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#1
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Jack's stomatitis
Hi everyone. It's been awhile since I posted, and don't know if any
old friends are still around. Jack is the newsgroup's boy - he started life as a feral in Seattle, was rescued, adopted by Catharine and she was dying of breast cancer. (Has since passed) I lived near St. Louis and people here generously donated to send Jack on the pet bus to me. He's been a real angel of a cat. I love him so much. Well, he has stomatitis. He's negative for FLIV and all of that. Two years ago, he came down with this and his vet extracted a lot of teeth. I can't remember if it was upper or lower, but one set of teeth. (So he has either his upper or lower molars...I just can't remember, and he also has his front teeth and one or two canines) Her approach was more conservative; she said some vets would extract all the teeth, but she didn't think it was necessary. I'm trying to remember the series of events. I *think* she gave him a shot of some kind of steroid, maybe prednisone or cortisone, to cut down the inflammation. Maybe there were antibiotics, but I'm not sure. And he felt so much better after a day. He had his blood work done, and it was all just fine, and then a week later he went in for his extractions. Did really, really well. But the last week or two, it's come back, and today it's bad. I'll call the vet in the morning, but just wondering if there's anything I can do for him tonight, and if there are any options other than removing the rest of his molars (or all teeth??). I feel like he's near starvation at this point. He's probably normal cat weight, but to me, he's skinny. He was a 20 pounder when I got him, and I didn't do well getting him to lose weight. He's just a big boy. Not obese, just biggggg. I think I got him down to 18, and then he lost a couple of pounds with the stomatitis. I'm scared to death to find out what he weighs tomorrow....it's like in three days he shrunk up. For the last week or two, I thought he was being picky. He's a VERY picky eater. And he just wanted cat treats, but would finally eat his food after he realized he only got a few treats. But the last couple of days, all he'll eat are treats. And today, just barely. He ate three, and I had to hand feed him. He just sleeps a lot, isn't grooming himself; he even has a dirty paw. And a very dirty mouth - that was one of his symptoms last time....he just got crud around his mouth. That's just not Jack. And he isn't sleeping in his bed or on my bed....he's found a spot either in the hall or on the couch. It's heartbreaking. I wouldn't mind trying alternative medicines, but I'm more interested in getting him out of discomfort and having him eat. Is there *anything* I can do tonight to make him feel better? I brushed him for a little bit, and he liked that, but then had enough. (VERY UNLIKE HIM) He purrs when I pet him, doesn't cry, but won't let me touch his mouth. Any help, ideas, etc. would be greatly appreciated. Juls |
#2
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Jack's stomatitis
"Juls xx" wrote in message ... Hi everyone. It's been awhile since I posted, and don't know if any old friends are still around. Jack is the newsgroup's boy - he started life as a feral in Seattle, was rescued, adopted by Catharine and she was dying of breast cancer. (Has since passed) I lived near St. Louis and people here generously donated to send Jack on the pet bus to me. He's been a real angel of a cat. I love him so much. Well, he has stomatitis. He's negative for FLIV and all of that. Two years ago, he came down with this and his vet extracted a lot of teeth. I can't remember if it was upper or lower, but one set of teeth. (So he has either his upper or lower molars...I just can't remember, and he also has his front teeth and one or two canines) Her approach was more conservative; she said some vets would extract all the teeth, but she didn't think it was necessary. I'm trying to remember the series of events. I *think* she gave him a shot of some kind of steroid, maybe prednisone or cortisone, to cut down the inflammation. Maybe there were antibiotics, but I'm not sure. And he felt so much better after a day. He had his blood work done, and it was all just fine, and then a week later he went in for his extractions. Did really, really well. But the last week or two, it's come back, and today it's bad. I'll call the vet in the morning, but just wondering if there's anything I can do for him tonight, and if there are any options other