Ellie -Mae still not well....

[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.

http://www.peteducation.com/article....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. 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.