Accepted Answer

Dear friend,

I am so sorry you are having such a problem with a cat you were so kind to rescue.

I think you need a third opinion. It is impossible to say who is right without seeing her. If she does have Stomatitis regular cleaning will not help.

Cats that have Stomatitis, which is a severe infammation of the mouth have a lot of pain and often stop eating. That is a different condition than normal gingavitis which is treatable by dental scaling. However, Stomatitis is NOT treatable so annual cleanings are a waste of time and money because the oral bacteria enters the stomach and makes the cat extremely ill. Antibiotics and steroids are often used.We usually recommend removal of all teeth for best results. Then the cat lives a normal healthy life eating soft food.He does not even miss the teeth.Here is info you can print and refer to.

http://www.thensome.com/felinehealthlinks.htm

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?articleid=368

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_plasma_cell_stomatitis.html

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pointe/9352/stomatitis.html

If that is the case you would be saving money in the long run.

We usually remove all the teeth from these patients because dental abscesses lead to oral legions.

She is better off without the teeth because once the bacteria from decaying teeth gets into he bloodstream it can affect all the cats organs and cause kidney or liver failure as well as cardiac issues.

Try a vet school if you are within driving distance. They will be honest with you OR a feline recommended DVM.

Please let me know the outcome. I hope she will only need the cleaning.

Sincerest best wishes,

Terri

Expert:	Terri Riba
Pos. Feedback:	99.9 %
Accepts:
Answered:	6/5/2008

Feline Healthcare Expert

Expert in feline health and behavior. 20 years experience with cats.