than removing the rest of his molars (or all teeth??). I feel like he's near starvation at this point. He's probably normal cat weight, but to me, he's skinny. He was a 20 pounder when I got him, and I didn't do well getting him to lose weight. He's just a big boy. Not obese, just biggggg. I think I got him down to 18, and then he lost a couple of pounds with the stomatitis. I'm scared to death to find out what he weighs tomorrow....it's like in three days he shrunk up. For the last week or two, I thought he was being picky. He's a VERY picky eater. And he just wanted cat treats, but would finally eat his food after he realized he only got a few treats. But the last couple of days, all he'll eat are treats. And today, just barely. He ate three, and I had to hand feed him. He just sleeps a lot, isn't grooming himself; he even has a dirty paw. And a very dirty mouth - that was one of his symptoms last time....he just got crud around his mouth. That's just not Jack. And he isn't sleeping in his bed or on my bed....he's found a spot either in the hall or on the couch. It's heartbreaking. I wouldn't mind trying alternative medicines, but I'm more interested in getting him out of discomfort and having him eat. Is there *anything* I can do tonight to make him feel better? I brushed him for a little bit, and he liked that, but then had enough. (VERY UNLIKE HIM) He purrs when I pet him, doesn't cry, but won't let me touch his mouth. Any help, ideas, etc. would be greatly appreciated. Juls We have an ex feral with almost no teeth.....He seems to do fine if we feed him food that is either mashed up, or in very small pieces. Cats don't really chew anyway, so if they swallow their food whole, it's OK as long as the pieces are small. In the wild they will tear off pieces of food from their prey, and swallow it whole anyway. We feed Smokey cut-up roasted chicken and he loves it...... |
#3
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Jack's stomatitis
On Apr 6, 11:20*pm, "Bill Graham" wrote:
We have an ex feral with almost no teeth.....He seems to do fine if we feed him food that is either mashed up, or in very small pieces. Cats don't really chew anyway, so if they swallow their food whole, it's OK as long as the pieces are small. In the wild they will tear off pieces of food from their prey, and swallow it whole anyway. We feed Smokey cut-up roasted chicken and he loves it...... That's good to know. I was surprised at how well he did after he lost the first round of teeth. Once he healed, you wouldn't have known. Did Smokey lose his teeth due to stomatitis? |
#4
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Jack's stomatitis
"Juls xx" wrote in message ... Hi everyone. It's been awhile since I posted, and don't know if any old friends are still around. Jack is the newsgroup's boy - he started life as a feral in Seattle, was rescued, adopted by Catharine and she was dying of breast cancer. (Has since passed) I lived near St. Louis and people here generously donated to send Jack on the pet bus to me. He's been a real angel of a cat. I love him so much. Well, he has stomatitis. He's negative for FLIV and all of that. Two years ago, he came down with this and his vet extracted a lot of teeth. I can't remember if it was upper or lower, but one set of teeth. (So he has either his upper or lower molars...I just can't remember, and he also has his front teeth and one or two canines) Her approach was more conservative; she said some vets would extract all the teeth, but she didn't think it was necessary. I'm trying to remember the series of events. I *think* she gave him a shot of some kind of steroid, maybe prednisone or cortisone, to cut down the inflammation. Maybe there were antibiotics, but I'm not sure. And he felt so much better after a day. He had his blood work done, and it was all just fine, and then a week later he went in for his extractions. Did really, really well. But the last week or two, it's come back, and today it's bad. I'll call the vet in the morning, but just wondering if there's anything I can do for him tonight, and if there are any options other than removing the rest of his molars (or all teeth??). I feel like he's near starvation at this point. He's probably normal cat weight, but to me, he's skinny. He was a 20 pounder when I got him, and I didn't do well getting him to lose weight. He's just a big boy. Not obese, just biggggg. I think I got him down to 18, and then he lost a couple of pounds with the stomatitis. I'm scared to death to find out what he weighs tomorrow....it's like in three days he shrunk