13 year-old with chronic sniffles and stomatitis

[david68]

My 13 year-old calico has developed chronic sniffles, and she's been having problems with gingivitis/stomatitis for a couple of years. She had to have most of her teeth removed as a result of the gingivitis.

She was treated at the end of December with a combination of Convenia and steroid injection, which helped, but her symptoms have now returned. My vet seemed to think that this was simply going to be a chronic condition we'd have to treat.

She does have hyperthyroidism, too, and is on daily methimazole.

The vet was not that clear to me on what's causing this.

 

[daftcat75]

As far as I know, stomatitis is a chronic condition. I would find yourself a veterinary dentist to consult with about perhaps removing her remaining teeth. That does provide relief for many cats with chronic dental illness. My Krista was having a heck of a time with resorptive lesions. After so many rounds of extractions and roots cleanups with various vets with varying levels of skill and expertise, Krista's mouth was a mess of incomplete or improperly done extractions as well as the trouble that missing teeth was causing her (lip entrapment and gum ulceration.) When the vets no longer wanted to work in her mouth, I took her to a dentist and said, "make this the last dental procedure she'll ever need." The dentist reviewed the prior work and agreed with me that the best course for her would be to remove what's left. After a week's recovery, her teeth/mouth never bothered her again.

If you're in North America, you can use the American Veterinary Dental College website to find a certified dentist near you. You can also call around the animal hospitals or veterinary schools for a referral. A typical wait time for a consultation is two to six months. This does not change depending on need. Her stomatitis is not likely to clear up in this time. So make the appointment now and seek short term relief where you can find it. Also get yourself on the cancellation waiting list if you believe you can grab your cat and take her to the dentist on a moment's notice if they receive a cancellation.

Find A Veterinary Specialist | AVDC.org