Help!!! Precious has stomatitis gingivitis!

[Catty1]

Hi, Gary:

I posted this in the other thread. Please ask your vet about more treatment...though I think the meds should do the job if the teeth are clean.

I THINK I heard about something that is good for cats' teeth if you put it in the drinking water...don't recall what it is.

But you might want to get some Hills or other good Dental Food for all the Found Cats to have as treats, to help clean their teeth(you don't want to face this again! ). If you can find a good online deal on Greenies, use them too.

Just give your vet a call, and double check.

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WHAT IS GINGIVITIS?

Gingivitis is the inflammation and infection of the gums due to both plaque and tartar buildup on the teeth. It will be evident by the gums being red and puffy, and they may be bleeding. The cat may show signs of having a sore mouth, drool more than normal and have bad breath. If left untreated gingivitis will lead to periodontitis. Gingivitis can also cause cavities along the gum line called neck lesion. These are very painful and should have fillings put in them or the teeth will be lost to decay.

WHAT IS PERIODONTITIS?

The bacteria that get under the gum line and cause gingivitis, if not treated, will cause deeper infection and breakdown of the structures and tissues that hold the teeth in the root socket. This is called periodontitis or periodontal disease. At this point the gums will be receding and there will likely be some bleeding and a foul odour from the mouth. There will often be pus present under the gum. If left untreated the infection will cause the bone of the tooth socket to resorb and recede. This results in the root of the tooth becoming exposed. There is a pocket where food and bacteria collect. Soon the tooth will become loose and cause severe pain and will have to be extracted. The bacteria causing the infection can get into bloodstream causing a bacteremia or blood poisoning. This can lead to serious problems such as heart and kidney disease.

Some cats can develop another severe dental disease called stomatitis, which is the formation of painful ulcers in the mouth. This condition can accompany severe gingivitis and periodontitis, or it can occur because of other diseases such as calicivirus, feline leukemia virus, and feline immunodeficiency virus. Every cat with stomatitis should be tested for these viruses.

[jenluckenbach]

You may need to have some or possibly even ALL of Precious's teeth pulled. Only the vet can decide which need to come out.

I have been through the stomatis with 3 of the cats. The first step is trying to control the imflamation with steriods. This usually works for a while. Sometimes there is also infection along with the imflamation that requires antibiotics. It was always hard for me to tell the difference between JUST imflamation and infection, so I always brought the cat to the vet for evaluation whenever I saw that they were not eating.

But usually, at some point the cat will need a radical dental. Amber had 2 dentals and so has Shilo. In both cases, When the vet went in the first time not all the teeth were bad enough to warrent pulling. But at the same time, they would still cause the swelling. So, when the steroids stopped working again, they needed to have the remainer of the teeth pulled.

Bonnie has had her first dental. She is doing well now with no medication, but I realize that in time she too will need more work. (She is next to impossible to pill, so she might get the steroid injections if needed).


Your best bet is to #1) watch to make sure she is eaing regularly. If she is not, then there is a good chance she has pain/swelling. And #2) have the vet do a dental taking as many teeth out as he feels is necessary. And #3) make sure to give any medicine that is needed. If you feel you cannot give pills, tell the vet!! There is usually an alternative. The steriods can be given in an injection. And antibiotics can be in liquid form, or even injectible if necessary.

I feed Shilo and Amber soft food only. Bonnie still insists on the dry food.

[catmandu]

Thank You Jen . I will give recious Fancy Feast privately and Whiskas Temptations as well. I will do what ever My Vets says as I do love My Precious.

[rg_girlca]

Oh Gary, prayers and positive thoughts on the way for your beloved Precious.

[Catlady711]

I don't always know the fancy names and dr. lingo for things. However if I understand what you are describing with the bad teeth and ulcers, does it look like this?


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We had a client's cat come in a few years ago with this problem. (yes we do sometimes take pix of the animals in surgery, and they are usually under anesthetic when we do it, we take them mostly for client education to show them why preventative measures are important) anyways....

As I recall with this particular cat we had to put it on antibiotics for a week or so before we could even attempt a dentistry because of infection risk. And when we did the dentistry they had to pull several teeth and put on quite a lot of antibiotics afterwards. As I recall the cat is still around and doing fairly well last I knew although the owner is definately more concious (sp?) of the importance of clean teeth.

[jenluckenbach]

WOW, that poor cat seems to have an EXTREEME case. None of mine were ever that bad.

[CultureJunky]

Oh Gary, I am so sorry to hear that Precious is ill, I don't know anything about this disease, but am sending prayers from myself, Kevin, and paws and headbutts to Precious from Jack & Sunny xx

[Laura's Babies]

Awww Gary! Don't panic yet! Catty has posted some good information and advice. A call to the vet to see what you need to do would be a good thing to do...