it. But my cat zeroed in on that filtered water!

[Medusa]

I hope dear Ellie is still eating like a champ!

Re: water - I use a pitcher with a filter in it, and my cats get that water. Might be worth a try.

I started doing that when, years ago, I had a cat and my roommate had two- and my cat ALWAYS went to the other cats' water dish, which was filtered. Apparently it tastes more like rainwater, cause there is no chemicals in it. I guess cats have really sensitive noses, because I never noticed it. But my cat zeroed in on that filtered water!

My Fur Posse will choose filtered water over tap water every time so that's what I put in their fountains.

[carole]

well i don't know about the filtered water theory, i don't even drink filtered water myself,not really an affordable commodity for me, or the kitties, but thanks for the suggestions, i will still keep it in mind, she is eating really well again today, i still notice some redness in her gums though, but for now she is holding her own, will just keep very close eye on her for any signs of discomfort and whip her in to the vet if need be,keeping a positive mind about it all and hoping for the best.

[Medusa]

well i don't know about the filtered water theory, i don't even drink filtered water myself,not really an affordable commodity for me, or the kitties, but thanks for the suggestions, i will still keep it in mind, she is eating really well again today, i still notice some redness in her gums though, but for now she is holding her own, will just keep very close eye on her for any signs of discomfort and whip her in to the vet if need be,keeping a positive mind about it all and hoping for the best.

A Brita water pitcher is very inexpensive, Carole. I can't recall what I paid for mine but it was really affordable. You put tap water in it and it filters the water, so you don't have to fuss w/water filters on your tap, etc. :)

[carole]

Yes Mary I have often wanted one for ourselves, not sure our budget will allow it, and really not sure it will make a difference, i am not dismissing the idea, but will think upon it,i guess i have to be able to justify an expenditure,by knowing it will make a difference, as we are on a pretty tight budget.

However i do really appreciate everyone's ideas, advice and concern, be sure of that.

[carole]

just thought i would give you all an update, Ellie is doing much better now, she is very hungry on those steroids, but rather fussy all the same, but much improved eating today and her gums look pink rather than bright red, so i guess all the treatment is doing something, she will be on steroids permanently though i expect, which i am not too happy about,however if it is the only way we can keep her mouth from being sore, it is what we have to do, there is another drug but it is just way too expensive, and there is no guarantee it is any better, it is like over 4 dollars a day, where as the steroids are only 13.80 per 3mths.

Anyhow progress has been made, so let us all hope it she continues to get better.,fingers and all paws crossed.

[krazyaboutkatz]

Thanks for the update. I'm glad to hear that she's doing better already and I hope that the pred will continue to help her.:)

[Catty1]

I hope she continues to heal; it's great that she can enjoy her food more. :)

[carole]

I was talking to the lady at the cats protection league who had dealt with chronic gingivitis problems many times, the news was not good, i already knew the condition was really difficult to treat, but she said often the steroids and injections work for a while then begin to loose their effectiveness, and usually the cats have to be PTS,although they can live some years.

I was in complete shock hearing that, and i will be asking my vet, there is no way i want to loose my Ellie in a few years time, she is only 9 yrs old, and i cannot bear the thought of that , it is bad enough dealing with the knowledge my Old Ash has limited time with us.

Can anyone enlighten me, i feel very upset knowing this, i just thought we could go on treating her for years until she reached old age, and as long as she was on treatment she would be ok,and taking the whole lot of her teeth out is not an option i am going for, as she said they had done that , and it never worked.,if there were guarantees it would, i would do it.

She also said that a lot of ginger cats tend to get it, Ellie has ginger in her, but she is my calico in the my siggy.

She does have a lot of experience with cats, dealing with them for years in the shelter and helping them, so i do respect that and i have to think that what she is saying is correct, but i fear that it is.

[kokopup]

I have read many different studies on the problem and all say that extraction of all pre molars and molars is the only way to get complete relief. The anti-inflammatory therapy with cortisone and immunostimulants such as immunoregulin may give temporary relief but extraction is the only permanent solution.

www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=1+2121&aid=368 -
www.cfa.org/articles/health/gingivitis.html
www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?aid=998 -

[katladyd]

I've heard that extraction does, indeed, work most excellently for this problem. But...I'm not a vet and I would get several opinions from different vets on this. I do know that several years ago, my son had to be on pred for allergies and the doctors told me that it is not good to take it long-term. Now that was for a teenage boy, cats may be completely different. This is why you need several opinions.

[kokopup]

I do know that several years ago, my son had to be on pred for allergies and the doctors told me that it is not good to take it long-term. Now that was for a teenage boy, cats may be completely different. This is why you need several opinions.

The taking of any corticosteroid type of drug long term can create a multitude of problems. If used in the mouth it causes thinning of the tissue of the gums and palliate. After radiation treatment I developed an autoimmune disorder of the mouth that required the taking of corticosteroid drugs to keep my condition under control. I was limited to the time I could take the drugs because of the adverse effects. It would be the same for cats as well.

[carole]

No actually it is not the same for cats, cats tolerate taking steroids extremely well, not like us humans, and even dogs have a problem with them, i am not saying they are without any side effects long term, but it is the only treatment available for her,she has already had two molars extracted, i was talking about having the whole mouth done, and i am not for that, as there is no proof that this actually works.

I am determined to find something that will work for her, even if it is alternative medicine, i am not prepared to loose my girl in a few years due to this, surely there must be something we can do other than a treatment that works only for a certain length of time.

yes i have read those articles before, but thank you for the links , i read them all again,she was so neglected before i adopted her, it is no wonder she is in this state now,and the flu virus could have played a big part in it by the sound of it.,of course she is vaccinated now, but they still get it, which she did just recently after her dental.Maybe she will need more teeth removed,just have to see how it all goes i guess.

[Medusa]

Carole, someone told me to visit a wholistic vet located near me for Creamsicle and I just may, although it'll probably be expensive. She's on Prednisolone and she's become downright fat. I'm hoping the wholistic vet could find something else for her allergies. How available is wholistic veterinary medicine where you are?

[carole]

Mary sadly i don't think it even exists here down under, but i will do a check online , one never knows.

[katladyd]

My thoughts and prayers are with sweet Ellie-Mae.:love: May she be healed completely!:)

[carole]

Thank you all for your kind words, i am sure if Ellie-Mae could speak human she would say it for herself too.
She is doing ok at the moment, things have improved in her mouth, i can tell by the way she is eating, i mash all her soft food, but she is managing to eat some of it which is not mashed , she even ate some cooked chicken,so that is all a good sign, of course it could all change at any time, but i am thinking positive, her breath is better although not perfect,and she can do her big yawns, without any bother, she seems to not be trembling with her mouth when eating either.

So all fingers and paws crossed and keep those PT prayers a coming, thanks, she needs each and everyone of them.:)