Symptoms of Stomatitis

How can you tell if your cat is suffering from feline stomatitis? Below are some of the observable symptoms that you might see in your cat if she are suffering from stomatitis.

The information in purple italics is my explanation of my cat Lily’s experience with each symptom.

Bad Breath

Rather than the simple, everyday bad breath that you might notice in felines when they are not suffering from a medical condition, stomatitis will cause your cat’s breath to be noticeably terrible. It is a distinctive odor, one that is difficult to describe, but equally difficult to miss. Also, you can smell the bad breath from at least a foot or two away after the stomatitis has flourished in your cat’s mouth.

Lily’s breath was horrendous! It wasn’t just bad. It was like the smell of rot and death. It was her breath that finally alerted me to her disease, and I could smell it when she was on my lap, when my nose was a good 16″ – 18″ from her mouth.

Bleeding Gums

Stomatitis causes extreme trauma to the gums. This trauma causes the gums to bleed. The drool from a cat with stomatitis is often tinged with blood because of this trauma. You may also notice a metallic smell coming from your cat, which is the smell of iron from the blood.

Lily often had blood in her drool before we got her stomatitis under control. It was common to see dried pools of blood in her favorite sleeping areas, such as on my bed. The metallic smell was quite disgusting to me, and very strong when there was a lot of blood.

Lily drooling from stomatitis with blood in the drool

You can see that the drool on Lily’s lower lip is red with blood.

Drool stain on a pillow that has blood in it

Lily was drooling while sleeping on my pillow and the drool stain has blood in it.

Crying Out in Pain While Eating

When cats with stomatitis do eat, it will be with noticeable and apparent difficulty. These cats will often make painful mewling noises or yelp in pain as they force the food past their inflamed throats.

Lily did this often after her stomatitis got bad and before we got it under control. She still cries out at times, but it is a rare event these days.

Crying Out in Pain While Playing

When cats play they often grab toys or other items with their mouths. Cats with stomatitis, though, may cry out or scream in pain during play after they forgetfully grab something with their mouths.

Lily did this for at least a month before I realized she had stomatitis, but I had no idea what was causing her cries of pain. I feel terrible for not figuring this out sooner, but I had never heard of stomatitis at that time and had no idea about mouth diseases, especially not in a cat less than a year old.

The video below shows an example of what the cry may sound like.  In this video Lily’s cry was a very quick little yelp that I did not understand when I heard it, as this video shows. However, there were other times when her cries were extremely loud.

Dehydration

Just like their reluctance to take in food beyond the bare minimum required to survive because of the painfulness of their mouth, cats suffering from stomatitis also limit themselves to drinking the minimum amount of water that they need to survive. The reason for this is because it hurts when they lap up the water. Dehydration in cats suffering from this condition is noticeable.

I am unaware of Lily experiencing this symptom.

Drooling

Cats that are suffering with this condition are known to have excessive drool. This is because swallowing is painful, so they would rather let their saliva drip out of their mouths rather than swallow it. It is common to see drool drip down the fronts of their bodies, sometimes even soaking their entire chest areas. Cats that sleep with their tails tucked under their faces may end up with matted fur where the drool collects on their tails, especially if the cats have medium to long haired tails.

Lily drooled a lot before her stomatitis was under control, and her fur matted so badly that we frequently had our vet shave her fur to remove the mats. She is not cured and still drools occasionally. When she does, I give her a pain medicine called Buprenex to ease her pain.

04/28/2015 Edit – Lily has not drooled or needed Buprenex in over two years.

Lily drooling from stomatitis

You can see drool on Lily’s lower lip. This isn’t bad. There were times when drool covered her entire bottom lip and chin.

Drool from stomatitis matts the fur on Lily's tail

Lily sleeps all curled up with her tail under her face. When she drools, the drool matts the fur on her tail right where you see it touching her face and we have to shave it in that one spot.

