Question:
We had Felix spend the night at the vet's Friday with hopes that he would
poop in his litter box there, so they could get a sample (due to his
horrible gas). (Can you believe he held it?????? As soon as he got home,
he pooped three times!!!!... so we ran the sample right back up to the
vets, and we'll get the answer this week). Anyway......
Our vet, Dr. Ed, wasn't in, so my husband spoke with the vet that was there
covering for him (her name was Dr. Fulton). We had also asked to have Felix
examined while he was there just to cover everything. Well, Dr. Fulton told
my husband that Felix has a bit of gingivitis. She said to "watch it", or
we could also place him on antibiotics now.
Tomorrow morning, first thing, I'm calling Dr. Ed. I am uncomfortable with
a vet that says "here's a little problem.... watch it, or we "could" treat
it". Should I start Felix on antibiotics now? He's only 10 months old, and
from what I do know about gingivitis, it doesn't really get better by
itself. My husband didn't ask anything further, that's why /I'm/ feeling
left in the dark here.
What's everyone's thought on this?
Answer:
Very smart move taking care of Felix's gingivitis, now! You're absolutely
right: gingivitis does not get better on its own. Not only does dental
disease cause teeth to look and smell bad, the damage that isn't seen is
far worse. The gum tissues have an extensive blood supply, and all the
bacteria involved in periodontal infections easily enter the blood stream
leading to valvular heart disease, kidney disease, hepatitis, joint disease,
along with a list of other possible problems. If you think about it, the
digestive tract is connected from the mouth to the pooper; an infection in
the mouth can travel the entire length of the tract and cause other
infections anywhere along the line - not to mention the possibility of
constant pain from tooth loss which may be also occurring.
You'd be surprised over how many "idiopathic" infections can probably be
traced to the mouth - and some form of dental disease.
I think foresight is always better than hindsight (...well, maybe not
always - some hinds are pretty nice sights!). ;)
Shall we start with antibiotics now? (I guess my vet needs to answer
this.... but it does make me wonder since this "substitute vet" mentioned
it as a form of treatment). I'm also surprised that this is happening to
Felix at such a young age. Altho' I did read an article about having dry
food down all the time for cats. It said they tend to nibble 'here and
there' versus one big meal, so their teeth tend to stay full of food more,
which leads to bacteria.
Dry food out continuously is not such a good idea. When cats eat, they drop
some food while they're eating (the little pigs). Bacteria can grow in
moistened food that sits - adding to the problem, or creating new ones.
I have four of those dry food canister-type feeders that I thought was a
good idea when I bought them... an hour later, I realized it wasn't. I
now use them for nickels, dimes, pennies and quarters - they make great
piggybanks! ...but that's all. When my cats go looking for a nibble
between meals, I put out a couple of tablespoons - what they don't finish, I
throw out. Maybe I'm just over cautious - but if you think about it, it
makes sense (and cents).
Its probably a good idea to get his teeth cleaned, too, along with therapy
to clear up the gingivitis - not much good treating the symptoms and leaving
the cause. I'd try to clear it up as fast as possible. Once the teeth are
clean, its easy to keep them clean. The best time to brush is after you've
made bacon...a little bacon fat on the kitty toothpaste makes it like a
treat! My cats can't be fooled, but they can be bribed!
Do you have room for one more opinion? My dad was a dentist and I
worked in a dental office for many many years as a chairside
assistant. Of course, my perspective is with respect to human dental
disease, but here goes. If the gingivitis is only a very mild
inflammation you might want to try brushing your kitten's teeth first
and really massage the gums. The good vascular supply will bring the
kitty's own immune system into play here and it might clear up easily.
That happened with one of my own cats (Rascal). I would still consult
your own regular vet, though, since the decision about the severity of
the gingivitis is subjective - you want the opinion to be from someone
you know you agree with and who you trust to share your views about
what it serious and what isn't.
A word about antibiotics: they are terrific drugs, but they should not
be used indiscriminantly. Drug-resistant bacteria are a serious
problem for humans AND animals, and overuse of antibiotics is one way
that they arise. So, I prefer the conservative approach...but of
course you should use them if the case warrants it. You don't want to
jeopardize your kitty's health.
Dry food munching is an interesting thing. I suspect that cats, like
humans, have different populations of bacteria normally inhabiting
their mouths, and these bacteria contribute to the cats oral health.
Just as in some people, some cats will be more prone to tartar
development and gum disease. We always have dry food out for the cats
to graze on. We sweep up every day and empty the food bowl every day
and clean it. Rascal has very healthy teeth and it is only this year
(she's nine) that I think she needs some prophylactic dental care. Her
brother, on the other hand, is the "tartar king". So, I know it's a
small sample size for a study, but I'm not so sure that dry food alone
is the culprit. There are individual kitty and "parent" factors that
contribute to the outcomes.
