My cat has stomatitis. What pre-extraction care reduces inflammation?

I find that only 2 treatments definitively help stomatitis. The first is to remove the teeth that are in the portion of the mouth that is affected. Current theories are that stomatitis is an immune-mediated reaction to the teeth themselves that may be precipitated by feline viral diseases (typically chlamydophila and calici) and that is why steroid drugs also help to calm the inflammation and improve the condition of the gums. Antibiotics are very limited in their efficacy, because they don't address the true problem.

I'm sorry to hear that Monkie has such significant oral inflammation! Gingivostomatitis can be quite painful and it sounds as though your vet has already tried any available medical intervention. As I'm sure you're aware, this condition often occurs in conjunction with a calicivirus infection. Many cats carry this virus and an amino acid supplements, such as L-lysine, can be beneficial in addition to dental procedures. Your vet's treatment plan of a gingival biopsy and full mouth dental extractions seem appropriate for this painful condition. Most cats do quite well with full mouth dental extractions, and some even return to eating dry food again. As she recovers from her dental procedure, Monkie may need to eat both canned and dry food. If she won't eat canned foods, talk to her vet about soaking her ProPlan kibble in water for 15-20 minutes before feeding it to her, as this generally softens it pretty well. I hope this helps you to make your decision and that Monkie is feeling better soon!

If you are talking about the stomatitis (chronic inflammation in the gums) removing the teeth can sometimes be helpful. There are medications that I have seen help some (like Atopica). If you are going to be removing all of his teeth then I would recommend going to a veterinary dentist and have xrays done after to confirm that the roots are removed. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I am sorry to hear that Sweety has a painful mouth. Unfortunately, gingivitis/stomatitis in cats can be very severe and quite debilitating. It can be made even worse in cats that have other immune issues, such as allergies or FeLV/FIV infections. Antibiotics and immune-suppressive medications can be used in mild cases. Thorough dental cleaning will help many of these cases more than just medical treatment. However, many cats will need all or most of their teeth pulled to ease the pain. The pain and inflammation is caused by an immune reaction to the tartar. Since we can't completely prevent tartar build up on the teeth, often removing the teeth is our only option. Obviously this is quite a bit more expensive than a simple teeth cleaning. I recommend discussing your options with the veterinarian that has treated Sweety as far as medications or financing for the dental cleaning. Here is some more information that you may find helpful: https://www.petcoach.co/article/7-smart-solutions-for-pet-care-financing/ http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=170

Dental work really is the most successful treatment but if they are virus negative then steroid treatment may provide significant relief during severe flare ups and helps promote appetite. Interferon treatment can help for many cases, especially if viruses such as calicivirus are circulating

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. I usually recommend having the full mouth extraction done all at once rather than putting her through 2 anesthetic procedures. The nice thing about mouths is that they do heal quite well. I would say that the first 3-5 days are the most painful but with adequate pain medication she should be comfortable. I like using an antiinflammatory such as metacam and opioid such as buprenorphine together for pain control. This typically keeps most of my patients comfortable at home. You would be surprised at how fast animals adapt to having no teeth as well. I would feed softened food for life to make it easier on Keira. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. I am also available via consultation if needed.

This is a severe gum infection and may be due to infected teeth also. Kuchi needs to be anesthetized and have a dental cleaning done. I expect he will need several teeth extracted and additional antibiotics. Some cats with stomatitis respond to steroid injections with the antibiotics but often almost all of the teeth need to be removed due to the pain and infection. If it has not been done I recommend a feline leukemia and FIV test also as this problem is more common in infected cats. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Kuchi.