up. For the last week or two, I thought he was being picky. He's a VERY picky eater. And he just wanted cat treats, but would finally eat his food after he realized he only got a few treats. But the last couple of days, all he'll eat are treats. And today, just barely. He ate three, and I had to hand feed him. He just sleeps a lot, isn't grooming himself; he even has a dirty paw. And a very dirty mouth - that was one of his symptoms last time....he just got crud around his mouth. That's just not Jack. And he isn't sleeping in his bed or on my bed....he's found a spot either in the hall or on the couch. It's heartbreaking. I wouldn't mind trying alternative medicines, but I'm more interested in getting him out of discomfort and having him eat. Is there *anything* I can do tonight to make him feel better? I brushed him for a little bit, and he liked that, but then had enough. (VERY UNLIKE HIM) He purrs when I pet him, doesn't cry, but won't let me touch his mouth. Any help, ideas, etc. would be greatly appreciated. I dealt with an older cat with stomatitis. She had her canine teeth only. She got to keep them because the inflammation was affecting the back of her mouth so they left her 4 fangs in. She got shots of a long lasting cortisone that worked a miracle on her condition. She had a few flare-ups over time and it was clear she was in pain. There are pain relief medicines for cats. The disease is not curable, all you can do is to deal with the flare-ups for the rest of the cat's life. One thing I'd do is to pursue a veterinarian who specializes in allergies. I would recommend alternative medicines but not as a substitute for the steroids. Once you beat back the flare-up, people have reported good luck keeping it at bay with alternative therapies. All you can do is wait till tomorrow. A big cat like that losing weight quickly is at risk for fatty liver disease. You'll probably beat back this flare-up but you'll need to be more aggressive in the future. When I cared for Jade in her last year, she went to the vet at the first sign of discomfort. The disease can go into remission. Paul |
#5
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Jack's stomatitis
On Apr 6, 11:50*pm, "Paul M. Cook" wrote:
"Juls xx" wrote in message ... Hi everyone. It's been awhile since I posted, and don't know if any old friends are still around. Jack is the newsgroup's boy - he started life as a feral in Seattle, was rescued, adopted by Catharine and she was dying of breast cancer. (Has since passed) I lived near St. Louis and people here generously donated to send Jack on the pet bus to me. He's been a real angel of a cat. I love him so much. Well, he has stomatitis. He's negative for FLIV and all of that. Two years ago, he came down with this and his vet extracted a lot of teeth. I can't remember if it was upper or lower, but one set of teeth. (So he has either his upper or lower molars...I just can't remember, and he also has his front teeth and one or two canines) Her approach was more conservative; she said some vets would extract all the teeth, but she didn't think it was necessary. I'm trying to remember the series of events. I *think* she gave him a shot of some kind of steroid, maybe prednisone or cortisone, to cut down the inflammation. Maybe there were antibiotics, but I'm not sure. And he felt so much better after a day. He had his blood work done, and it was all just fine, and then a week later he went in for his extractions. Did really, really well. But the last week or two, it's come back, and today it's bad. I'll call the vet in the morning, but just wondering if there's anything I can do for him tonight, and if there are any options other than removing the rest of his molars (or all teeth??). I feel like he's near starvation at this point. He's probably normal cat weight, but to me, he's skinny. He was a 20 pounder when I got him, and I didn't do well getting him to lose weight. He's just a big boy. Not obese, just biggggg. I think I got him down to 18, and then he lost a couple of pounds with the stomatitis. I'm scared to death to find out what he weighs tomorrow....it's like in three days he shrunk up. For the last week or two, I thought he was being picky. He's a VERY picky eater. And he just wanted cat treats, but would finally eat his food after he realized he only got a few treats. But the last couple of days, all he'll eat are treats. And today, just barely. He ate three, and I had to hand feed him. He just sleeps a lot, isn't grooming himself; he even has a dirty paw. And a very dirty mouth - that was one of his symptoms