Gingivitis

[Naomi]

One of our new arrivals has gingivitis :(

Has anyone else had/got a cat that has had/got gingivitis?

She has mashed up food but isn't eating much poor thing. She's such a sweetie tho and battles on. She's about 16months old and quite nervous aswell.

Her brother on the other hand is the picture of health and very handsome.

Will tell you the story behind these new arrivals later.

[Jac]

Sorry cant help you there, ut I would expect some anti biotics should do the trick.

[dinahsmum]

Hi there - am intrigued, so will check on your other posts.

Poor baby. I don't know either. A/bs sound possible and maybe she will be one of those pets who needs the gel stuff now and again, to give her teeth a clean up without toothpaste and brushing.
Keep us up to speed and maybe someone else can help - perhaps Smudgley...she's had experience of lots of cats, there could have been some with poorly mouths.

[Naomi]

DM I've just posted in the General Cat Chat area with the background story on these 2

[yola]

Sometimes Gingivitis can only be cured by removal of teeth causing the infection. Or at the very least a general anaesthetic and a jolly good clean up of the teeth. However, if the tartar build-up isn't too bad then you can usually buy the tooth gel (Logic, I think it's called) and this will bit by bit eradicate tartar.

Good luck!!

[dinahsmum]

Lots of articles on the 'net of course but I thought this one, by Dorwest Herbs (herbs & natural rememdies for pets) was interesting - especially the part where it says chewing raw food will help keep the teeth healthy. Makes sense doesn't it. (now even more keen on making sure the kits have at least some raw meat to gnaw. Our old cats used to have a rabbit portion each every saturday ... they spent an hour or more gnawing and the rest of the day washing and sleeping; like being in the wild?)

Sorry - I prattled! Here's the article


Healthy Teeth & Dental Hygiene For Cats

By Mary Boughton of Dorwest Herbs
Vice Chairman of the British Herbal Medicine Association's Veterinary Committee
Vice-chairman of the National Office of Animal Health's Companion Animal Sub-group

Good dental hygiene is extremely important for the health of your cat. The soft foods that are more often fed to animals these days tend not to provide the abrasive action necessary to keep the teeth clean and the gums as healthy as they should be. Raw meat diets are always the recommended food for natural health but in this context are especially useful as raw meat contains enzymes which help to keep the teeth clean. Cats kept on these natural diets will usually suffer less from teeth problems and have whiter, healthier teeth.

Gingivitis is a condition mainly seen in cats and the smaller breeds of dog. It is a minor infection of the gums with chronic inflammation which can result in the removal of teeth in extreme cases. It may be necessary for the veterinary surgeon to de-scale the teeth to remove any tartar that has built up and following this a good dental hygiene regime should be implemented. Regular, preferably weekly, cleaning of the teeth should be carried out to keep the teeth and gums healthy. Use a toothpaste that is especially formulated for veterinary use, being slightly more abrasive than ordinary toothpaste - more like the paste your dentist uses. Animals are not very keen on having anything that froths in their mouth, so the toothpaste should be low-foaming to cause less stress to the animal. Veterinary toothpastes usually have a meaty flavour to make it more acceptable and will help to turn the whole dental experience into a pleasure for both animal and owner.

If the infection is acute or severe antibiotics may be required, but thereafter it is helpful to give veterinary garlic tablets at the dose recommended by the manufacturer to help prevent recurrence in animals who are susceptible to this condition. Gingivitis may occur as a consequence of a more serious condition and therefore if it persists or becomes acute, it is essential to consult your veterinary practice for advice.

Tartar is the hard, chalky deposit that forms on the teeth which can not only become unsightly but enables bacteria to multiply and infect the gums and teeth, leading to bad breath, receding gums, loose teeth and sometimes more serious problems. Recently the homeopathic remedy Fragaria 3C has received a lot of publicity regarding its effectiveness in both reducing and preventing tartar build up on the teeth. It is made from a mother tincture of the fruit and root of Wood Strawberry. It has a treatment and a preventative role to play in dental health as results indicate that it both helps tartar removal and prevents future build up. For animals with tartar build up on the teeth it can be given on a daily basis, usually for about one month, to soften the tartar on encrusted teeth and so make it easier to remove Thereafter, giving just one pillule of Fragaria 3C once a week will help prevent the formation of further deposits and so is also ideal following de-scaling to prevent the build-up of new tartar. This will not only improve the appearance of the teeth but also cause less stress for your cat by making the weekly teeth brushing sessions less arduous and the teeth quicker and easier to clean. Nevertheless, regular brushing is the basis of good dental hygiene and if you are concerned about your cat's teeth at any time you should consult your veterinary surgeon.

[Naomi]

I used to use Logic on the dogs, they loved it :D

Thanks for that DM, it's a really intersting article. Spoken to the previous owners and they said that they checked up on the price for a dental on the cat, it was going to cost about £200. Will contact my vets later to see what they say.

[Kazz]

Good lord what do they class as a dental?

[dinahsmum]

Sounds way too much to me too, even if the vets reckon it on a 'so much per tooth' basis.

Nae - what do you know about her health history? I ask because 16 months sounds awfully young to have what I (rightly or wrongly) think of as a disease of age. I searched on CP for gingivitis and (apart from yours) only came up with this post from Kay http://www.catpages.co.uk/talkcats/showthread.php?t=3092&page=2&highlight=gingivitis
Do you know if she's been vaxxed or if she's been FIV tested?

Hope that's not scared you to death .... I swithered over whether to post or not, but if this baby is really poorly it would be better to know sooner rather than later. Hope I'm just adding 2 & 2 and making 45.

Good luck, and good wishes for their future - whatever it may be.

[Kazz]

I was searching for that post then too DM - great minds eh :roll: - I would get her and her brother checked out by your own vet and before you try introducing them to Moli. Seriously.

[dinahsmum]

I was searching for that post then too DM - great minds eh :roll:
Yes Kazz - two women and but a single brain cell! :roll:

[Kazz]

Yes Kazz - two women and but a single brain cell! :roll:

What two women got our single brain cell then DM? ;) :-D

[dinahsmum]

Dunno - but when I catch them .......
http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/10/10_1_121.gif

[Naomi]

Don't look at me girls I haven't got your brain cell, honest

DM please post anything I should ask my vet. I appreciate any comments and advice no matter how awful or scary it may sound.

Have no idea what they class as a dental but they used a vet called Valley Vets which I believe is the vets in a vet programme on BBC2 Wales.

Health history given to us by the previous owners who got the kittens from a friend.

The little girl was the smallest of the litter. They have both been vaccinated. According to the previous owners vet it is very unusal to have gingivitis in a cat of her age but not impossible and it is caused by a lack of calcium when young :smt102 She is very thin and needs to be hand fed the first couple of mouthfuls of food before she'll eat any off the dish.

I'll phone my vets tomorrow and ask their advice. Moli takes one step in the house has a sniff, a growl and then legs it which might not be a bad thing at the moment :?

[Moli]

My previous siamese had gingivitis, he had all his teeth, bar his fangs removed when he was 8, and it only cost me £65......£200 seem an awful lot.....

[Naomi]

Moli what was he like after he had his teeth removed? Did he start to eat more?

Salt is really thin and looks really sad bless her. She doesn't eat a lot, 1/3rd of a tin of food if I'm lucky, because it hurts her :( Am wondering if it would be better in the long run if she had her teeth removed, if that is an option open to us once my vet has seen her.