Gum Inflammation (gingivitis) in Cats
Gum Inflammation (gingivitis) in Cats
The following section explains the causes of gingivitis and the symptoms you should be aware of. We will also explain how to treat gingivitis and what preventive measures are useful.
How to recognise gingivitis in your cat
Gingivitis is usually quite painful.
Gingivitis in cats is mainly noticeable by the following symptoms:
- The cat smacks and salivates.
- The gums are swollen and reddened.
- Gum bleeding occurs.
- The cat does not eat, or only eats very little.
- The lower jaw rattles when yawning.
- The quadruped snarls at its food.
- The cat has bad breath.
- The eating is suddenly stopped.
- The cat often scratches its mouth.
- The quadruped hisses when yawning.
- The head is held remarkably crooked during the meal.
Diagnosis of gingivitis in cats
If you notice one or more of these symptoms, it’s quite likely that the cat's gums have become inflamed and it’s advisable to consult a vet as soon as possible.
Your vet will be able to determine the exact cause of your cat's gingivitis and, based on their diagnosis, determine the appropriate treatment measures.
The sooner the treatment is carried out, the less likely it is that the gingivitis will develop into a chronic problem and possible secondary diseases will be added to the symptoms.
Possible causes of gingivitis in cats
There are many causes that can cause gingivitis in cats. In many cases, the cat will first suffer from tartar before gingivitis develops due to the increased bacteria colonisation.
However, other possible causes of gingivitis in cats also include viral diseases such as FIV and cat rhinitis, as well as mouth injuries. Other possible causes include a lack of nutrients due to inadequate feeding and congenital problems such as malpositioned teeth.
In many cases, gingivitis in cats occurs together with other diseases in the mouth and throat or promotes their development. For example, cats with gingivitis often also suffer from periodontal disease, gum growths or other inflammation of the mouth and throat.
Treatment of a cat with gingivitis
In many cases, the inflammation of the gums of the cat is directly related to existing tartar. During the treatment, the veterinarian will therefore usually perform a professional tooth cleaning and clean the gum pockets. The treatment takes place under general anaesthesia and is often sufficient to successfully counteract gingivitis.
However, if individual teeth of the cat are damaged or the roots of the teeth are inflamed, it cannot be avoided to pull them out. After all, it is practically impossible to control gingivitis if there is another source of inflammation in the immediate vicinity.
In some cases it is also possible that the inflammation of the gums or its causes require the administration of antibiotics or cortisone. The latter in particular provides quick relief.
However, the effect often lasts only for the duration of the intake and the gingivitis soon becomes noticeable again after the cortisone is discontinued. In addition, the long-term administration of cortisone can have side effects and, among other things, increase the risk of diabetes in your cat.
Thorough dental care helps to prevent
In order to spare your quadruped all this, you should therefore definitely deal with the subject of prevention and pay sufficient attention to the dental care of your cat.
One possibility is to use a toothbrush and toothpaste for cats. However, there are very few house cats that have no problem brushing their teeth. Even if your cat gets used to it from a very young age, the practical implementation can therefore be associated with complications.
However, there are some things you can do to help prevent gum disease and dental care. As a matter of principle, you should choose high-quality cat food without sugar and cereals and feed your four-legged friend at least some dry cat food.
In contrast to wet food, dry food deposits less food residue on the teeth. In addition, the consumption of the hard chunks can help to remove plaque.
Healthy cat teeth thanks to I love my cat Dental powder
We would like to support you optimally in the daily dental care of your cat and help to ensure that problems such as gingivitis will not have a chance in the future. For this reason we have developed I love my cat Dental Powder, a special food supplement for the dental care of cats.
The special composition of the powder ensures that plaque is loosened without additional time and the likelihood of tartar and gum inflammation in cats is significantly reduced.
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