Roxanne came for a “weepy eye” & despite being very young she had BIG PROBLEMS Roxanne had bad breath & her gums were red, swollen, infected, & painful !

Both Feline Stomatitis & Tooth Resorption were suspected , these conditions are painful & require a professional anesthetic dental .

Stomatitis = common, painful & life threatening problem in cats. With time inflammation in the mouth spreads from areas near the tooth to the back of the throat . The gums can enlarge & block off areas of the throat, making eating & swallowing difficult & painful

Cats with stomatitis can also have tooth resorption. The red gums may appear to be growing into a tooth or the tooth may appear to have a hole. These are painful .

Medical therapy provides only short-term control for feline stomatitis & the long term results are very disappointing . Surgical therapy offers remarkable & immediate pain relief with long-term control of stomatitis .

Oral surgery involves meticulous dental extraction technique with wide excision of the inflamed tissues. Dental x-rays are essential in performing surgical extractions for these cats, as leaving root tips defeats the purpose of performing oral surgery! X-rays help confirm complete removal of these tooth.

Failure to widely excise the inflamed tissue complicates the healing process. The inflamed soft tissues allow for bacteria & viruses to hide. This further stimulates the cat’s immune system & propagates continued inflammation. Inflammation contributes to chronic oral pain. Chronic oral pain reduces the quality of life.

The surgical defect must be sutured closed using tension free flaps. Failure to suture the surgery sites closed allows for continued inflammation & bacterial infection. Osteomyelitis, a bone infection, can be a serious complication with tragic consequences.

It can’t be over-emphasized that this is a major procedure requiring dental tooth x-rays, appropriate training, wait for meticulous surgical technique, & appropriate anesthesia monitoring & patient medical care.