Lack of Grooming

Cats groom themselves by washing up with their tongues. But cats with stomatitis avoid using their tongues whenever possible in an attempt to minimize their pain. Cats with stomatitis will stop grooming themselves. You can see this lack of grooming because their fur will look unkempt, messy, matted, or dirty, if not all of these options.

Lily stopped grooming and her fur definitely looked all of the above. She began grooming again after we started giving her PlaqueOff, and I was thrilled the first time she hacked up a hairball because it meant she felt well enough to groom again.

Pawing Incessantly at Their Mouths

You might observe your cat touching her mouth with her paws as a way of trying to rub the pain away, or ease it by physical contact.  This behavior may be accompanied by mewing noises or other verbal expressions of pain.

Lily did not do this. She avoided any type of contact with her mouth, including from herself.

Red, Swollen Gums and/or Throat

The gums in the mouth become red and swollen, and the tissue in the throat is also often affected in the same way. You can attempt to gently look in your cat’s mouth but do not force the issue if your cat refuses to let you open her mouth. Instead, let your vet look.

I never looked in Lily’s mouth, though I did try once. She was clearly in pain when I tried so I immediately stopped.Stomatitis in the mouth of a cat after her teeth were pulled

Reluctance to be Touched On or Near The Mouth or Face

Cats with stomatitis will not want their mouths and/or faces to be touched because of the extreme pain they feel all the time with stomatitis. They may shy away when hands come near these areas because they will not know if they are going to be hurt, or they may even cry out in pain when touched.

Lily’s stomatitis is now under control, meaning she rarely bleeds or drools these days, but she is not cured. She still lives with constant pain and we never intentionally touch her on or near the mouth. If we accidentally touch her mouth she cries in pain and runs away to hide.

04/28/2015 Edit – Lily’s no longer bleeds or drools and stomatitis has not caused her pain in over two years. We can now touch her mouth and she no longer cries out in pain when we do.

Weight Loss

Because of the extremely painful state of their mouths, cats who are suffering from this condition tends to only eat the bare minimum amount of food that they need to survive. If your cat had a robust appetite before beginning to suffer from stomatitis, the weight loss that you will see can be significant, possibly even life-threatening. If you run your hand down your cat’s body and you either suspect that she has lost weight or you can feel the bones clearly along her spine and hips, then she probably has lost weight.

Lily was already a small cat, weighing slightly less than seven pounds before stomatitis, but she dropped to an even six pounds after getting this disease. When I ran my hand down her back I could clearly feel her ribs and hip bones.

Weight loss in a cat due to stomatitis

It is difficult to tell how skinny Lily is in this picture because she has a lot of fur, but she weighed just six pounds here. She is the size and weight of an older kitten, not the two year old adult cat that she really was here.

If you observe your cat engaging in any of these behaviors, there may be a good chance that she is suffering from feline stomatitis. This disease is extremely painful to cats. Don’t let her continue to suffer. Call your vet to make an appointment as soon as you suspect your cat might have stomatitis.

Comments

Symptoms of Stomatitis — 142 Comments

  1. I have had cats with quite bad stomatitis in the past, one due to kidney disease. I usually opt for full mouth extraction which has proved really successful with all but one of my rescues. Gypsy came to me at the start of the year in an awful state. She is a calico but her whit elegance and tail looked like they were covered in tar so she was shaved and bathed. Few days later she was covered again. That’s when we realised it was coming from her. It was put down to a stomach ulcer due to the amount. She had ulcers on her tongue and gums that were so raw. I had any teeth she had left removed and she improved slightly. She is now on long acting antibiotics and steroids injections every 2 weeks now. The steroids have completely turned her wound. She’s playful, clean, full of energy and now fat. Ulcers are very slowly healing but there is a big improvement from when she first arrived. She also gets lysine and bovine colostrum along with goats milk to keep her tummy happy.

  2. My cat, Toby, is suffering with the same symptoms: drooling (red tint) weight loss, matted fur, etc. Luckily he is stil eating and drinking (not as much). My question is, I would like to try the Lysine and PlaqueOff…for the Lysine, is there something in powder or liquid form that I can just put into his food? Do you know? I am seeing many chewable types things, but he does not usually eat those. He mainly keeps to the wet food now, so was trying to find Lysine and PlaquOff that can be easily mixed.

