Unfortunately, not every disease in pets has visible symptoms, and when the disease reaches its peak and irreversible processes in the body begin, the owners begin to notice that something is wrong with their smaller brothers. This also applies to stomatitis in cats. Many believe that this is a human ailment, but animals can also become ill with them, and if timely help is not given to the pet, the disease will take on a neglected form.
Pathology Description
Stomatitis is a viral disease accompanied by inflammation of the gums and oral cavity, which gives the small family member painful sensations. Often, a pet’s weakened immune system leads to an ailment, often the animal may even lose several teeth. In addition, stomatitis is the result of the activity of the immunodeficiency virus or leukemia virus in cats, which are characterized by malignant proliferation of hematopoietic tissue. This suggests that stomatitis is a fairly serious disease that requires immediate treatment. In order to avoid the transition of the disease to the acute stage, owners of furry pets should be aware of how to recognize the disease and treat it correctly.
Classification of stomatitis
There are several types of this disease:
- Gangrenous stomatitis in cats.
- Diphtheria.
- Aphthous.
- Catarrhal.
- Vesicular.
- Ulcerative.
During the course of the disease, stomatitis can be acute and chronic, primary and secondary. The causes of the disease will be discussed below.
Stomatitis in cats: symptoms
As a rule, this disease manifests itself quite brightly. Symptoms will depend on the inflammatory process, which, as we explained earlier, can be gangrenous, diphtheria, aphthous, catarrhal, vesicular and ulcerative.
In most cases, the development of stomatitis begins with catarrhal inflammation. In such cases, the salivation of the pet increases, thirst increases, the animal chews food with caution or refuses it at all. When examining the oral cavity during this period, it can be replaced that the mucous membrane turned red and a gray coating appeared on it.
Stomatitis in cats is manifested by bad breath, the appearance of which is caused by the decomposition of saliva, exfoliation of the epithelium and mucus.
We have already found that catarrhal inflammation is a precursor to any type of stomatitis. As a rule, the inflammatory process proceeds benignly. After the cause of the lesion is eliminated, the mucous membrane in a short time will recover and heal.
With delayed therapeutic measures or in the treatment of improperly selected drugs that did not have the desired effect, catarrhal inflammation can go into more serious forms, up to the appearance of ulcers, aphthae and vesicles.
Ulcerative stomatitis in cats begins with gum damage: due to ulcers formed around the teeth, the gum swells, acquiring a bright red, and sometimes cyanotic color. A sickening smell emanates from the mouth of a sick animal. Ulcerative stomatitis is characterized by bleeding of the gums when touched, for this reason the act of chewing becomes almost impossible, as a result of which the pet refuses food due to severe pain. The collapse of the tissues entails the appearance of new foci of inflammation, up to the transition to the jaw bones. Loosening of the teeth begins, and eventually their loss. An ulcerative lesion of the oral cavity is followed by gangrenous stomatitis in cats. If ulcers in the mouth are not treated , the pet may die as a result of blood poisoning (sepsis).
Gangrenous stomatitis in cats is also manifested by the strongest decay of the mucous membrane and tissues of the oral cavity, the appearance of puffiness in the lips, increased body temperature, an increase in submandibular lymph nodes and an oppressed state.
Causes of primary stomatitis
Many phenomena can cause stomatitis in cats. The causes of this ailment may be as follows:
- Physical damage to the oral cavity. Hard meat and fish with a huge amount of seeds that your pet eats can injure the gums. An infection gets into microtrauma, and stomatitis begins.
- The presence of fungi, most often of the genus Candida. When bacteria enter the oral cavity, the active reproduction and spread of harmful microbes begins, causing not only stomatitis, but also many dangerous ailments.
- Chemical or thermal burns to the mouth. Such reasons are extremely rare, because fluffy pets are pretty smart animals and do not eat poison or household chemicals. If for some reason this still happened, stomatitis in cats will manifest itself very quickly, because a burn creates a favorable environment for the development of pathogens.
Causes of secondary stomatitis
Prerequisites for the occurrence of secondary stomatitis can be:
- Various diseases of the gums and teeth, including caries.
- Impaired metabolism, lack of various vitamins in the animal’s body. So, for example, with a lack of vitamin C, hemorrhagic scurvy develops , which leads to the appearance of stomatitis.
- Digestive tract diseases (diabetes, gastroenteritis).
Stomatitis treatment
With a mild form of the disease, the use of immunostimulants - "Prednisolone" or "Cyclosporin", which can change the reaction of the pet's immune system, is acceptable. As a rule, diseased teeth are removed to suppress stomatitis in cats. Treatment in this way to the pet owners may seem too cruel, even barbaric, however, the four-legged patient is relieved after the procedure. It is worth noting that when the teeth are damaged with stomatitis, the pet cannot use them for their intended purpose because of severe pain, therefore it is better to remove them, transfer the cat to liquid nutrition (more on this below) and give the animal antibiotics and painkillers.
After getting rid of affected teeth, the inflammatory process decreases, while residual inflammation sometimes persists. In such situations, the veterinarian may prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs in combination with painkillers for subsequent treatment.
Even after completing the full course of treatment, the cat will need to be shown to the doctor for some time to confirm proper wound healing and an adequate assessment of the reaction to the procedure. Therefore, be prepared to visit the veterinary clinic often the first 2-3 weeks after starting treatment.
The pet’s recovery after stomatitis is evidenced by the return of appetite, increased love for its owner and improvement of the general condition of the animal. A prolonged hunger strike, which caused the pet pain during eating, can cause excess weight. From the side it may even seem that a starving animal simply pounces on food. Therefore, it is recommended that after treating stomatitis monitor the nutrition of the cat to prevent obesity.
Stomatitis in cats: treatment at home
On the recommendation of a veterinarian, you can independently treat your pet the affected mucous membrane of the oral cavity with light disinfectant solutions: baking soda (1%), hydrogen peroxide (3%), a weak solution of potassium permanganate or furacilin. For irrigation of the mouth, you can use a small rubber bulb or, more simply, a syringe.
Ulcerative stomatitis in cats is treated with Lugol's solution based on molecular iodine or the effective antiseptic Methylene Blue. With a large number of ulcers and in the presence of inflammation in the lymph nodes, therapy is recommended to continue in combination with antibiotics (Oxytetracycline or Erythromycin). An important role in quick recovery is given to the intake of vitamins. Gangrenous stomatitis in cats is also treated with restorative agents.
For better restoration of the mucous membrane, it is recommended to lubricate the injured areas with sea buckthorn or wild rose oil.
Feeding sick cats
For a speedy recovery of the pet, it is necessary to switch to a liquid diet, especially if the diagnosis is "ulcerative stomatitis with granulations." Cats with this ailment experience a lot of unpleasant and painful sensations, so dry food for a while will have to be removed away.
For feeding a sick pet, meat broth, mashed soup, milk or porridge is suitable. With a diagnosis of ulcerative stomatitis with granulations, cats often refuse to eat, so they will have to feed the animals on their own. For convenience, you can use a small syringe.
Warning
Preventive measures include periodic examination of the pet's oral cavity to detect diseased teeth, timely detection of diseases of the digestive system, balanced feeding and refusal to eat too hot food. Keep track of your pets and let them be healthy!