Stomatitis is a very serious, very painful condition that refers to an infection of the tissues of the mouth and gums.
Today I will take you to learn more about cat stomatitis.
01. The cause of stomatitis
The exact cause of stomatitis is still unclear, but there are several possible factors. It has been listed one by one.
1. Dental Diseases
Dental diseases, especially periodontitis, are often considered by some veterinarians to be the culprit in causing stomatitis. Dental diseases are basically caused by plaque and calculus. However, tooth resorption is an exception.
2. Weak immune system
Some people believe that stomatitis is caused by an abnormality in the immune system of cats. The abnormal immune system will give the wrong feedback to the bacteria in the mouth, and then attack their own healthy oral tissue, which will lead to stomatitis.
3. Other infections
Feline Leukemia – FeLV
Feline AIDS – FIV
Carrisi Virus (feline calicivirus)
Bartonella – associated with cat scratch disease and cat scratch fever
02. Which breeds are at higher risk
Stomatitis is a common problem in feline clinics. All ages, all breeds, all mixed breed cats, can get sick. There are some breeds that seem to be statistically more prone to stomatitis.
This includes:
Himalayan
Persian
Exotic
Siamese
Maine
Somalia
Abi
East short
03. Symptoms of stomatitis
One or a combination of the symptoms given below may be present in cats with stomatitis.
These symptoms include:
Halitosis
Gingivitis
Canker sores on the lips, tongue, gums, and back of the throat
Tooth resorption
Drooling
Difficulty eating and swallowing
Refuse to eat and cry when touching food, can’t hold it
Can scratch face or mouth with claws
Weight loss
Lack of grooming because of pain, so less grooming
04. Mouth What does inflammation look like
First of all, we should not confuse stomatitis with gingivitis. Gingivitis can be understood as an early symptom of periodontitis.
Stomatitis refers to a wider range: it includes inflammation of the entire oral mucosa, which can extend to the gums, tongue, inner and outer lips, and upper and lower jaws.
The image below, shows the mouth of a cat with gingivitis:
From the image below, We can see that in cats with gingivitis, the periodontal tissue surrounding the teeth has become inflamed and red:
and down The picture shows a cat with stomatitis. We can see that the inflamed area of the oral mucosa is very extensive:
The cat in the picture below has Stomatitis is more severe, with lesions on the gums, tongue, and inside of the lips:
Severe stomatitis can spread to the upper lower jaw, and may spread to the throat:
Stomatitis can also cause tooth resorption, as shown below:
05. Diagnosis of stomatitis
Preliminary diagnosis: Simple Check it out, an experienced veterinarian will take a general look. If you carefully observe the above case pictures, you will also self-diagnose at home if you see too much.
Stomatitis is a chronic disease that gradually expands to various tissues of the oral cavity.
In the short term, oral inflammation may be the beginning of stomatitis. Of course, it may not be stomatitis, but a completely different disease. If the inflammation in the mouth does not spread widely, but is confined to a specific area.
Then the possible causes may be the following, so do not misdiagnose:
Allergies
Foreign body
Periodontal disease or other dental Problems
Tooth Resorption
Further Diagnosis: Many veterinarians may ask you to do blood tests and biochemical tests for cats, but, for stomatitis, it is useless.
It is not as realistic as the following examination items:
The basic disease examination mainly includes leukemia feline AIDS goblet bartonella
Tissue biopsy can distinguish stomatitis and oral cavity Cancer
X-ray can observe tooth absorption
06. Preliminary treatment of stomatitis
The effect of stomatitis on cats, It depends on the stage of the stomatitis, how severe it is, and how much the cat is suffering.
Medications, surgery, and treatment can be combined.
Internal stomatitis is usually very painful, so the initial treatment plan usually includes:
Pain relief
Anti-inflammatory
Anti-infection
Liquid food supplements
Immune-enhancing supplements
Co-treatment of other underlying diseases
07. Long-term treatment plan
Drug therapy works well in the short term and can relieve symptoms, but the long-term effects are worrying and even disappointing.
In general, surgery is the fundamental solution.
These options include:
Cleaning
Premolar and molar extraction
Full extraction
The specific implementation plan should be discussed in detail with the doctor, and the pros and cons should be weighed.
08. Prognosis
The feedback of treatment effect varies.
Some cats need to take anti-inflammatory drugs for a long time and take antibiotics intermittently, only in this way can the disease be controlled. There are also cases of ineffective treatment, and in this case, the cat’s life will be endangered.
Persistent pain can cause cats to be reluctant to eat, and euthanasia may be the only option.