    • Shawna,

      My sincere apologies for not responding until now. It’s probably too late, but the Lysine does come in a powder form. That’s the kind that I used for Lily, and I mixed it with the PlaqueOff in wet food.

      Rochelle

  3. Unfortunately my 6 month old kitten, Deci, has just been diagnosed with stomatitis. I didn’t know the disease occurred in cats but took her because of her symptoms. We’ll do what we can but we can’t afford exorbitant vet bills and our vet told us that because she’s so young her condition will become severe early. So we’ll give her the best life possible for the short time we’ll have her.

  4. I have a nine year old cat that all of the sudden has bad bad smelling breath. I took him to the vet and he said Vincent’s disease. A bad case of gingivitis. It’s lots worse than gingivitis. He had a shot. It is getting worse. He has to go tomorrow but I’m thinking of a different vet. I have been reading a lot last few days and it shows up that a Bartonella infection can cause that. Bartonella caused by ticks or flea.

    When he was younger he had rat ulcer on his lip. A few times and was treated. He had pododermatitis on his foot bottoms a few times. This is all falling into a diagnosis as I’m reading. It seems that many vets don’t know what causes any of this but then a vet says many cats with Bartonella have stomatitis. There is a new test called FeBart test. I guess just one lab tests like this. But I’m thinking of trying. Calcivirus also causes stomatitis. I decided a few years back to treat natural with things for us and the pets if possible. I was using silver made by sovereign silver for a few things that we caught. It has cleared things before. Just letting you know that there are things to help on top of antibiotics. Lysine also is good. He’s been on them last few days. Will let you know how this turns out. This is said to be a very painful thing for cats. My husband was saying we should have him euthanized if this doesn’t help. As some people say this is sad to do. I’d rather he not be in pain. Imagine how pain that doesn’t go away hurts.

    • Jean,

      How have things been for your kitty? You are correct that not much is known about the causes (or the treatments for) stomatitis in cats. I hope that your boy is doing better.

      Rochelle

    • Jean,

      The following response was sent to me but it’s meant for you:

      “Hi Jean, I too have two cats with stomatitis. They are both from the neighborhood. The female will hide and stop eating and drinking totally so I have had to have her treated many times. She is presently on steroids by ear on the hairless part – everyother day and is doing well. She also gets lysine on her food and Plaque Off also on her food daily. The male, Radar, somehow does not ever completely stop eating but he has bad breath, drools and at times contorts in pain from his mouth. I think they have a quality of life but would love it if a cure could be found. Barbara”

      • Hi,rochelle what medicine you gave to your cat?My cat is also suffering the same pain right now i dont know what todo,can you help me please….

        • Feby,

          The medicine I gave to Lily were Lysine and PlaqueOff, which I bought on Amazon, as well as Prednisolone, a steroid cream I rubbed into her ears and got from a pharmacist. I hope this helps.

          Rochelle

          • Hey rochelle, could I just ask which lysine it was you ordered of amazon. My cat gizmo is 14 years old and has recently been diagnosed with stomatitis, the vet only removed two teeth and said the rest were fine. But gizmo is still suffering and I will do anything to help him as he is my very loving fur baby. Thanks x

  5. People need to stop telling other people who obviously can’t afford a vet say “take them to a vet”. They are asking for home care advice because they can’t do that financially

