Thread: Update on Darcy

Hi there,

Sorry to hear about your problems with Darcy. How old is she?

Please, please, please, before you have teeth extracted . . . get hold of a book called "Pets at Risk" by Alfred Plechner, DVM. You can get it for $11 of $12 at Amazon.com. I believe that the root cause of Darcy's problem is described in Al's book. It's an immune problem caused by adrenal insufficiency, which causes a deficiency of the hormone cortisol. It's very easy to correct.

I've helped a number of people handle their cats' health problems with Al's methods, and I've helped our own cats with this method. I'll be happy to help you with it if you want me to. But first, get hold of "Pets at Risk" and read what Al Plechner has to say. I really think there's a very good chance that Darby's health problems can be fully resolved, and maybe without having to extract any teeth.

Julie

Her gums are bright red and inflamed and swollen and her teeth are horrible. They need to be taken out which is what our next step is. She's got some very bad looking teeth even though I brush them 3 times a week. They need to come out as numerous ones are infected

Thank you for worrying about Darcy but we have a plan and I trust our vet with this explicitly. I'm comfortable with what he thinks

Poor Darcy.

Originally Posted by PocoCello

Please, please, please, before you have teeth extracted . . . get hold of a book called "Pets at Risk" by Alfred Plechner, DVM. You can get it for $11 of $12 at Amazon.com.

Recognising that one may not want to spend money to purchase a book -- especially when trying to save to pay vet bills (and because I work at a public library) -- I need to make a 'plug' for the Interlibrary Loan (ILL) program.

Go to your library and, if they don't have the book, ask them to get it for you through ILL. In almost all cases, it won't cost you a thing. They will obtain the book from another library and contact you when it arrives. You can probably even do it over the phone.

So sorry to hear about poor Darcy, she has been through it. She's very fortunate to have such a loving and caring home, and with persistence you've been able to identify what's wrong - we'll keep fingers and paws crossed that she's now on the road to recovery.

Candes - Thank you! We will look into Healthy Mouth. I've been brushing her teeth with a baby tooth brush and malted enzyme tooth paste and it's not helped her at all.

After they clean and remove the yucky teeth this time, they will be putting a sealant on her teeth. They said this sealant with how I care for her teeth will hopefully keep her teefers healthy for a while.

Also GOOD on you for keeping up to date and knowledgable with TBs teeth! I pray that his issues go away as this is very traumatic both for kitty and mommy

She's afraid of the finger brusher. LOL so it was the soft brush or nothing. She doesn't like fingers in her mouth.

If you didn't brush, Darcy would be a lot worse! She is having an immune response to plaque.

Thank you for saying this. I feel kind of helpless with her teeth issues. Because we've been doing so much to keep them healthy and it wasn't working

Originally Posted by candes

I missed brushing Teddies teeth twice in the same week. He ended up back at the vet and on antibiotics. Right now he just has a faint pink line. Wahoo!!!

Did they do a biopsy? That is the only way to be certain of the stomatitis. Once certain, removing teeth can possibly make them totally normal. I tell you what, even just plain ol Gingivitis is nerve wracking. They suffer sooo much. And you spend your life trying to keep it minimal. Oh please.... oh please..... let Teddy Bearz outgrow his!

They did a biopsy on Monday. They took out a sample from the most swollen part of her gums. It is stomatitis but they think it's from the virus

She IS FELV and FIV negative Thank God. So that's why our next move is to take out her really bad teeth and give her a cleaning and a sealing

Originally Posted by MyNewbabyDarcy

Her gums are bright red and inflamed and swollen and her teeth are horrible. They need to be taken out which is what our next step is. She's got some very bad looking teeth even though I brush them 3 times a week. They need to come out as numerous ones are infected

Thank you for worrying about Darcy but we have a plan and I trust our vet with this explicitly. I'm comfortable with what he thinks

By all means, listen to your vet and do whatever you think is best for your baby. But just in case you're interested, red, inflamed gums are one of the classic symptoms of the syndrome described in "Pets at Risk," and is often easily handled with the simple program desribed in the book.

Most vets, unfortunately, know nothing about the deficiency described in the book I mention.

I like Walter Cooncat's suggestion. The book is cheap, but if anyone can get it through the library system, all the better.