Juvenile gingivitis progressed

[jc412]

My little guy is currently at the vet for his dental follow up/check in. Last year we found out he has juvenile gingivitis and in July 2020, he had his first dental procedure and needed to have two teeth and a mass removed (mass was non-cancerous). Since then, we have brushed his teeth daily and also utilized TDC1 (a paste the dentist recommended). I was SO hopeful bringing him to the vet this morning that with our home care, he would only need a cleaning. Welp... I was wrong. I received a call from his dentist informing me that his juvenile gingivitis and periodontal disease has progressed significantly over the last few months and most of his molars have more than 50% bone loss.. I was also told he needs to have 6 teeth extracted today. My heart sank when he explained all of this to me and I feel so incredibly upset.

Have any cat parents out there experienced this? Or have cats who have had to have a substantial number of their teeth removed?
Any advice is greatly appreciated.

I understand it is rather common but I am so worried for him and feel so incredibly bad that we weren't able to reverse the gingivitis with our home care.

 

[Mr. Meow]

I have a diabetic cat who has/had juvenile gingivitis and has no teeth (all removed over the course of her life). I'm not sure how your little guy is, but my girl never was a chewer (most likely because of the juvenile gingivitis) and other than having a bit of trouble bouncing back from being knocked out at the vet's office, she happily eats her wet food (or food mixed with water - slurry) and has a normal kitty life.
Cats are incredibly adaptable and it's our human emotions that make these situations painful...for us. While there's not much we can do about genetics, we can help them make the absolute best of their situation.
Just to lift your spirits a bit, my kitty with no teeth started out life with her teeth.She also has CH (underdeveloped balance part of the brain - walks like she's drunk), so when I bought my new house, I got a ranch so she doesn't have to worry about stairs. She also gets additional water in her wet food (for her diabetes, and wet food for no teeth). My kitty with no eyes was born with eyes and was able to see. She learned to be blind. If you watch her, you'd swear she could see. So to help her out, she gets all toys that have smells and noises to them. Have a tripod who had 4 legs for the first 2 years of his life. He runs around the house like he still has 4 legs, jumping on things, pouncing on the other kitties, making 1-pawed muffins.
The point is this - if the teeth need to come out, then they need to come out. But he's not going to starve. He'll still jump on toys and try to bite them. He'll still groom himself. He might drool a bit, but he'll still be healthy, he'll still be happy and he'll adapt. Just be there to give him the best life possible, because he's no different than he was before.

 

[daftcat75]

Krista didn’t have juvenile gingivitis. She had old girl teeth: tooth resorption (the body eats the teeth from the inside. ) We did piecemeal extractions for about a year and a half. Every few months she would stop eating and I would plead with the vet to do another dental despite how soon it was since the last time. Eventually, the vets said they didn’t want to take any more teeth of hers. They were honest with me saying that the next amount of work she would need would be best done with a specialist: an animal dentist. They were right! The dentist looked in her mouth and the X-rays and told me that there were a number of mistakes made by vets who don’t receive much dental training. She had lip entrapment and gum ulceration from mismatched canine extractions (she was down to one canine at the time) and one of the other vets drilled out her teeth and left the painful roots. The dentist removed her remaining teeth and we never had dental issues again. She became a messier eater and I had to switch her to soft treats she could gum. But other than that, no other issues with being toothless. And if that was all she had, she’d probably still be flinging food but happily putting away most of it. I only wish I took her to a dentist sooner!

Because this a recurring issue with yours and dentists have a very long wait time for appointments, I would schedule a consultation with a dentist as soon as you can get one (typically two to six months) and discuss a long-term plan with him. He may recommend full mouth extraction just to be done with this already and avoid future issues. That’s not a bad outcome. Most cats with chronic dental issues are very happy as toothless cats.

If you’re in US or Canada, you can find a dentist at AVDC.org | American Veterinary Dental College Otherwise ask around at specialty hospitals or vet schools.

 

[daftcat75]

I have a diabetic cat who has/had juvenile gingivitis and has no teeth (all removed over the course of her life). I'm not sure how your little guy is, but my girl never was a chewer (most likely because of the juvenile gingivitis) and other than having a bit of trouble bouncing back from being knocked out at the vet's office, she happily eats her wet food (or food mixed with water - slurry) and has a normal kitty life.
Cats are incredibly adaptable and it's our human emotions that make these situations painful...for us. While there's not much we can do about genetics, we can help them make the absolute best of their situation.
Just to lift your spirits a bit, my kitty with no teeth started out life with her teeth.She also has CH (underdeveloped balance part of the brain - walks like she's drunk), so when I bought my new house, I got a ranch so she doesn't have to worry about stairs. She also gets additional water in her wet food (for her diabetes, and wet food for no teeth). My kitty with no eyes was born with eyes and was able to see. She learned to be blind. If you watch her, you'd swear she could see. So to help her out, she gets all toys that have smells and noises to them. Have a tripod who had 4 legs for the first 2 years of his life. He runs around the house like he still has 4 legs, jumping on things, pouncing on the other kitties, making 1-pawed muffins.
The point is this - if the teeth need to come out, then they need to come out. But he's not going to starve. He'll still jump on toys and try to bite them. He'll still groom himself. He might drool a bit, but he'll still be healthy, he'll still be happy and he'll adapt. Just be there to give him the best life possible, because he's no different than he was before.

I follow a couple of “T Rex” cats (amputees) on Instagram. They are just adorable. And they are clearly not at all bothered or hindered by having nubs for front legs. They still run and jump and play. So adorable! Cats are truly amazing at how tough and adaptable they are. So when they do show signs of pain, you cannot know just how long they’ve been trying to tough it out and just how severe the pain must be. Toothless cats can be very happy and well adjusted cats. Don’t let your own emotions cloud what’s best for the cat.

 

[jc412]

I have a diabetic cat who has/had juvenile gingivitis and has no teeth (all removed over the course of her life). I'm not sure how your little guy is, but my girl never was a chewer (most likely because of the juvenile gingivitis) and other than having a bit of trouble bouncing back from being knocked out at the vet's office, she happily eats her wet food (or food mixed with water - slurry) and has a normal kitty life.
Cats are incredibly adaptable and it's our human emotions that make these situations painful...for us. While there's not much we can do about genetics, we can help them make the absolute best of their situation.
Just to lift your spirits a bit, my kitty with no teeth started out life with her teeth.She also has CH (underdeveloped balance part of the brain - walks like she's drunk), so when I bought my new house, I got a ranch so she doesn't have to worry about stairs. She also gets additional water in her wet food (for her diabetes, and wet food for no teeth). My kitty with no eyes was born with eyes and was able to see. She learned to be blind. If you watch her, you'd swear she could see. So to help her out, she gets all toys that have smells and noises to them. Have a tripod who had 4 legs for the first 2 years of his life. He runs around the house like he still has 4 legs, jumping on things, pouncing on the other kitties, making 1-pawed muffins.
The point is this - if the teeth need to come out, then they need to come out. But he's not going to starve. He'll still jump on toys and try to bite them. He'll still groom himself. He might drool a bit, but he'll still be healthy, he'll still be happy and he'll adapt. Just be there to give him the best life possible, because he's no different than he was before.

So sorry for the delayed reply. Thank you for your response and kind words. I truly appreciate -- "Toothless cats can be very happy and well adjusted cats. Don’t let your own emotions cloud what’s best for the cat" thank you!