Question:
I took my 16-month-old cat in for a Feline Leukemia booster today and the
vet noticed a hairline of red where the gums and teeth meet. She said
that my cat had gingivitis and a tooth cleaning, antibiotics, and a
possible extraction was in order. I imagine the vet will have to use
anesthesia to clean Mercury's teeth. Mercury has no plaque build-up, and
he's a bit on the plump side so I don't think the inflammation is
interfering with his appetite in any way. It seems all so bizarre. The
cost of this lovely procedure could be upwards $200 US dollars. Is it
time for a second opinion? Any one out there ever experience this problem
in such a young cat? How serious can this become?
Answer:
First, I would suggest you get a second opinion. 16 months is a
little young to have gingivitis. It does happen, but...
Dental problems can be *very* serious if not treated immediately. When
enough plaque builds up, an infection of the gums (gingivitis) can
occur. This is what you have described as a red line along the teeth
on the gums. As time passes, the plaque calcifies and hardens to form
tartar which, in a way, holds the infection against the teeth and
pushes it still further under the gums, leading to the formation of
"pockets". Periodontal Disease is this deeper infection of the gums
along the tooth margins and tooth roots, which will, if left
unchecked, lead to tooth loss as the root decays. But that's not the
real danger - the gum tissues have an extensive blood supply, and all
the bacteria involved in periodontal infections easily enter the blood
stream, and all blood eventually passes through the heart, bacteria
can be deposited on the valves of the heart leading to valvular heart
disease. Bacteria in the blood can also lead to kidney disease,
hepatitis and joint disease, not to mention that constant pain from
tooth loss is also occurring.
Because of your cat's young age, it would be wise to order a chem
screen, CBC, *complete* urinalysis [multistix, SpGr, sed], and fecal
exam. Most oral lesions are due to some other specific problem which
ultimately affects the mouth. Because the mouth is full of bacteria,
yeast and other organisms, internal diseases can allow these to attack
and cause infection. The reason I'm mentioning this is because he's
kind of young to have gingivitis as a result of calcified plaque. I'd
play it safe and rule out other causes such as internal diseases.
The price isn't bad ($200), if it includes pre-anesthetic exam, lab
work, anesthesia (request Isoflurane [gas] more $, but safer) and
post-op antibiotics.
And what makes this even more amazing is that Mercury has *no* plaque
build-up. Mercury is a straight-eared Scottish Fold and the vet told me
that purebreds tend more to gingivitis. The vet asked me if Mercury had
any diarrhea or vomiting -- he's had two short bouts of each in all his
young life, nothing repetitive, not concurrent, and nothing recently.
If there's no plaque, the problem may not be gingivitis. In your
first post, you mentioned Mercury may need extractions. Extractions
at 16 months is unusual unless in cases of tooth damage from injury.
Do the lesions look like cavities but without decay or infection? -
like small to large pits in the premolar and molar teeth? If there
are, is any gum tissue growing in the pits or covering all or part of
any teeth? Does the tooth enamel look like its been eaten away?
Sorry for bombarding you with so many questions, but I have a hunch.
If you don't mind, I'm sending you a couple of photographs, via email.
Let me know which picture more closely resembles Mercury's condition.
Its hard enough to figure things out when I *can* see the cat, trying
to figure it out when I *can't* see the cat, drives me up the wall
sometimes (a short drive for me ;)).
