Chronic Gingivitis

[Elaine]

Any one knoe of any good supplements for this condition in cats?
Diddydawns Main Coon is only 3 yrs old and has gingivitis, he also is very prone to upset tummys, the antirobe the vet has prescribed has upset his tummy all over again. The vets have spoke about using interferon and a long lasting steriod to help him but they wont use either of these long term as they are expensive.
Now as far as my understandi9ng goes, this condition is quite common in Main Coons and is normally due to a supressed imune system.
Any one know anything?

[dinahsmum]

Don't 'know' anything Elaine.
As I've posted before I'm using Plaque Off for my pets. It's way too soon to see any long term effects (which is what I'm after of course - no tartar build up etc) but Chester did have a haltosis issue, which was odd in a young thing and which has gone completely. They only have the tiniest amount; I wouldn't think it would hurt tums.
Dorwest do something they say is good for oral health - think it may have a raspberry element. I'll see if I can find a link, if not I'm sure you can google.
As I say with all these supplements, it's very unlikely they will do any harm and they might just do the trick.
3 is very young to have a bad mouth

Ah - here's the Dorwest product Fragaria. Strawberry, not raspberry. My memory wasn't that bad then!

GINGIVITIS

This is a condition mainly seen in cats and the smaller breeds of dog. It is a minor infection of the gums with chronic inflammation which can result in the removal of teeth in extreme cases. It may be necessary for your veterinary surgeon to de-scale the teeth to remove any tartar that has built up and this should be followed by regular cleaning of the teeth, using Roast Dinner Tooth Paste, to keep the teeth and gums healthy. Give Garlic and Fenugreek tablets at the treatment dose to relieve the infection and continue this at the maintenance dose for animals that may be susceptible to this condition. Tartar which forms on the teeth encourages bacteria to infect the gums and Homœopathic Fragaria 3C should be given as this is effective in both reducing and preventing tartar build up. For encrusted teeth, give one pillule daily for a month to softens existing tartar and make it easier to remove. Thereafter, give it once weekly to prevent future build-up and the need for de-scaling. As animals with gingivitis may find it difficult to eat, there may be a resulting loss of appetite and Malted Kelp tablets can be given to stimulate the appetite following treatment. Gingivitis may occur as a consequence of a more serious condition and therefore if it persists or becomes acute, always consult your veterinary practice for advice.

[catmadjax]

Hi Elaine, I had a pedigree Birman with the same problem. She had it for years on and off. She had Antirobe and it upset her tummy too. Everytime she had gingivitis,(herpes virus) it always came back. then one day she developed breathing difficulties. Xrays followed, then very expensive lung tests by a specialist in Warwick £650 for one day (this included a lung wash, and camera work into the airways). She was diagnosed as having Feline Chronic Brochitis and given 2 months to live. During that time she had strong steroid drugs, human asthma drugs through a special spacer mask called an AeroKat (which she took to with no trouble at all)..... and she actually lived for 5 months after the tests, her life came to an end on 13th March 2007 when I rushed her into the emergency vets just after midnight,she could not breathe and i had her put to sleep as there was nothing more they could do.

This was caused by the gingervitis which had never quite cleared up, it got into her airways, and basically distroyed them. I dont mean to frighten you as this is very rare, but its a possiblilty you should be aware of.

[Elaine]

Thanx for that, I'll pass on the info.
Is there nothing more that can be done for this condition other than antirobe and steroids?