    • Katherina, even a veterinarian would find it impossible to properly diagnose and care for a cat based on the small amount of information available in an internet comment, so we sure can’t do it for you, either (not to mention the legality of it!). Triage and wound care are all that “home care” ought to consist of; securing a wound to make sure a cat is safe in transit to a vet.
      Would you say the same thing to/about a parent? Would it be acceptable to withhold medical care from a child based on the parent’s financial status? No.
      We are the caregivers for our cats. We are all they have. If you won’t treat a cat at least as well as you would a child, you shouldn’t have one.
      Also, there are programs and nonprofits that help indigent folks provide medical care for their pets. If they are under the poverty line, they can seek assistance. If they’re not under the poverty line, then they’re making a choice that either their needs or their wants rank higher on their priority list than those of their cat(s).
      In case of a clap-back, I do walk the walk. We adopted a stray cat we found outside this year, on June 27. Within a week, she had become very ill, even though the vet we took her to on the first day said she was in excellent health other than a few fleas. We paid almost $4000 for her around-the-clock emergency medical care. Serendipity died on July 9. She took an integral piece of my heart with her.
      Cats are not toys or inanimate objects. If you love them, give them the best possible life, and take care of them. And, if you don’t love them, find them a new home where they will find love and decent care. There’s no room for a gray area where a cat’s life is concerned.

      • I agree with you wholeheartedly. I also preached don’t get a pet if you cannot afford them but realized how that was almost always not the case. People that love animals will take in a stray in the neighborhood, all municipalities do not have shelters. So, with that said, I would say please reach out to rescue organizations, if they don’t have the funds, they might know who does. Sometimes a benefactor would be available but they are not publicly known. Don’t be too proud. A vet diagnosis is invaluable.

      • I think it is great you helped a stray and gave it your all including $4K. I would do the same years ago when I made 6 figures a year and had good health. I took in several stray cats who were injured or ill and got them healthy by great vet care.Fast forward 10 years, I have the same cats. I love them with all my heart but I lost my job 4 years ago and now make very little. I live day to day when I once had no financial worries. I feed those cats before myself but the Vet is about $300 a simple visit, any vet. So, when I am lucky to maybe make $80 im a day, it is simply not an option. Do not make judgmental remarks. You are blessed nothing has happened to you financially. Shit happens unexpectedly in Life that we never foresaw. I called all the supposedly free or low cost organizations for petd thid weekend for a 911. They refused to see me and cat as they are so overbooked,low staffed.
        On top of losing my job, I developed a serious incurable illness. I still have all my rescues and work for them. However, I can’t afford the vet and it is beyond depressing and heartbreaking. I will likely grovel for help today to get a vet to see my baby.

      • Your comment is highly unfair. There are many of us out here who have adopted multiple abandoned cats and are constantly beating ourselves up about their medical care. If there were enough pet owners with enough money to care for their cats as well as a child there wouldn’t be hundreds of thousands of homeless, sick and abandoned cats now would there? It is easy for you to say that there are so many programs for the indigent so instead of trying to make fellow cat lovers feel worse how about posting some? There aren’t as many as you seem to think and many you find are inactive and most won’t help with things like stomatitis. When I moved into my complex I ended up taking on the care of around a dozen homeless cats. I do TNR, provide food, water, flea and worm treatment, love and affection, and do my best to give supplements like L-Lysine and diatomaceous earth plus what shelter I can. Several let me only pet them once in a while and a few won’t let anyone touch them at all. I’ve either found homes for or adopted myself as indoor cats the ones at that stage, and I wish I could do more. There are a few other “friendlies” who essentially live on my back patio. Trust me if I could do more I would and I’m always trying. I could get more into the obstacles but that is a whole other forum. I am a single mom and I spend thousands a year on these cats instead of things like vacations or college funds. I’m spending a thousand bucks o. Monday having one of my indoor guy’s teeth removed because I can’t bear to watch him in pain from stomatitis. But guess what, I have dental work I desperately need and am not getting so I can do things like this, among many other things. All or most people who are coming on forums like these trying to help their cats clearly love them and I’m sure already put the cats needs ahead of their own in some areas. It is so unfair to make judgmental comments trying to make them feel worse.

