Why are my kitten's gums red? Could it be stomatitis or inflammation?

While lethargy and heavy breathing after exercise are possible clinical signs of both these diseases, the only way to know for sure if Tesla has one of these diseases is to have your veterinarian test her. Both are a simple blood test that can usually be done in the clinic. Mycoplasma haemofelis (formerly Haemobartonella felis) can cause inflammation of the gums, however it is not commonly transmitted by fleas. There are also many other infectious diseases of cats that can cause heavy breathing as can other diseases including feline asthma, heartworms or even congenital heart defects. A red line on the gums can be due to dental disease (less likely in a young cat) or stomatitis. Your veterinarian will be able to examine Tesla for any additional clinical signs, perform testing to rule out infectious disease processes and prescribe necessary treatment.

Unfortunately gengivostomatitis (gums inflammation) can be a very frustrating disease. It is a very good news that Symba is FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus) negative but inflammation might be also secondary to infection as feline herpesvirus or feline calicivirus (an oral swap could be done and viruses can be isolated in laboratories). If neither herpes or calicivirus are involved, it is very likely that the inflammatory disease is due to an abnormal response of the oral immuno-system. In the future the disease might remain stable and no other treatment are necessary but if the symptoms get worse might be necessary to start: antiinflammarory drugs, drugs to suppress the immune system and control the proliferation of bacteria within the mouth. In severe cases surgical management (removal of all of a cat’s teeth) might be the only solution.

Unfortunately there are no home remedies for this. Inflamed gums can have a variety of different causes- tooth infection, stomatitis, oral tumors, infections and other causes. Aurora will need to see her veterinarian soon for this. She may need a dental cleaning and/or antibiotics or other medications to help resolve this.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Tora. I recommend that he sees his veterinarian. He will need to be anesthetized to have his mouth properly evaluated. The gingivitis present along his gumline is significant and there is a chance that tooth would need to be extracted. This can only be determined under anesthesia. His mouth is likely painful which could be why he bit you. Brushing is great once the mouth is cleaned and the gumline is healthy again. I hope this information helps!

The color of gums can help us guess at the red blood cell level, but it is a poor guess. White gums would mean really, really sick, and pink gums don't tell us that a pet is healthy. Mello may have an upper respiratory infection, which most cases are viral. But they can hit the body hard and often the kittens need oral antibiotics, fluids, supplements like Lysine, nutritional support, etc. I would really recommend that you have him examined by the vet since this has been going on for a week and he isn't any better.

It's possible the pink coloration is gingivitis or it could also indicate an infection. The not eating could be related to dental pain but it could also be related to something else. I recommend to have Milo examined by the veterinarian. A physical exam is needed to begin the process of figuring out what's wrong and fixing it. Here is a link about dental care and dental disease just in case: https://www.petcoach.co/article/a-comprehensive-dental-care-program-for-your-cat/ I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Bad breath and inflammed gums in an older cat can be caused by gingivitis or stomatitis. This is a severe inflammatory disease caused by a reaction of the body's immune system to plaque on their teeth. It is extremely painful. I would recommend that Snowball be checked out by a veterinarian for treatment before it gets worse. If Snowball is a young cat or kitten, then there may be another cause, like oral trauma from eating something or an infected tooth. All of these should also be evaluated by a vet as soon as possible before they have a chance to get worse.