Mary Allen
With the arrival of one or more cats, many new tasks are faced by the owner. However, this does not mean that high-quality food, different pieces of furniture for cats and toys, and plenty of cuddling hours are enough.
Cats can get sick too. It is then that it is very important to take these diseases seriously. Unfortunately, however, many illnesses are dismissed by the owners with an “eight will be again” or they are not even noticed. Inflammation of the gums in cats is one of these diseases, which are anything but harmless for the animals.
This article reports on gingivitis in cats, which quickly becomes chronic, and shows what warning signs to look out for and what the possible treatment of chronic diseases in this area can look like.
The first signs
The danger with gingivitis is that many cats, unfortunately, do not show from the outside that they are suffering from this disease. In addition, many owners do not even think of grabbing the cat and then looking into its mouth.
Apart from that, many animals don’t even put up with it. However, it is important because gingivitis can be very dangerous for animals if left untreated. Plaque, for example, is a first warning sign that should not be ignored. If this does not happen, periodontitis can develop, in which the gum tissue would be destroyed.
Furthermore, it can of course also happen that the inflammation reaches the tooth sockets from the jawbones, which would also lead to them being destroyed. The teeth lose their hold in the jawbone and can then fall out. Unfortunately, once the gums have been destroyed, they can no longer heal because the body can no longer rebuild them.
In addition to a plaque, there are of course other symptoms that can lead to gingivitis in cats. These include, for example, injuries and viral infections, including glucose or cat flu.
In addition, it can be observed that cats eat less because of the pain. While the darling may have liked to eat in the past and could hardly get enough, eating is no longer fun because it is often uncomfortable or really painful for them. Some cats will even drop the food as soon as it comes into contact with the pain-killing spot. The lower food intake naturally also leads to the cat losing weight, which of course can also be very dangerous in the long run.
Symptoms at a glance:
- cat eats less;
- The animals lose weight due to low food intake;
- cat is in pain;
- Gums are slightly red;
- Plaque can be seen;
- Cats chew without anything in their mouth;
- Cats are constantly “wiping” their mouths;
- swelling of the gums;
- tartar.
How does chronic gingivitis come about?
Furthermore, the so-called autoimmune diseases can also lead to chronic gingivitis. Last but not least, genetic predisposition also plays an important role. This means that chronic gingivitis in cats can also be inherited from the parents.
Bacterial plaque on teeth is the most common cause of these diseases. Such deposits occur when food remains on the teeth. These represent perfect nutrition for the different bacteria so that they multiply explosively faster. Some of these bacteria form different toxins, which then attack the gums. The consequence of this is, of course, inflammation of the cat’s gums, which can be recognized in the early stage of the so-called gingivitis by a dark red seam on the upper edge of the gums. Furthermore, these bacteria, together with their poison, can also get into the bloodstream and thus also into the vital organs of the animals. The heart, kidneys, or even the liver can be attacked and inflammation can develop, which could quickly become life-threatening for the animals. There are many more reasons to check gingivitis in cats directly at the veterinarian.
The different variants of the disease
In addition to the very typical causes, there are also two very common diseases that can lead to gingivitis in cats. On the one hand, there is the disease FORL (Feline odontoclastic resorptive lesions) and then there is the already mentioned chronic gingivitis-stomatitis. We will explain both diseases below:
FORL (Feline odontoclastic resorptive lesions)
The term FORL comes from English and describes a typical cat disease in which the body cells, the so-called odontoclasts, actively break down the tooth substance down to deep lesions and cause various types of damage to the tooth. The ancestors of our house cat also suffered from this disease, the cause of which has not yet been completely clarified.
This disease begins with the process of tooth destruction. Beginning with the surface of the gums, this spreads over the surface of the root and now reaches the tooth crowns. So tooth crowns are only affected in the advanced stage of this disease.
Research shows that up to 70% of cats brought to the vet for tartar removal show signs of the disease on at least one tooth. The probability of cats developing FORL increases with the age of the animals. The molars are particularly commonly affected.
