I. Causes of chronic gingivitis/stomatitis in cats
1 .The cat’s oral cavity is infected by a virus
Feline immunodeficiency virus, feline herpes virus, calicivirus or feline distemper virus are all viruses that may cause oral or gum infection in cats. These viruses can promote feline gingivostomatitis After the cat is infected with these viruses, the immune function of the body will be inhibited, and the bacteria will take the opportunity to grow and multiply in the diseased gum tissue, which slowly leads to the continuous deterioration of the disease.
2. The cat’s oral hygiene is not done well and it is infected by bacteria
The cat’s eating habits and oral hygiene are important factors that cause the cat’s dental calculus. If the teeth are not cleaned properly, it is easy to form dental calculus and breed a large number of oral bacteria, and because the cat’s mouth is very sensitive, it is prone to excessive inflammatory reactions. The clinical symptoms of chronic gingivitis in cats are more and more severe than any other animal suffering from the same oral disease, which fully illustrates the specificity and vulnerability of feline stomatitis.
3. Since this type of cat disease appeared and became popular in China at roughly the same time as the commercial cat food, it is also suspected that some of the ingredients added to the food may sensitize some cats. It can cause some allergic reactions and cause a series of pathological changes such as oral hyperplasia, ulcers and infections in cats.
4. Collateral effects of other diseases
When cats have other systemic diseases such as diabetes or systemic lupus erythematosus, they are often accompanied by symptoms of oral ulcers. However, it is still not clear what specific factors are related to the etiology of chronic gingivostomatitis in cats. Proliferative ulcerative stomatitis and lymphocyte/plasma cell stomatitis are caused by the further development of common gingivitis and periodontal disease in cats, and are a developmental stage of cat oral disease.
II. Clinical symptoms of cat gingivostomatitis
1. The cat will drool continuously, show a crying expression when chewing and swallowing, sometimes tilt its head to eat, also have bad breath, scratch the cheek with its front paws, and occasionally behave evilly, such as screaming and other behaviors.
2. Cats refuse to eat or even have anorexia. Not eating for a long time leads to weight loss and depression.
3. During the clinical examination, it can be seen that the gums of the sick cat are red and swollen, and the mouth ulcers are large. When the disease occurs, the gums, throat, tongue, soft palate and other parts may be ulcerated. The heaviest are around the cat’s rearmost molars.
The development of cat chronic gingivitis and stomatitis is a process, which is divided into 4 stages.
I hope you can gain some understanding from the causes and symptoms of chronic gingivitis in cats shared by us, and realize the importance of keeping cats’ gums and mouth clean, prevent the emergence of these diseases.
