Gangrenous stomatitis in cats: causes, symptoms, treatment

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Unfortunately, not every disease in pets has visible symptoms, and when the disease reaches its peak and irreversible processes begin in the body, the owners begin to notice that something is wrong with their smaller brothers. This also applies to stomatitis in cats. Many believe that this is a human disease, but animals can also get sick with it, and if help is not provided to the pet in a timely manner, the disease will take a neglected form.

Description of pathology

Stomatitis is a viral disease, accompanied by inflammation of the gums and mouth, which causes pain to a small family member. Often, a weakened immune system of a pet leads to an illness, often the animal can even lose several teeth. In addition, stomatitis is the result of the vital activity of the immunodeficiency virus or the leukemia virus in cats, which are characterized by a malignant growth of hematopoietic tissue. This suggests that stomatitis is a rather serious disease that requires urgent treatment. To avoidthe transition of the disease to the acute stage, the owners of furry pets should be aware of how to recognize the disease and treat it properly.

Classification of stomatitis

There are several types of this disease:

• Gangrenous stomatitis in cats.
• Diphtheria.
• Aphthous.
• Catarrhal.
• Vesicular.
• Ulcerative.

According to the course of the disease, stomatitis can be acute and chronic, primary and secondary. The causes of the disease will be discussed below.

Stomatitis in cats: symptoms

As a rule, this disease manifests itself quite brightly. Symptoms will depend on the inflammatory process, which, as we found out earlier, can be gangrenous, diphtheric, aphthous, catarrhal, vesicular and ulcerative.

In most cases, the development of stomatitis begins with catarrhal inflammation. In such cases, the pet's salivation increases, thirst increases, the animal chews food with caution or refuses it altogether. When examining the oral cavity during this period, it can be replaced that the mucous membrane turned very red and a gray coating appeared on it.

Stomatitis in cats is manifested by bad breath, the appearance of which is caused by the decomposition of saliva, exfoliation of the epithelium and mucus.

We have already found out that catarrh is the precursor of any kind of stomatitis. As a rule, the inflammatory process proceeds benignly. After the cause of the lesion is eliminated, the mucous membrane will quickly recover and heal.

With belated therapeutic measures or when treated with improperly selected drugs that have not had the desired effect, catarrhal inflammation can turn into more serious forms, up to the appearance of ulcers, aphthae and vesicles.

Ulcerative stomatitis in cats begins with gum disease: due to ulcers formed around the teeth, the gum swells, acquiring a bright red, and sometimes cyanotic color. A disgusting smell emanates from the mouth of a sick animal. Ulcerative stomatitis is characterized by bleeding gums when touched, for this reason the act of chewing becomes almost impossible, as a result of which the pet refuses to eat due to severe pain. The disintegration of tissues entails the appearance of new foci of inflammation, up to the transition to the jaw bones. Teeth begin to loosen and eventually fall out. Oral ulceration is followed by gangrenous stomatitis in cats. Left untreated, mouth ulcers can lead to death as a result of blood poisoning (sepsis).

Gangrenous stomatitis in cats is also manifested by the strongest decay of the mucous membrane and tissues of the oral cavity, the appearance of swelling in the lips, increased body temperature, an increase in submandibular lymph nodes and depression.

Causes of primary stomatitis

Many things can cause stomatitis in cats. Causes of this diseasemay be:

• Physical damage to the oral cavity. Tough meats and fish with a lot of bones that your pet eats can injure the gums. An infection gets into microtraumas, and stomatitis begins.
• Presence of fungi, most often of the genus Candida. When bacteria enter the oral cavity, active reproduction and spread of harmful microbes begins, which are the causative agents of not only stomatitis, but also many dangerous ailments.
• Chemical or thermal burn of the oral cavity. Such reasons are extremely rare, because fluffy pets are quite smart animals and do not eat poison or household chemicals. If, for any reason, this nevertheless happened, stomatitis in cats will manifest itself very quickly, because a burn creates a favorable environment for the development of pathogens.

Causes of secondary stomatitis

Preconditions for secondary stomatitis may be:

• Various diseases of the gums and teeth, including caries.
• Impaired metabolism, lack of various vitamins in the animal's body. So, for example, with a lack of vitamin C, hemorrhagic scurvy develops, which leads to the appearance of stomatitis.
• Diseases of the digestive tract (diabetes, gastroenteritis).

Treatment of stomatitis

In a mild form of the disease, it is permissible to use immunostimulants - "Prednisolone" or "Cyclosporine", which can change the immune responsepet systems. As a rule, diseased teeth are removed to suppress stomatitis in cats. Treatment in this way to pet owners may seem too cruel, even barbaric, however, the four-legged patient is relieved after the procedure. It is worth noting that if the teeth are affected by stomatitis, the pet cannot use them for their intended purpose due to severe pain, so it is better to remove them, transfer the cat to liquid food (more on this below) and give the animal antibiotics and painkillers for some time.

After getting rid of the affected teeth, the inflammatory process decreases, while residual inflammation sometimes persists. In such situations, the veterinarian may prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs in combination with painkillers for subsequent treatment.

Even after the full course of treatment is completed, the cat will need to be seen by a doctor for some time to confirm proper wound healing and adequately assess the response to the procedure. Therefore, be prepared to visit the veterinary clinic often for the first 2-3 weeks after the start of treatment.

The recovery of a pet after stomatitis is evidenced by the return of appetite, increased love for its owner and improvement in the general condition of the animal. Prolonged hunger strike, which caused the pet pain when eating food, can cause excess weight. From the outside, it may even seem that a starving animal simply pounces on food. Therefore, it is recommendedafter treatment of stomatitis, monitor the cat's diet to prevent obesity.

Stomatitis in cats: home treatment

On the recommendation of a veterinarian, you can independently treat the affected oral mucosa with light disinfectant solutions: baking soda (1%), hydrogen peroxide (3%), a weak solution of potassium permanganate or furatsilin. To irrigate the mouth, you can use a small rubber bulb or, more simply, a syringe.

Ulcerative stomatitis in cats is treated with Lugol's solution based on molecular iodine or the effective antiseptic "Methylene blue". With a large number of ulcers and in the presence of inflammation in the lymph nodes, it is recommended to continue therapy in combination with antibiotics ("Oxytetracycline" or "Erythromycin"). An important role in a quick recovery is given to the intake of vitamins. Gangrenous stomatitis in cats is also treated with restorative drugs.

For a better recovery of the mucous membrane, it is recommended to lubricate the injured areas with sea buckthorn or rosehip oil.

Nutrition for sick cats

For a speedy recovery, the pet must be transferred to a liquid diet, especially if diagnosed with ulcerative stomatitis with granulations. Cats with this disease experience a lot of unpleasant and painful sensations, so dry food will have to be removed for a while.

For feeding a sick petsuitable meat broth, mashed soup, milk or porridge. When diagnosed with ulcerative stomatitis with granulations, cats often refuse to eat, so they will have to feed the animals themselves. For convenience, you can use a small syringe.

Warning

Preventive measures include periodic examination of the pet's oral cavity to detect diseased teeth, timely detection of diseases of the digestive system, balanced feeding and avoidance of too hot food. Keep an eye on your pets and keep them he althy!