last time....he just got crud around his mouth. That's just not Jack. And he isn't sleeping in his bed or on my bed....he's found a spot either in the hall or on the couch. It's heartbreaking. I wouldn't mind trying alternative medicines, but I'm more interested in getting him out of discomfort and having him eat. Is there *anything* I can do tonight to make him feel better? I brushed him for a little bit, and he liked that, but then had enough. (VERY UNLIKE HIM) He purrs when I pet him, doesn't cry, but won't let me touch his mouth. Any help, ideas, etc. would be greatly appreciated. I dealt with an older cat with stomatitis. *She had her canine teeth only. She got to keep them because the inflammation was affecting the back of her mouth so they left her 4 fangs in. * She got shots of a long lasting cortisone that worked a miracle on her condition. *She had a few flare-ups over time and it was clear she was in pain. *There are pain relief medicines for cats. * The disease is not curable, all you can do is to deal with the flare-ups for the rest of the cat's life. *One thing I'd do is to pursue a veterinarian who specializes in allergies. *I would recommend alternative medicines but not as a substitute for the steroids. *Once you beat back the flare-up, people have reported good luck keeping it at bay with alternative therapies. All you can do is wait till tomorrow. *A big cat like that losing weight quickly is at risk for fatty liver disease. *You'll probably beat back this flare-up but you'll need to be more aggressive in the future. *When I cared for Jade in her last year, she went to the vet at the first sign of discomfort. * The disease can go into remission. Paul Thanks for the info Paul. What is fatty liver disease??? Do you have any idea what kind of alternative things might be appropriate? The reason I'm considering this, my cousin (she's like a little sister to me) is a senior in pre-vet and a believer in it. (She starts vet school next year) One of her cats has thyroid problems and was on synthetic thyroid, not doing well on it at all, and this holistic (people) doctor gave the cat Standard Process something, I guess ground up thyroid or something. And that kitty is thriving now. So she thought I should call this doctor and ask if he had something from Standard Process that might help. But I need to be able to explain to him what we'd be treating. I do know that the steroid shot he got before really helped him tremendously. Then he went in for a full dental, and that's when she pulled his upper teeth. (it's coming back to me now, thanks to me posting a couple of years ago when it was happening) How often can he get the shot? I know that with people who get cortisone shots for back problems, they can only get them three times a year because of the effects. Thanks, Juls |
#6
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Jack's stomatitis
"Juls xx" wrote in message ... On Apr 6, 11:50 pm, "Paul M. Cook" wrote: "Juls xx" wrote in message ... Hi everyone. It's been awhile since I posted, and don't know if any old friends are still around. Jack is the newsgroup's boy - he started life as a feral in Seattle, was rescued, adopted by Catharine and she was dying of breast cancer. (Has since passed) I lived near St. Louis and people here generously donated to send Jack on the pet bus to me. He's been a real angel of a cat. I love him so much. Well, he has stomatitis. He's negative for FLIV and all of that. Two years ago, he came down with this and his vet extracted a lot of teeth. I can't remember if it was upper or lower, but one set of teeth. (So he has either his upper or lower molars...I just can't remember, and he also has his front teeth and one or two canines) Her approach was more conservative; she said some vets would extract all the teeth, but she didn't think it was necessary. I'm trying to remember the series of events. I *think* she gave him a shot of some kind of steroid, maybe prednisone or cortisone, to cut down the inflammation. Maybe there were antibiotics, but I'm not sure. And he felt so much better after a day. He had his blood work done, and it was all just fine, and then a week later he went in for his extractions. Did really, really well. But the last week or two, it's come back, and today it's bad. I'll call the vet in the morning, but just wondering if there's anything I can do for him tonight, and if there are any options other than removing the rest of his molars (or all teeth??). I feel like he's near starvation at this point. He's probably normal cat weight, but to me, he's skinny. He was