 Oral health is a very important factor in a pet's quality of life and can affect overall health. While making an important commitment to your pet's oral care, please be aware that each patient is different, and we will do our best to determine a treatment plan during your initial visit. Technically, the word stomatitis simply means inflammation, itis, of the cavity, stoma. In this case, we are referring to the oral cavity, mouth, and in the case of cats, we are referring to a specific condition that leads to severe oral inflammation and pain. Stomatitis is a very complicated condition, however, we do know that it appears to be a hypersensitivity to plaque. For an unknown reason, the immune system overreacts to the components of plaque or calculus, tartar, and creates significant inflammation, ulceration and pain wherever plaque is found. In some cases, the pain extends throughout the whole mouth. Imagine having canker sores throughout your whole mouth every day of your life. Feline stomatitis is a severe, painful inflammation of a cat's mouth and gums. Gingivitis is a medical term that refers to inflammation of the gums and is one of the earlier signs of dental disease. Stomatitis refers to a more generalized inflammation of the mucus membranes within the mouth. In most cases, the condition causes painful ulcers and lesions to form in the mouth, these ulcers can involve the lips, tongue, gums, and back of the throat. Symptoms Feline stomatitis has been known by many names and most recently is feline chronic gingivostomatitis, FCGS. FCGS affects about 0.7-4% of cats and is a very painful, often debilitating, chronic condition resulting from the severe inflammation of the mouth tissues. Two forms of this condition are recognized based on the location of the inflammation in the mouth. The first form is marked by inflammation which starts in the gums and the tissues surrounding the teeth, the periodontum. The second form, called caudal stomatitis, involves an area at the back of the mouth where the upper and lower jaws come together known as the fosses. Caudal stomatitis may be more challenging to treat. In FCGS, the affected areas in the mouth typically have a bright red appearance, bleed easily, and may have a cobblestone appearance. Cats with FCGS are very painful and often have difficulty chewing and eating. They may lose weight, have bad breath, drool or have oral bleeding, and may paw at their mouths. These cats may also have a scruffy coat as a result of decreased self-grooming and poor nutrition. Stomatitis causes. At this time, we do not know what causes some cats to develop FCGS, though viral and bacterial components and inflammatory dental disease are thought to be involved. Whatever the trigger, it is generally believed that cats with FCGS have an altered immune state which permits and perpetuates the condition. Both inadequate and excessive immune responses have been implicated. A disproportionate response by the cat's immune system to plaque bacteria seems to play a significant role. An overreaction to the plaque bacteria leads to an excessive inflammatory reaction which, without intervention, may progress to a more severe autoimmune condition in which the body also attacks the dental tissue itself. In addition to this, recent evidence supports a role for Calici virus and the development of FCGS. Other viruses that can further affect a cat's immune system, such as feline leukemia virus, FALV, and feline immunodeficiency virus, FIV, have not been directly linked to the condition but may play a role. Hello! This video is sponsored by Beemix Pets. Are you looking for high-quality cat collars at an affordable cost? Check out BeemixPets.com. Use coupon code KittenLife to get 20% off. Diagnose Stomatitis. If your cat is exhibiting any of the above symptoms, schedule an exam with your veterinarian. Your veterinarian will begin with an exam of your cat as well as basic bloodwork, such as a complete blood count CBC and chemistry panel to look for any underlying systematic disease. Your vet will also recommend specific testing for underlying diseases such as FALV and FIV. Examining the mouth of a cat with stomatitis can be difficult because the cat is reluctant to open his or her mouth due to pain. Your veterinarian may recommend sedation to facilitate a more complete and comfortable examination. The diagnosis is commonly based on clinical signs and physical examination findings. A dental examination and dental x-rays can help your veterinarian determine the extent of periodontal disease. Sometimes, a veterinarian may recommend submitting a small sample of tissue from the mouth for biopsy. Treatment. A treatment plan for FCGS will vary depending on the stage and severity of the condition in a cat's response in an individual case. Because there is no known specific cause for FCGS, there is also no specific treatment for the condition and all of these management techniques have been tried, often in combination, with variable results. Regular dental care and medical management are typically the first lines of treatment. Medical management is aimed at plaque control and modulation of the inflammatory immune response. A routine dental procedure should be performed to address any inflammatory dental disease, and a regular dental home care program should be started. If the initial periodontal management is not enough, other medical therapies can also be tried. As bacterial infection plays an important role in the development of FCGS and can complicate the condition, antibiotics are often prescribed. Unfortunately, the inflammation often returns once the antibiotics are stopped, and long-term use is not ideal. Steroids can be used to reduce the inflammation in the mouth and provide some relief from the discomfort. However, steroids lose effectiveness over time for this condition, and significant side effects with long-term use can be an issue. Other therapies aimed at modulating and normalizing the immune system have also been tried including interferons, bovine lactiferin, and esterified fatty acids. Stronger immunosuppressive medications have been used in the past, but have fallen out of favor. There are many medical options that give partial or short-term control of FCGS. However, long-term results have been disappointing and many cats with FCGS cannot be controlled with medical therapy alone. In these cases, the next step is oral surgery for near full mouth or complete dental extractions and excision of the excessive inflammatory tissue. The majority of cats, 80% in one study, benefit from this therapy, but it is not a guaranteed cure and some cats will also need to continue on medical management as well. FCGS can be a debilitating and potentially life-threatening condition in cats. It can be difficult to treat, but many cats respond well to a combination of routine dental care, medical management, and oral surgery and regain a good quality of life. Although some owners worry about removing all of a cat's teeth, once the inflammation improves the cat will eat much more comfortably than it did with its teeth prior to the surgery. Hopefully, as more is learned about FCGS, better treatment options and even preventative measures will be discovered. How will my cat eat without their teeth? Chances are, your cat is not currently using his or her teeth. He or she is choosing to swallow food whole instead of crunching kibble against painful gums. Amazingly, many of these cats go home and eat the same night of surgery. In fact, after the healing period, when soften food is recommended, many cats return to eating dry food. With the majority of all of the inflammation alleviated from the extractions, most cats recover completely with no eating problems. Most clients are amazed at their cat's recovery and change in overall quality of life. Role of nutrition and managing stomatitis in cats. Cats who have feline stomatitis may find it too painful to eat hard food. If your cat is suffering from stomatitis, then either switch to soft canned food or moisten your cat's dry food with water, so it forms a mash. Some cats may even find it difficult to eat canned food. In this case, you may have to puree canned food until their gums heal. Even though feline stomatitis is a painful condition, many cats respond well to therapy and are able to regain a wonderful quality of life. If you enjoyed this video, kindly press the like button. 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