      • Katherina, I want to add to my response, that is great that you were able to put up $4k for your stray and I am very sorry that you lost her. I’m not trying to minimize what you or anyone else has done, but it is important to be living with people who are desperately trying to help their cat. There have been plenty of times in my life where I didn’t have $4k or even a couple hundred for a cat’s medical care, in cash or credit. Many people are in this boat and it isn’t because they were selfishly getting a pet. Maybe utilize the energy you put into your comment on helping people find these resources it can be a daunting and seemingly hopeless task. The tough love stance needs to be taken towards people who abandon their pets and/or fail to spay or neuter which puts us cat lovers in these painful situations to begin with. That being said for anyone looking for help I was amazed to see the generosity of people on Reddit. I highly recommend their pet and their good deeds forums. Cat lovers, please be kind and helpful to one another. It is hard enough laying awake at night hurting for these animals and making decisions like should we put our own or our kids dental work off so we can pay for the stray cats we took in.

  6. My heart goes out to all of you…….But let me tell you about my Zoey who is still with me 4 yrs after the vet gave me “the talk”. She has had her teeth removed, is on one pill of steroid daily, then twice a year we switch her to shots for a few months so while on vacation no one has to give her that pill. She eats kibble and wet food, pate. She lost weight at her worst, and then gained back to a healthy weight most of these 4 years. She is losing weight again, but eats like a horse and demands it if I am late in presenting her nightly snack. I have found not to change up her feed, and keep plenty of water as she would get dehydrated easy. The solution to that is I bought a small fishbowl, with two gold fish. Its entertainment AND she loves to drink from it especially after I feed the fish. The vet says a great idea. She has not got dehydrated since I did that over a year ago. I watch around her mouth for any signs of dark slobber and know to boost her pill to 1 1/2. Once in a while the vet will put antibiotics in her shot for a boost. I’m quite pleased with her health altho we know now that being on the highest dose of predisone, rather than put her thru what could make it worse, we have decided that outside of her meds, nature will take its course. Because I love her so very much, I will do whats right for her. Don’t give up, you get the right vet, the right meds, figure out how to handle the flare ups, your furbaby has hope.

  7. I just realised that my cat has stomatitis and I’m so scared for him. I hope that a few home treatments and a diet that i’ ve heard about will do the job…

  8. My cat, Shiloh, gets .05ml prednisolone 100mg/ml gel twice a day and has been doing well. She also gets L-lysine and plaque off supplements that I get from Amazon. I was almost giving up on her but thank God this has been working.She gets the prednisolone in her ear.

  9. My daughter has a cat she has become skinny and her fur is unkempt she is discharging chunks of liver looking meat she took her to the vet and they told her it was something to do with her intestines and that she needs a 2000 dollar operation please some one tell me there is something we can do to save her without paying so much money please

    • Joey,

      Unfortunately I have no idea what could be going on with your cat. The best thing I can recommend is for your daughter to get a second opinion from another vet. If she doesn’t know who to go to then she can contact the animal rescue groups in her area and ask them for the names of vets they trust. That’s how I found our current vet who is wonderful.

      Rochelle

  10. We removed are cats teeth after him having been giving steroid shot for about 9 years. Best thing we did, he is such a happy cat now. He eats both hard and soft food. He bits you and I know he thinks he doing something but all I do is laugh.

  11. My cat Tonks has always had bad breath since we got her as a kitten. As she grew up it got worse and no she’s drooling, her soft fur is all matted and clumped in places, and she’s not eating. She doesn’t cry in pain. She’s stopped her playfulness completely and just finds any place quiet away from everyone and sleeps. I am absolutely worried sick about her. I’m taking her to the animal hospital in the morning but I don’t know if they’ll see her as I probably won’t be able to pay them. Is there any alternatives to helping her? I can’t stand seeing her like this. I know she’s in pain and I don’t want to see her pass away. My whole family would be heart broken. Please somebody tell me if there’s anything I can do at home if the vet won’t see her….

    • Randy,

      I’m so sorry to hear about how poorly Tonks is doing and your financial situation.

      My advice to you is to read through the comments on this site because there is a lot of good information about what has helped other cats with stomatitis. In my case I gave Lily Prednisolone (a prescription steroid cream), Lysine, and PlaqueOff for a year. After a year I weaned Lily off the Prednisolone and gave her just the Lysine and PlaqueOff, both of which you can buy without prescriptions.