a 20 pounder when I got him, and I didn't do well getting him to lose weight. He's just a big boy. Not obese, just biggggg. I think I got him down to 18, and then he lost a couple of pounds with the stomatitis. I'm scared to death to find out what he weighs tomorrow....it's like in three days he shrunk up. For the last week or two, I thought he was being picky. He's a VERY picky eater. And he just wanted cat treats, but would finally eat his food after he realized he only got a few treats. But the last couple of days, all he'll eat are treats. And today, just barely. He ate three, and I had to hand feed him. He just sleeps a lot, isn't grooming himself; he even has a dirty paw. And a very dirty mouth - that was one of his symptoms last time....he just got crud around his mouth. That's just not Jack. And he isn't sleeping in his bed or on my bed....he's found a spot either in the hall or on the couch. It's heartbreaking. I wouldn't mind trying alternative medicines, but I'm more interested in getting him out of discomfort and having him eat. Is there *anything* I can do tonight to make him feel better? I brushed him for a little bit, and he liked that, but then had enough. (VERY UNLIKE HIM) He purrs when I pet him, doesn't cry, but won't let me touch his mouth. Any help, ideas, etc. would be greatly appreciated. I dealt with an older cat with stomatitis. She had her canine teeth only. She got to keep them because the inflammation was affecting the back of her mouth so they left her 4 fangs in. She got shots of a long lasting cortisone that worked a miracle on her condition. She had a few flare-ups over time and it was clear she was in pain. There are pain relief medicines for cats. The disease is not curable, all you can do is to deal with the flare-ups for the rest of the cat's life. One thing I'd do is to pursue a veterinarian who specializes in allergies. I would recommend alternative medicines but not as a substitute for the steroids. Once you beat back the flare-up, people have reported good luck keeping it at bay with alternative therapies. All you can do is wait till tomorrow. A big cat like that losing weight quickly is at risk for fatty liver disease. You'll probably beat back this flare-up but you'll need to be more aggressive in the future. When I cared for Jade in her last year, she went to the vet at the first sign of discomfort. The disease can go into remission. Paul Thanks for the info Paul. What is fatty liver disease??? Fatty liver disease is when fat deposits form in the liver. Very bad for cats because the cat has to keep eating to get better but they go off their food when sick. Do you have any idea what kind of alternative things might be appropriate? The reason I'm considering this, my cousin (she's like a little sister to me) is a senior in pre-vet and a believer in it. (She starts vet school next year) One of her cats has thyroid problems and was on synthetic thyroid, not doing well on it at all, and this holistic (people) doctor gave the cat Standard Process something, I guess ground up thyroid or something. And that kitty is thriving now. So she thought I should call this doctor and ask if he had something from Standard Process that might help. But I need to be able to explain to him what we'd be treating. Stomatitis is an auto-immune system disorder. You want to bolster the cats's immune system. Omega3 and 6 are both good as are many antioxidants like vitamin C. You may want to put your cat on aspecial diet that would be better for his immune system than average foods. Wellness has a very good food for the immune system. I've never heard of Standard Process. You will find a wealth of information through Internet searches. You want to take this disease very seriously as it can be fatal. Interferon is showing a lot of promise in treating this disease. Good question for the vet. I would hope any doctor or vet knows about stomatitis as humans get it as well as cats. I do know that the steroid shot he got before really helped him tremendously. Then he went in for a full dental, and that's when she pulled his upper teeth. (it's coming back to me now, thanks to me posting a couple of years ago when it was happening) How often can he get the shot? I know that with people who get cortisone shots for back problems, they can only get them three times a year because of the effects. All questions for the vet. Jade got at 4 shots in 9 months. She was also 18 and I am sure that her age was a consideration. Paul |
#7
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Jack's stomatitis
Paul, Thank you so much.
