My senior FIV+ cat has a painful mouth. When is euthanasia right?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Cats with FIV can live a very long and healthy life! If he has dental disease and needs teeth removed I recommend doing it. The dental shouldn't cause progression of his FIV and will likely improve his quality of life. Leaving diseased teeth in the mouth of an immunocompromised animal isn't good either! i hope this helps!

What a tough situation for you to be in! I would recommend running at least blood tests on your cat, specifically a geriatric blood panel. That would give an idea of how her organs are functioning, if there are any medical conditions present (such as diabetes, hyperthyroidism, kidney disease), and it will help your decision as to whether or not to let her go. She could potentially have an underlying medical condition that isn't treatable, or has reached a point where letting her go is the best option. Also, if her organs aren't functioning well, a dental will not be safe for her as the anesthetic risk would be too high. If paying for a vet is an issue, you can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com

This sounds a lot like your kitty has problems with his teeth or possibly severe gingivitis or ulcers in his mouth. If he lets you have a look, inspect his mouth for red spots, a red gum line and severe tartar, especially on the molars or any swelling. He will likely need a dental cleaning under anesthesia, if he has not had one in the last year or two. Cats get so called FORL, that is the neck of the tooth often rots underneath the gum and eventually starts hurting. Typical signs would be red gums and some swelling and not letting you have a look at his mouth. Affected cats often want to eat, go to the food, eat a little and then stop only to return later for more but few bites. Please make an appointment with your vet for an exam very soon. In the meantime feed canned food which will be less painful to eat.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Mi! When kittens are diagnosed with FIV we tell the owners that they can live well in to their geriatric years. FIV is like HIV in people. The pet will do fine until the immune system is compromised then the pet gets sick with secondary infections or cancer. If Mi is otherwise healthy I would recommend full mouth extractions for the stomatitis. He could have nasal discharge due to dental disease. While he is under anesthesia the vet can get skull X-rays to look at his nasal cavity. But the nasal discharge can also be due to lymphoma (cancer), bacteria, viral or fungal infections. If the stomatitis can not be managed and he is too painful to eat then I wouldn't expect him to live comfortably very long. If your Vet can control the pain and inflammation then I don't see why he couldn't have more time. I don't think I can give you an exact time frame with out examining him or knowing more about how he is feeling currently. I hope this helps and I wish Mi the best!

Aspects of these disease can be painful, such as stomatitis (severe, painful inflammation of a cat's mouth and gums) that is caused by FIV, but Bones's symptoms can be managed symptomatically by his vet. With these cases, it's very important to have him seen by his vet whenever there is an issue.

Aw I'm sorry to hear about Orio's issue! If the lesion in the mouth is related to cancer then putting Orio to sleep may be the best option. Oral cancer in cats can progress quickly and lead to chronic pain. If cancer is suspected you could seek a consultation with a veterinary oncologist to see if there are any treatments that may help Orio. If the bleeding is due to dental infection then it can probably be fixed with dental surgery. If you can post a picture or more information about the case the we may be able to help you further. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I hope A solution can be found for Orio that will reduce his pain.

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