Inflammation of the gums in cats, or gingivitis, is a disease caused by the development of infectious agents in the oral cavity or the formation of tartar.
In the first stages of the disease, the disease does not bother the cat, causing no discomfort, but as the disease progresses, pain, bleeding, and swelling of soft tissues occur.
As a result of the pathological process, the process of normal chewing of food is disrupted, provoking more serious consequences - disturbances in the digestion of food in the stomach, the development of harmful microorganisms in the intestinal tract, inflammation of the gastrointestinal mucosa.
What factors contribute to the development of gingivitis?
Gingivitis is an inflammatory process that develops in the gums, affecting the area around one or more teeth. Gum inflammation is the beginning of a destructive syndrome in the tissues surrounding the bone structure.
The mechanism of action of gingivitis is as follows: first it affects the gums, then the ligaments and bones on which the teeth are attached. According to veterinarians, gingivitis is nothing more than the beginning of a difficult and difficult to treat disease - periodontal disease.
The reasons that provoke the development of gingivitis can be divided into internal (endogenous) and external (exogenous). Internal factors include:
- vitamin deficiency;
- abnormal arrangement of the lower and upper teeth at the moment of closing the jaws (bite);
- hardened plaque;
- caries.
External causes of the disease are considered:
- wounds of the oral cavity caused by tubular bones and other sharp objects;
- radiation received as a result of radiation therapy, x-rays, etc.;
- infections;
- viruses (calcivirus, herpes, etc.);
- exposure to chemical elements.
Gingivitis can occur in any pet, regardless of breed; at risk are animals aged 5 years and older, an unbalanced diet, blood pathologies, and autoimmune diseases.
Reasons for appearance
There are many causes of gingivitis in cats. However, the main cause of the lesion is the elementary absence or lack of oral hygiene procedures. Once you have a pet in your home, you need to teach it to brush its teeth. Otherwise, your pet will have problems with gums and teeth. Other causes of the occurrence and development of gingivitis are:
- diseases of the immune system;
- unbalanced diet;
- avitaminosis;
- microdamage on the gums;
- malocclusion;
- diseases of the stomach and intestines;
- damaged tooth enamel.
Main symptoms
An attentive owner can easily identify signs of gingivitis in his pet. The animal becomes lethargic and apathetic, sometimes showing aggression and irritability. A visual examination of the oral cavity shows red, swollen gums. The characteristic clinical picture of gingivitis is incessant drooling mixed with blood.
A foul odor comes from the animal’s mouth, caused by the decomposition of food debris and the activity of pathogenic microorganisms.
The cat feels pain in the gums, due to which it cannot chew or eat. As the disease progresses, he loses a lot of weight and becomes weaker.
If you suspect gingivitis in your four-legged pet, the owner should immediately take the furry cat to the veterinarian. Delay is fraught with the spread of infection, damage to the liver, kidneys and other internal organs and systems.
Feeding a kitten with gingivitis
The diet of a sick pet differs from its usual diet. The main thing is that the food is soft and warm. If the fluffy ate dry food, then in this case such food must be soaked. The menu includes pates and canned food (professional food) for animals with sore gums.
Fatty, fried, salty foods and cold or hot water should be excluded from the diet. Although such products should not be present in the diet of cats at all.
Read about the dangers of table food: Is the best food for a cat from the table? (myths and reality)
Treatment methods
Severe forms of gingivitis are treated comprehensively. If the pathology was diagnosed at the initial stage, then brushing your teeth will be quite enough. Experts warn: toothpastes intended for humans should not be used.
The concentration of some components in cleaning products is very high and negatively affects the health of the fluffy. In addition, cats do not like the menthol aroma that is present in most formulations.
To clean plaque, a special brush is used, which can be purchased at any veterinary pharmacy. If this is not possible, a regular toothbrush intended for children 3-5 years old will do. The bristles of these brushes are very soft and safe.
Miramistin, Chlorhexidine and other special disinfectant solutions are used to treat the oral cavity. After treatment, the gums are lubricated with “Zubastic” or “Dentavedin” gels.
In the later stages, medication and sanitation in a veterinary clinic are indicated. The cavity is cleaned using an ultrasonic scaler.
The drug Interferon is effective in the fight against gingivitis. It stops the development of pathology, preventing its transition to severe stages. In addition, the product has a powerful immunostimulating effect.
The drug is well absorbed by animals and belongs to the category of harmless, not causing side effects, including allergies. Despite this, only a veterinarian can prescribe it and set the dosage and duration of treatment.
To treat advanced forms of gingivitis, antibiotics (Lincomycin, Clindamycin, Stomorgyl, Convenia) and immunosuppressants (Prednisolone, Azathioprine, corticosteroids) are used.
Tooth extraction is indicated only in the most severe cases, since a toothless cat becomes disabled. But if the veterinarian makes such a decision, it means that there is no other way to eliminate the cause of the disease and the direct source of pathogenic microflora.
With timely and adequate treatment, the prognosis is favorable.
Diagnostics
The cause of the disease is determined by a veterinary dentist. Clinical signs are taken into account and anamnesis is collected. Pay attention to the age of the cat, since bleeding during teeth changing is a physiological phenomenon. If the animal was given antibiotics, and the symptoms of gingivitis did not disappear, bacterial culture of the pathological material is carried out for sensitivity to antimicrobial drugs. To identify hidden foci of inflammation, an X-ray of the skull is taken.
If secondary gingivitis is suspected, a blood test is performed to identify the pathogen. When pathology develops in animals under 5 years of age, an autoimmune cause of gingivitis is suspected. In this case, a biopsy of the pathological material and histological examination are performed.
What to do at home
The owner must provide his pet with the most comfortable living conditions and strictly follow the veterinarian’s instructions. You should not self-medicate, as this can aggravate the situation and cause irreparable harm to the cat’s health.