I think Jack is 10....about that. It's all kind of a guesstimate since he was part of a feral community. Even if his regular vet isn't in tomorrow, I'm planning on taking him in to at least get a cortisone and antibiotic shot, plus pain meds. Last time, once he got those shots, he felt better quickly and started eating again. Right now, I just want him to eat and feel better. The Standard Process is some kind of whole food supplement. I'm kind of skeptical myself (even though I believe in nutrition and things like that....this stuff comes across to me as a little bit hocus pocus). But my cousin and her family (and her dad is a doctor who was preaching certain foods for eye disease.....he was right long before it was verified by journal studies) are big believers. And so is my mom. There's an immune booster for felines http://www.standardprocess.com/displ...log.spi?ID=349 but it's in pill form...his mouth will have to heal a bit before I can even think about getting pills down him. I may have to grind them and add them to something delicious. I'm willing to give it a try, and will definitely bring up the idea of interferon. I'm less worried about losing the rest of his teeth than I am in keeping him healthy and a good quality of life. I really appreciate your info on this. Unfortunately he does not like Wellness at all. I've tried all of the premium foods, and I always go back to Pro Plan chicken and rice...that's all he likes. And any kind of treats, esp. Greenies. If he ever develops CRF, we're up the creek. He owns me. Juls |
#8
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Jack's stomatitis
On Wed, 7 Apr 2010 00:23:15 -0700 (PDT), Juls xx
wrote: Unfortunately he does not like Wellness at all. I've tried all of the premium foods, and I always go back to Pro Plan chicken and rice...that's all he likes. And any kind of treats, esp. Greenies. If he ever develops CRF, we're up the creek. He owns me. Might help if you mix a little warm/hot water to make food "mushy" may help eat(Cat may find it easier to lick). Also if you get a bottle of capsules acidophilus/Lactobacillus from your Supermarket (mix ½-1 capsule with cat food) Human type cheapest one (good for your number two's also), or if your cat eats plain (big spoonful) plain yougurt once a week, no need for capsules this helps Cats digestion (helps it poop or number two's) Petzl -- "Dieu et mon droit" God is my legal right http://preview.tinyurl.com/Christian-Court |
#9
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Jack's stomatitis
On Apr 7, 3:16*am, Petzl wrote:
On Wed, 7 Apr 2010 00:23:15 -0700 (PDT), Juls xx wrote: Unfortunately he does not like Wellness at all. I've tried all of the premium foods, and I always go back to Pro Plan chicken and rice...that's all he likes. And any kind of treats, esp. Greenies. If he ever develops CRF, we're up the creek. He owns me. Might help if you mix a little warm/hot water to make food "mushy" may help eat(Cat may find it easier to lick). Also if you get a bottle of capsules acidophilus/Lactobacillus from your Supermarket (mix ½-1 capsule with cat food) Human type cheapest one (good for your number two's also), or if your cat eats plain (big spoonful) plain yougurt once a week, no need for capsules this helps Cats digestion (helps it poop or number two's) Petzl -- "Dieu et mon droit" God is my legal righthttp://preview.tinyurl.com/Christian-Court Poor guy is obviously hungry. He was actually up this morning asking for food, but then wouldn't eat anything, even the treats. I did try mushing up some food, but no luck. He has an appointment early afternoon, and I'm hoping maybe they'll have some cat Ensure or something for him. I may get a can of some kind of Science Diet while I"m there, even though he's not a fan. Three hours and I can take him to the vet....counting the hours to get him some relief. Actually, if it weren't for the dirty mouth and not eating (and obvious weight loss that seems to have just happened over the weekend), you'd not know he's in pain. |
#10
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Jack's stomatitis
I just remembered a ziploc bag of turkey meat in the freezer, so I got
a little piece of that. The only broth I had was also frozen, but I had Campbell's Chicken Noodle soup. I added a little broth from that can and ground up the turkey in the blender. HE LOVED IT. He only had one bite, but at least it's a little something. If he'll eat it, that bag of turkey has his name on it now. |
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