Gingivitis in Cats??

Hello,

We are considering a four year old cat at a rescue facility, but then we were told she had six teeth already extracted and had an infection before. She has had several cleanings already. They said it was gingivitis. Do any of you know about gingivitis in kitties? I wondered if this looks like a big maintenance problem? Have any of you had a cat with this problem and if it took lots of care time and extra vet bills? After having a diabetic cat (recently died) , I do not want to put myself back in the caregiver role and want my life back. Conssidering all this, should I run for the hills???

Warm wishes,

Carol in San Diego

 

I doubt that this is just gingivitis. The extractions suggest that feline oral resorptive lesions (FORL) may be more at issue. This newsletter from my vet has information on dental issues. Scroll down to the answers to the quiz for info on FORL.

 

When we got Tess at 4 years old she was already missing teeth. she needed dentals pretty much every year. On the plus side it was the blood work when she went in for a dental we found out she had FD. Now with the switch to wet food and regular brushing, she only needs a cleaning every 2 or years.

Emma on the other hand has stomatitis which is auto-immune, an allergic reaction to plaque. Her teeth are good but she has a sore on the back of her jaw and inflamed gums. We haven't found a good solution yet, but again cleaning her teeth helps. It isn't nearly as much to deal w/ as FD, mainly supplements and brushing her teeth. No strict schedule to deal w/ like TR.

 

i don't know, but wanted to say bless you for considering rescuing a kitty! i hope things work out - sounds like she needs a home.

by the way, cats do just fine without teeth, if it comes to that. we've had several kitties on the board that ended up toofless and they do ok.

 

I want to echo others in saying it's great you are considering an older rescue kitty.

When Neko went to a dental specialist in December, we got chatting, and he said that 29% of cats in North America get FORL (see Sienne's post) so not uncommon at all. I used to have a kitty that needed to have a few teeth pulled every couple of years. And just as the dental specialist says, the extractions seem to be needed for a few years, and then at some age, it stops. My current civie just had an extraction and it looks like gingivitis, a red line along the gums, so he might be one of those that needs periodical extractions too. It just means making sure you do regular vet visits including a dental check-up. My kitties are on a raw diet, so they get gizzards and raw chicken necks as natural toothie brushes.