      I hope you are able to find something that helps Tonks.

      Sincerely,
      Rochelle

  12. My roommates cat definitely has stomatitis and it is pretty bad, but my roommate has taken her to the vet and has been told that there is nothing that can be done for it. I don’t buy that that is the case, and I can’t just sit around and let the cat suffer. What should I do?

    • Wes,

      What a good roommate you are! I am surprised that the vet said there isn’t anything to be done, since many of us have found help for our cats with methods we’ve discovered ourselves. My advice is to look through this site, especially the comments where you will find a wealth of information on what people have done to help their cats.

      Here is what helped my cat Lily: Initially she was on Prednisolone (a steroid cream that I rubbed inside her ear and had to be made at a specialty pharmacy based on a prescription written by my vet), Lysine, and PlaqueOff. Eventually I was able to wean Lily off the Prednisolone (steroids always have to be slowly stopped to prevent damage to one of the internal organs, but I don’t remember which one) so that she was only on the Lysine and PlaqueOff. I kept her on those two supplements until she passed away of an unrelated health problem.

      Please don’t hesitate to ask questions about any method you find on here. I wish you luck in helping your roommate’s cat.

      Rochelle

  13. I also have a cat with stomatitis. I can relate to Dana as when Shiloh is having the pain, she does not eat, drink, and she hides very well and resists being picked up. It took me 5 days to get her to the vet. I finally cornered her in a room and had to get someone else to help me get her. I have been thinking about getting her put down too, as the two shots she gets only last 6 weeks barely. It’s very sad.

      • Yes, Rochelle, Shiloh gets both these supplements. She gets the l-lysine twice a day actually and has been getting it for months now. She had another flare up about a month ago and got a steroid shot and an antibiotic shot and has been eating well ever since. We shall see. My other cat,Radar, also had a flare up about the same time, but i just got him a steroid shot. He’s been eating ok.

  14. hi my name is jake i have a 9 month old cat the means the world to me but lately shes been acting weird and has been drooling a lot so i thought it was because of the hot weather. now there blood and when she tries to eat or clean her self she meows really load.

    • Jake,

      It’s good that you are paying attention to the changes in your cat’s health. It is possible that she has stomatitis but the drooling and blood could be caused by something else. The best thing to do right now is to take her to a vet and have her examined.

      Please keep us posted about your cat’s progress.

      Rochelle

  15. I recently found a stray and at first glance she looked starved to death, she was bleeding from her mouth and you could tell she was in pain. She came to me and let me pet her so I decided to bring her home with me and get her a nice meal…. Her breath is the worst thing I’ve ever smelled in my life like a decaying animal, and for some reason she only has 4 teeth… I’m not exactly sure how old she is but I’m thinking 2-3 years. Any help or advice i can get to get her healthy and happy again is appreciated.

    • Tyler,

      Good for you for giving this poor kitty a chance at a life with love and happiness.

      Bad breath like what you’ve described can be a symptom of stomatitis (Lily’s breath smelled like death, too) but it could also be caused by something else. The best thing to do is take the cat to a vet to find out for sure.

      Rochelle

  16. I have a stary who is living in my basement with this dieses some meds have worked and others haven’t. Currently I am on the not working but I can’t catch her to get her back to the vet. She allows me to pet her but when I try to grasp her by neck she uses her back feet to get loose. She isn’t eating to I can’t even get the new meds in her to help her. We been dealing with this for 2 years now, I don’t know what to do. I had her on the lysine and plac off but she stopped eating the food with in a week and is in a lot of pain. I’m starting to consider just having her put down I’ve exhausted so much time in to resolving this and I get 3 steps forward and 10 steps back. My main issue is I can’t catch her its so hard to see her in paid she is such a nice cat.

    • Dana,

      I’m so sorry to hear about your kitty. I don’t have any experience with catching a stray cat so my only recommendation is to call your vet and ask them how you can catch her. You might also have a discussion about whether or not it is time to put her to sleep. What a difficult situation you are in.

