Why does my senior cat have pale gums, mouth pain, low platelets?

Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. A pale/white appearance to the tissue in the mouth makes me concerned Smudge may be anemic, meaning her red blood cells may be dangerously low. If this were the case, it can be due to a bleeding disorder, autoimmune disease, cancer in the bone marrow, or secondary to another disease process in the body. With so many possible causes, more information would be needed to have an idea of what’s wrong. The important first step would be to confirm if Smudge’s red blood cells are low with an exam and a blood test at your vet (CBC or complete blood count). Based on the results, your Vet can discuss what the best course of action would be for Smudge. I hope this helps!

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.

Pale gums and inappropriate dietary habits (commonly called Pica) are quite common in anemic states and this should be checked as soon as possible to find underlying cause. A blood test and urine analysis is needed in order to start investigating clinical suspicion of lower red blood cells. I would recommend an immediate check up, treatment and outcome will depend on the results of clinical examination and blood tests. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

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.

The pale gums do signify anemia that could be related to kidney disease, cancer, bone marrow disease and other significant issues as well. I think your ideas are good and could be beneficial although they do not address the underlying problem. However good nutrition is always a good thing. Cats that are hard to handle are challenging and diagnostics are the only way to know what is the cause of the anemia. Certainly it is concerning that she did not do well with sedation. You may contact her vet and ask about an option of an oral light sedative called Gabapentin that tends to work well for aggressive cats without the side effects of stronger sedatives. It doesn’t work for every cat but I find it to be effective more often than not. Your vet will decide if this is an option based upon your pet’s overall health and previous medical history. I hope this helps!

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.

Hi! So sorry to hear that Paris is not feeling well. It sounds like Paris is anemic based on the color of her gums and the fact that she does not feel well which means that she is clinically affected. I recommend that you have Paris evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible to figure out what is wrong and start therapy for it. At the very least, she could have bloodwork done to see if she truly is anemic and go from there. Keeping my fingers crossed that evrything goes well!!