Thread: Gingivitis/stomatitis - advice please!

Hi all,

as you may know we had a few problems with Benji when we first brought him home. He was sneezing, had very gunky eyes and red gums, and wasn't eating very well. All of those symptoms have now cleared up apart from his gums. His gums have got much worse, and they look ever so sore. He still crunches happily on his dry food though so it doesn't seem to be affecting him very much. The vet is also satisfied that he is doing very well otherwise, not running a temp, everything clear, and piling on the weight. In the 9 weeks we have had him he has tripled in weight (going from 1.1 kgs to yesterday 3.3 kgs) so the vet is also happy that not only is he gaining he is doing well with catching up!

We went to the vets yesterday, after having been on a metacam course for 10 days, and the vet thought it would be advisable to test for the three cat-flu viruses (I only knew of two!) so did a mouth swab and eye swab. We will be hearing back on the tests Monday the latest. Now Benji is very obviously teething as well, as he chews on bloody everything, his favorites being corners of wood furniture, cardboard but most of all straws. We leave chunks of cardboard and straws about for him to chew on and they are always mangled, and Storm isn't a chewer. Now I've looked at pictures of Stomatitis at his gums are nowhere near as bad, it seems more like inflammation from teething in comparison, but the vet wants to rule it out. There are no lesions or ulcers just redness.

Sorry for the rambling, but what I'm trying to get to is this, have any of your kittens had bad gingivitis while teething and later been ok once their adult teeth have settled in? I'm fully prepared for a positive test result but if it doesn't I would just like to know others experiences of bad kitten gingivitis in MC's!

Well, as you know my boys had very red gums and bad plaque - but since their dental clean and a regime of teaching them to chew, combined with finger administered cat toothpaste every few days (more often when they are used to it) and their gums look better. Still a small line of redness in some areas, but a much healthier pink colour than before.

Persevere, make sure it's not a "real" condition, and fingers crossed your furball will be better soon! (And I hope mine stay that way)

Thanks He is wanting to rule out any of the cat flu viruses, mainly because calici causes stomatitis, but he thinks that any of the three could be aggravating any inflammation he has because of the teething. I'm hoping that he isn't a carrier, but the vet said he won't always be and the likelihood is that it will over time go away. I've been told not to put any toothpaste on them just yet as they could be sore and he doesnt want Benji to become head-shy, but I've ordered some calming gel approved by the vet to rub on his gums for the time being!

Hi, one of my older cats has teeth problem. May not be the same as yours but the solutions could be the same. My Hamlet has the disease where his gums re-absorb his teeth roots. It's called resorption lesion something. Because of that, his teeth crack and have to be pulled, plus his gums stay swollen, the plaque and tartar build up really bad, and he has horrible breath. Dental cleanings are so expensive. So, I found on the www.onlynaturalpet.com website different oral solutions. I am currently using Petzlife oral dental gel. PetzLife Oral Care Dog & Cat Dental Products I apply it with a kitty toothbrush. Right now, whatever I can get on his mouth I'll take it. I hope over time he will let me open his mouth and get more in there. I've checked my local pet store and have found a liquid that you add to water to help with oral care. But, my cats can smell or taste it so they won't drink it. There are also different kinds of probiotic powders you can add to food. (Mine won't eat powders either.) Definitely do your homework and don't be afraid to try different things. If you have a local pet store, talk to different people there. Def talk to your vet about what you try. If he prescribes meds, you don't want to have any interactions. I always say, "Knowledge sheds light, and light takes away the darkness". Research and learn as much as you can; that alone will put you at ease. Hope that helps.

Hello,
I could highly recommend ZYLEXIS. It is an immunity system supporting injection. Ask your vet, for my cat it was like a miracle. Better to aplicate it three times in one month with one week break between each shot.

Originally Posted by adelheid

Hello,
I could highly recommend ZYLEXIS. It is an immunity system supporting injection. Ask your vet, for my cat it was like a miracle. Better to aplicate it three times in one month with one week break between each shot.

Thanks for the tip, will speak to my vet. Did your kitty have one of the cat flu viruses or simply bad gingivitis?