Dont understand

[mrspunkysmom]

If she has gingivitis or stomatitus, she will not engage in any activities that cause her mouth pain. (If she's that hungry she might eat anyway, but not enough to maintain weight.) I would suggest giving her bottled water, distilled, instead of tap water. The minerals and additives in tap water can irritate gum problems.

Chronic mouth infections, gums and teeth, can lead to sinus and ear infections. Ear infections can make the gums hurt. And so on.

My vet just started treating Sam with a steroid injection every 6 weeks or so. We are currently evaluating him to see how many weeks he can go without another injection. The other vets just wanted to do surgery. Sam has chronic stomatitus which was greatly helped with bottled water. He does have occasional flares which we are trying to prevent.

Listen to your vet and weigh all the options.

She will groom when she feels better.

Let us know how she does.

[djm123]

The water is a good idea but even before this happened she did not drink much..Now how to get her to drink water?

[Karen]

When I have an ear infection, I don't eat much. I would flavor the water with some tuna juice or chicken broth to get her to drink some. Yes, the gingivitis can make her gums hurt, so she'd avoid eating. Hope she feels better soon!

[mrspunkysmom]

Cats are weird about drinking water from a bowl. I have a fountain that is a lot of trouble but they really drink the water. Before that, mine would drink from a sink or shower where the water may not be the freshest throughout the day, especially if it's time to clean. If you can restrict her access to alternative water sources, she will drink from the bowl.

Cats that eat wet food do not need as much water as the dry eaters.

It also depends on the cat. Sam drinks way more water than Spunks.

The gum issue will unlikely go away. Address this issue and she will feel better. Try to stay on top of it, since the critters do not let you know something is wrong until it is bad.

Good luck.

[katladyd]

My cats are fussy about their water,also. I bought a very expensive fountain and they want nothing to do with it. They would not drink (over 24 hours) until I put their water bowls back down. One of them needs to drink often, he has blockages, so I had to put the water bowls back down. They are a mystery, aren't they? Anyone want to buy a cat water fountain...cheap?

[katladyd]

I spoke too soon. Both of my boys have started drinking from the fountain and love that water the best! Cats, go figure.

[mrspunkysmom]

I spoke too soon. Both of my boys have started drinking from the fountain and love that water the best! Cats, go figure.

Sometimes I think they are practicing reverse psychology with us. They're interested but do not want us to know that.

[djm123]

She was on an appetite stimulant...We did find she had 6 bad teeth...I HOPE this was or is the answer with grooming and the weight...

[moosmom]

My cats LOVE their Drinkwell fountain! Fresh, filtered water all the time. I only wish they'd make it in stainless steel. Plastic harbors germs and can cause kitty acne. I completely wash it once a week in hot water which helps.

[djm123]

She had 6 teeth extracted we shall see what happens now.

[moosmom]

If gingivitis is an issue, I think warm water in the dry food will soften it up enough for her. It's also good for her if she doesn't drink alot of water. Nutrical is a good appetite stimulant.

The bloodwork coming back normal tells me that it might, in fact, be a gum/tooth problem.

Please keep us posted.