What is typical about the disease is the fact that the various types of damage to the roots of the teeth are initially so small that they cannot be seen on the X-ray images. Furthermore, the animals do not show any symptoms at this point, because pain can only arise when the damage affects the tooth crown or the root cavity. It can quickly happen that the animals drop the feed as soon as they come into contact with the defects. In addition, it can also be observed here that some animals no longer like to eat and lose weight quickly.
The treatment options
Due to the fact that the entire tooth is affected by this disease, doctors now agree that it should be extracted at the latest when there is visible damage to the tooth crown. While at that time attempts were made to fill the small cavities in the neck of the tooth, we now know that this process continues unhindered. Since we still do not know how this disease really develops, there are unfortunately no preventive measures.
Chronic gingivitis stomalitis
As the name suggests, chronic gingivitis-stomalitis is an inflammation of the gums and oral mucosa, which are chronic and therefore permanent. This clinical picture is very broad and ranges from an inflammation, which is limited exclusively to the gum line, to very aggressive forms. These can spread throughout the mouth and also include the tongue and pharynx, which of course leads to severe swallowing problems in cats. In young cats, on the other hand, there is a special form of this disease in which the crowns of the teeth become overgrown with enzyme tissue.
Unfortunately, the condition of the affected cat deteriorated more and more as the disease progressed. Often the eating behavior decreases, which can go as far as the complete refusal of food. Furthermore, affected cats often have an increased flow of saliva in connection with an unpleasant odor from the oral cavity.
Based on studies, doctors are now certain that there are several factors that can be partly responsible for this disease. In diseased animals, for example, certain viruses can often be detected with the help of a swab in the oral cavity, which are often associated with the cause of the disease. Unfortunately, these viruses can also spread diseases in healthy animals.
Furthermore, experts assume that local immunological processes also play an important role, so that an autoimmune disease is more likely to be assumed. This means again that it is a disease in which the body’s own tissues are attacked. However, there are other diseases that come very close to chronic gingivitis-stomalitis. For this reason, it is always very important that a blood test is carried out to identify the disease.
The treatment options
At the beginning, the affected cats are often treated with antibiotics and various anti-inflammatory drugs, which usually also contain cortisone. Unfortunately, although these medications help initially, symptoms always return after the medication is stopped.
However, due to the side effects that can occur with long-term treatment, experts advise against administering medication for years. Experts are still researching new medicines today, some of which are very well received. In addition to the administration of medication, teeth should also be extracted for this disease, so that very good results could be achieved, especially with the extraction of the molars.
However, most pet owners are reluctant to have their teeth pulled at first, leading many to believe that cats then have problems eating. However, this is a wrong conclusion, because even without molars, cats are excellent at eating. Not only the wet food but also the dry food.
Brushing teeth in cats?
If the cat’s teeth have to be cleaned, they usually have to be prepared for this. This requires antibiotic treatments. In addition, different gels that are applied to the gums can help to reduce the swelling a little.
Of course, various means that we humans use are not suitable for cats and should therefore under no circumstances be used to support the oral hygiene of the animals. The treatments usually last about a week, so that the dentures can then be cleaned by the veterinarian under anesthesia. With such treatments, it can of course always be the case that periodontal pockets or loose teeth have to be removed. Sometimes these cannot necessarily be discovered even during preliminary examinations, since cats only tolerate these examinations to a limited extent.
The follow-up treatment of such dental restorations consists primarily of oral hygiene. Many experts agree that brushing your cat’s teeth can also help. However, it is often very difficult when performing this procedure for the first time when the cat is already an adult. For this reason, more and more cat owners decide to start brushing their teeth with their little cats in order to keep their teeth healthy right from the start.
Of course, it is important that you only do this if there is no inflammation. Tooth-friendly food and tooth-friendly treats also help to keep the teeth nice and clean, so that I cannot deposit any deposits. With other cats, on the other hand, permanent medical treatment can unfortunately no longer be avoided.
Which medications are used is of course completely different from case to case and also depends on the veterinarian. The costs that the owners now face vary greatly, but are usually not small.
It is also important that the animals are sufficiently immunized. In addition, it is important to have regular teeth checks at the vet, because if you are predisposed to gum problems or the formation of tartar, only regular tooth cleaning by a professional will help.