You can alleviate the suffering of a fluffy with the help of a soda solution or decoctions of medicinal herbs that have a disinfectant and antimicrobial effect. However, traditional methods cannot replace traditional treatment and are used as additional measures.
A decoction of chamomile, oregano, and strawberry leaves has worked well. You need to boil 1 teaspoon of the dried plant, pour a glass of boiling water, and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Then strain the broth, cool and use to wipe the animal’s mouth.
During gingivitis, a cat usually refuses to eat, since even a small, barely chewed piece causes her pain. However, to defeat pathology, the body needs strength. Your four-legged pet should be fed with special soft food intended for weakened cats, pureed meat and vegetables, meat or chicken broth.
Prevention
It is possible to prevent the occurrence of gingivitis in cats only by treating your beloved pet carefully and with care.
Preventive measures include:
- regular oral hygiene – brushing teeth;
- introduction of special foods into the diet that help eliminate plaque;
- purchasing special toys for chewing;
- exclusion from the diet of foods containing small bones.
The lymphocytic-plasmacytic form of gingivitis is an autoimmune disease, and therefore this form of the disease cannot be prevented. To prevent the disease, in this case, all owners are recommended to regularly inspect the animal’s mouth, carry out hygiene procedures and monitor their pet’s nutrition.
At first glance, gum inflammation is a fairly harmless disease in animals that does not threaten their lives. However, gingivitis can take more serious forms and cause the animal not only discomfort, but also severe pain. It is important that the owner treats his pet carefully, because this is the only way to protect him from the disease.
Possible complications
Even mild forms of gingivitis, if not treated correctly, can result in the development of plasmacytic-lymphocytic gingivitis - an ulcerative lesion of the oral mucosa. The danger of the disease is that ulcers form not only on the gums and around the teeth, but also in the larynx and esophagus.
Since the animal cannot eat normally and swallows food whole, disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, metabolic processes, and intestinal blockage cannot be ruled out.
If left untreated, gingivitis progresses to periodontal disease, characterized by tooth decay and loss. The pathology is characterized by severe pain, festering wounds, and ulcers in the oral cavity. In the future, complete destruction of individual parts of the oral cavity can be observed, and in severe cases, jaw fractures.
In addition, advanced gingivitis creates a threat of infection of the body with toxins that arise during the life of pathogenic microorganisms. The body becomes severely poisoned and sepsis develops. Blood poisoning is accompanied by irreversible pathologies of internal organs.
Gingivitis in cats
Veterinary practice shows that animals quite often suffer from damage to their gums and teeth. Gingivitis in cats is one of the most common diseases today. Statistics show that cats over 5 years of age are most susceptible to this disease. Gingivitis is extremely rare in young animals.
Inflammation of the gums of any complexity, which has spread to more than one tooth, is classified as gingivitis. The danger of the disease lies in the possibility of infection of the ligaments of bone tissue, and, as a result, their destruction. Untreated gingivitis in a cat in a timely manner will most likely lead to the loss of all the animal’s teeth.
Causes of inflammation on the gums
Gingivitis is the initial stage of periodontal disease in cats, in which tooth loss occurs due to the spread of inflammation and infection from the gums to the roots. Timely correct treatment and compliance with the veterinarian’s recommendations help preserve the health of the animal’s oral cavity and, accordingly, the entire body as a whole.
Possible causes of gingivitis in cats:
- Dental calculus is the appearance of yellow-gray plaque at the bases of the teeth or between them, which occurs due to the accumulation of food debris in hard-to-reach places with their subsequent petrification. As a rule, the stone injures the upper layers of the gums as it hardens. As a result of bacteria entering the wounds, the process of developing gingivitis begins.
- Damage to the gums of a mechanical nature, which occurs due to injury to the mucous membranes by roughage or fish bones.
- Lymphocytic gingivitis is a serious disease in which wounds and ulcers appear in the cat’s mouth due to damage to the oral mucosa by its own immune cells. Presumably this phenomenon occurs due to heredity or under the influence of viruses.
- Aging teeth or malocclusion.
- Impact on the oral mucosa of toxic substances, acids, alkalis, heavy metal salts.
- Feeding soft foods that promote the formation of tartar.
- Self-removal of a loose tooth in a cat.
- Exhaustion of the cat's body due to infection.
- Virus infection, metabolic disorders, lack of vitamins in the body.
- Gout.
- Diabetes.
Features of caring for a sick cat
At home, a sick cat should expect complete rest and nutritious food. It is necessary to protect the animal from stress. Since a cat does not eat well with gum disease, you should not force it. It's better to give her a little treat that she's unlikely to refuse.
The diet should include porridge and meat purees; dry food is contraindicated in case of illness. The food should be warm (but not hot) and tasty for the cat. Then there is a high probability that the sick animal will still touch the food.
It is necessary to give your pet, weakened by illness, plenty of sleep. Sleep is the most acceptable medicine for animals. A cat suffering from gingivitis is placed in a quiet, calm place, away from noise. If there are children in the house, they should not disturb the pet.
Symptomatic picture
There are several visible signs that your cat has dental problems. It is not so difficult to distinguish the disease, you just need to carefully monitor it. So, what should you be wary of in your pet’s behavior:
- the presence of a specific odor from the oral cavity;
- the appearance of profuse drooling (the cat can also freeze for a long time in one position with its mouth open);
- gentle chewing (only with the front incisors or on one side);
- loss of appetite, partial or complete refusal of food;
- weakness, lethargy or even aggression (especially when touching the cheeks or muzzle);
- change in tooth shade;
- inflammation of the gums;
- constant rubbing of the cheek against objects or paws;
- restless behavior, meowing.
