My cat has painful stomatitis and red gums. What can I do now?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 5 years old
My 5 yr old cat ate only packaged cat foods both dry and wet. She does not hunt. Past few months, her breath became very nasty. Recently she started drooling & cried in pain while eating. I noticed her teeth has yellow tartar, gums very red and inflammed (swelling) in the inside. I took her to vet, she is suffering from stomatitis gave her antibiotics & the condition improved a bit. Right now i m giving her calcium supplements but still i know she is in pain. There is no option of teeth cleaning
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on September 26th, 2017
I am sorry to hear that Sweety has a painful mouth. Unfortunately, gingivitis/stomatitis in cats can be very severe and quite debilitating. It can be made even worse in cats that have other immune issues, such as allergies or FeLV/FIV infections. Antibiotics and immune-suppressive medications can be used in mild cases. Thorough dental cleaning will help many of these cases more than just medical treatment. However, many cats will need all or most of their teeth pulled to ease the pain. The pain and inflammation is caused by an immune reaction to the tartar. Since we can't completely prevent tartar build up on the teeth, often removing the teeth is our only option. Obviously this is quite a bit more expensive than a simple teeth cleaning. I recommend discussing your options with the veterinarian that has treated Sweety as far as medications or financing for the dental cleaning. Here is some more information that you may find helpful: https://www.petcoach.co/article/7-smart-solutions-for-pet-care-financing/ http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=170
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on September 18th, 2017
Gingivitis in cats is not always caused by an infection. Many times it can be an autoimmune reaction to tartar on the teeth. The inflammation get get so severe it starts to affect areas of the mouth and throat that are not touching the teeth, as well. This more severe type of inflammation is called stomatitis. In more simple gingivitis cases, which may be Mimi's case, often a thorough dental scaling and polishing to remove the tartar under anesthesia will be enough to provide comfort for several months up to years. This disease process can be harder to manage if there is internal medical disease like liver or kidney disease (which looks like has already been ruled out) or infection with FeLV or FIV viruses. Here is some more helpful information: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=222 http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=170
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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