Chronic Gingivitis and Vet Recommending Tooth Extraction

david68

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One of my cats turns 13 this year, and for the last 10 months, he's been having dental problems. He had his teeth cleaned last March, and the vet that did the cleaning said all his teeth were fine. None needed to be removed. However, three months later, he started avoid his food again. They did an antibiotic/steroid shot combination. This worked, but again, the problem returned after three months. I consulted another vet to see if they could help find a permanent solution. They said that some cats develop an autoimmune response to their own teeth and that the only way to cure the gingivitis would be to remove most of his teeth. The first vet concurred. Both are using the steroid/antibiotic combination as a temporary fix, but it doesn't last.

Are there any other options for managing or reversing chronic gingivitis? I will have the extractions done if necessary.
 

Antonio65

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One of my cats turns 13 this year, and for the last 10 months, he's been having dental problems. He had his teeth cleaned last March, and the vet that did the cleaning said all his teeth were fine. None needed to be removed. However, three months later, he started avoid his food again. They did an antibiotic/steroid shot combination. This worked, but again, the problem returned after three months. I consulted another vet to see if they could help find a permanent solution. They said that some cats develop an autoimmune response to their own teeth and that the only way to cure the gingivitis would be to remove most of his teeth. The first vet concurred. Both are using the steroid/antibiotic combination as a temporary fix, but it doesn't last.

Are there any other options for managing or reversing chronic gingivitis? I will have the extractions done if necessary.
Hi D david68 ,
If the vet said that the only way to fix the issue is the removal of the cat's teeth, I think this is what you must consider doing-

I take care of two semi-feral cats in my yard, and in April/May 2019 one of them started having a strange behavior towards food, she was losing weight and her coat was matted, so I took her to the vet because I thought she might have some renal issues, but the vets found out she had a very serious stomatitis. We started a course of antibiotics and cortisone, which gave some comfort to the cat, but a few weeks later we were back to square one. The vet advised me about the teeth removal, but I was against it and insisted on giving her more meds. We went on like that for over a year, with periods of relative calm, and weeks of pain, and eventually I gave in and agreed with the teeth extraction.
Well, it's been 4 months now since the surgery, and the cat is still doing fine, is eating happily and I can assure you she can even chew her kibbles,
You can read my adventure here, with photos:
Cat with stomatitis - Teeth removed
 

neely

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Once a cat is diagnosed with Gingivitis you can't reverse it but there are preventative steps you can take to try and reduce it. Genetics also plays a part. This Article is very helpful in explaining both the cause, symptoms and treatment:
Gingivitis And Stomatitis In Cats – TheCatSite Articles

We've had two cats with FORL and both needed extractions. We adopted each one, not at the same time, but they already had underlying dental conditions. Once the teeth were removed they did remarkably well. Good luck! :alright:
 
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