Acute Gingivitus in Cats

Ladyshopper

I currently have an old cat that I am fostering for the RSPCA. She is aged around 15-18 years, deaf, has skin cancer on her ear, and only 6 out of 20 teeth! She's lovely though!

Anyway, she had her remaining teeth cleaned about 3 weekd ago, but was still suffering problems trying to eat food, in that she only seemed able to lick the jelly off rather than eat chunks. I then noticed that she was constantly swallowing and almost gagging, and using her paw to knock her mouth. Took her back to the vets, who diagnosed acute gingivitus, and gave her a steroid jab and an antibiotic jab. This was a week last Thursday.

After that she was brilliant, and for the first time since we've had was actually eating all her cat food rather than the jelly. She also stopped the constant swallowing and gagging.

However, I have noticed over the weekend that the food is beginning to be left again, and the swallowing and gagging and paw knocking is beginning to happen again.

Do the injections only last for that little time? Its only just a week and a half. As she is fostered the RSPCA cover the bills I'm not concerned about taking her back, but if thats the case it could be on an almost weekly basis. Is it safe for her to have those injections that often?

She also had a fit last week, first one I've ever seen her have. Vet didn't seem to think it was related and could be a brain tumour, but obviously I'm wondering if it was anything to do with these jabs?

My_Feet_Hurt

Hi Ladyshopper

I have EXACTLY the same problem with my cat. When I read your post I got goosepimples lol.

Our cat is 18. At Christmas she got really smelly breath and her tongue was constantly sticking out. She went right off her food-luckily she`s a tubby moggy.We took her to the vet who said she too had terrible gingivitis and would need 5 teeth out to help her recover. She had the operation, and like your cat she had 2 injections-1 anti-inflammatory and 1 steroid. After this the smelly breath and the tongue poking-out stopped.

The effects of the injections lasted about 4 weeks.

Since then we have had to have the injections at intervals of about 4 weeks. We try the anti-inflammatory 1 first, but if she still won`t/can`t eat after having it then we take her back for the steroid.

The anti-inflammatory jabs cost around 35 pounds.
The steroid 1 costs 60 pounds.

The vet did recommend having her put down as this will go on for life, but there`s no way we will do that `till we think she is in pain or has had enough. We rescued her from her terrible owners:mad: and now she has the life of Riley with us. She purrs constantly-even when her mouth is playing up. That`s her way of thanking us for the lovely home she has now.

I have no answers to give you, but it has certainly helped me in knowing that someone else has the same problems as we do.

m
xxx

My_Feet_Hurt

Also to add that my cat did the gagging thing-we thought she has swallowed one of my long hairs lol.

She also just licks the jelly off food when her mouth is starting to get bad.

Also she will start eating then suddenly jump and run away. I always think it must be like having an exposed nerve on a tooth-fine until something touches it and then you jump in pain.

We have been told that she can only have a steroid injection every 6 weeks-that sometimes means that she will have to wait and I am always upset as she must be very uncomfortable. But she still purrs.

m
xxx

tanith

We had the same thing with out 18yr old cat , after removing a few teeth and the problem re-occurring I asked the vet if he could take all her teeth out which he did and the problem was solved.. she now eats most foods with no problems at all she even eats dry biscuits , don't ask me how she manages but she does... no further mouth problems and no smelly breath ... she is much happier and I don't have a continuing vet bill...:T

EDIT: somehow the local birds know she has no teeth as they will come down and eat even when she is sitting a couple of feet away... she doesn't bother chasing them anymore but at her age all she wants to do is eat and sleep in the sunshine anyway..

donnac2558

Would the vet not have been better just removing all the teeth? I am also surprised you were not given antibiotics home with you. When any of my cats had infections, not teeth. They got an injection but also antibiotics home to take over a week or so.

I would take her back to the vet and get her checked out again. The problem could have spread to her throat. One of my cats kept clawing at her mouth and gagging. Turned out it was her throat, as I thought it must be the teeth.

My_Feet_Hurt

To donnac2558 and tanith,

WHY OH WHY HADN`T I THOUGHT OF THAT???

I just assumed that I would have to continue paying through the nose for her treatment for as long as she is with us. Thinking about it I don`t think she`d miss her teeth except when she`s being really playful and grabs our arms and bites us and scratches us with her back legs-hard to describe but I know you cat owners know what I mean lol.

Her mouth is just starting to get bad again. We are anticipating that we will take her to the vet in the next few days.

Guess what I will be asking????

Thankyou SO much for posting.

m
xxx

Ladyshopper

Thanks for all the replies, nice to know there are other people in the same boat!!

I forgot about the smelly breath, she got so smelly a couple of weeks ago that the whole of her smelt rotten, and it was putting us off picking her up and giving her a cuddle, so we gave her a bath in the kitchen sink! She initially had a little go at escaping, then when she realised we wouldn't let her she lay down in the water and let us scrub her. Bless!!

She hasn't done the backing away from food yet, the vet did ask that before.

I'm just wondering how removing teeth helps, as isn't gingivitus inflammation of the gums, rather than teeth? Excuse my ignorance if there is a really simple answer to that!!

Think I will phone the vet and see what they say about it. She is still purring, and is good at eating dry food. I can't understand how hard biscuits are easier to eat that soft chunks of meat, but there you go!

tanith

Ladyshopper wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies, nice to know there are other people in the same boat!!

I forgot about the smelly breath, she got so smelly a couple of weeks ago that the whole of her smelt rotten, and it was putting us off picking her up and giving her a cuddle, so we gave her a bath in the kitchen sink! She initially had a little go at escaping, then when she realised we wouldn't let her she lay down in the water and let us scrub her. Bless!!

She hasn't done the backing away from food yet, the vet did ask that before.

I'm just wondering how removing teeth helps, as isn't gingivitus inflammation of the gums, rather than teeth? Excuse my ignorance if there is a really simple answer to that!!

Think I will phone the vet and see what they say about it. She is still purring, and is good at eating dry food. I can't understand how hard biscuits are easier to eat that soft chunks of meat, but there you go!

Gingivitis is inflammation of the gums caused by a build up of plaque (bacteria and food debris) the plaque becomes hard (tartar) and thats when the problems start... I honestly think some vets just keep on trying to clean it off and charging for this and antibiotics just to keep you paying.. when in an old cat they really can manage without teeth... whip em out ...:rotfl:

Ladyshopper

Ahh, I see! Trying to get hold of vets now to speak to someone, but it keeps going to answerphone, and I know they're useless at calling back. Will keep trying.

lowis

my little girl cat had terrible gum disease when she was a kitten, she had to have all of her teeth removed, leaving just the canines and the teeny teeth between them. she was about a year when this happened. she ate dry food all of her life and having no teeth didn;t seem to hinder her in anyway. i am sure older cats can adapt to this change. good luck x

Ladyshopper

She is booked in at 2 tomorrow. Although she can't have more steroids yet, she can have a painkilling injection, so hopefully that may help. Will also discuss have the teeth out!