      Rochelle

  17. Great article! I am sure it will help a I lot of people to diagnose stomatitis. My cat suffered over two weeks because vet never seen stomatitis before. The vet specializing in cats knew right away what it was. I am so relieved.

  18. Hi,
    You mentioned that you were giving all your cats the supplements. Is stomatitis contagious? and do you still give the supplements to your other cats?

    • Amy,

      It is unknown if stomatitis is contagious. There are people who fully believe that it is, especially if there are active sores in a cat’s mouth. In my case, Lily ate out of the same bowl as the other cats and none of them developed it, so my experience is that it wasn’t contagious.

      Yes, I am still giving Lysine and PlaqueOff to our other four cats, even though Lily is no longer with us. The PlaqueOff has helped their teeth get good marks at vet visits so I have decided to continue giving it to them.

      Rochelle

  19. My moms out of town and a stray she takes care of is acting wierd he wont eat or drink and is acting like outof it and drooling. please help

    • Cherri,

      Based on what you’ve described, this cat is in critical condition and needs help immediately. If you are able to, please take the cat to a vet right away. Her life most likely depends on it.

      Rochelle

  20. My tom cat goes outside regularly, and is not fixed. He had stomatitus, and we can’t afford our local vet. He couldn’t eat or drink. I use a wet rag to dribble water and blended wet food into his mouth. I use another wet rag to groom him. He started feeling better the day after I started this, and went outside. He came back tired after a couple hours, but he is getting better. In the food rag, I use about an ounce of wet cat food put through a blender with cat vitamins. In the water, I put in a few drops of milk so it doesn’t agitate him. Don’t use soap in the grooming rag. It makes the cat itch.

    • SNS Jasmine, but please spay/neuter your pets and then don’t allow them to roam. That behavior is the reason why animal shelters are overflowing and they have to euthanize healthy pets. It’s contributing to an overpopulation problem worsened by an ignorant and cruel human populace.
      Healthy pets, who deserve good homes, are dying because you and others like you don’t care properly for your pets.
      Cats are 100% more likely to live longer, healthier, and happier lives when neutered, vaccinated, kept indoors, and taken to the vet for checkups at least once a year.

  21. I will be picking up my cat from the vets in a couple of hours. She is only 2 but her teeth look like an old cat. She has every symptom given in the article. The vet just removed all but her front teeth. I had been trying the antibiotic route since she was 6 months old. She would get a shot of antibiotics about every 4 months and that would work for a short time but all the symptoms would come back. I am glad we will finally be at the end of this problem.

    • Nina,

      I’m sure that removing teeth was a difficult decision but hopefully it will help your cat as much as it helped Lily. How is she doing?

      Rochelle

  22. my cat is 6 month old she was very playful cat brfore but now a days she become very lazy and have bad smell from mouth and have some sliva while sleeping she eats and drink normally but his voice become very low

  23. Hello: Wondering if anyone has noticed a strange smell coming from your cat’s mouth. We got a stray kitten this Christmas, took her to vet, she had worms, the vet treated her and said she also had a respiratory infection. We gave her antibiotics for a week and it cleared up. A month later she was snorkely sounding again, (sounds like she has a lot of mucous in her nose/throat) and again had the bad odor. (I have had cats all my life, I know what cat breath should smell like – this is bad, kind of salty and metallic, bile-like.) Again we took her to the vet and he prescribed antibiotics, and the smell and congestion went away in two or three days. (I continued with the script til it was all gone.) Now again the smell and congestion is coming back.There is no blood, her appetite is good. Mouth looks normal. Any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

    • Elizabeth,

      I am so sorry for not responding sooner. How is your kitten doing now?

      It might be a bit late for advice, but if your cat isn’t improving then you might want to get a second opinion from another vet.

      Rochelle

  24. My 15 1/2 old cat Piercy has been excessively drooling for a long time! It recently has turned from clear typical drool to bloody. At first it was a light pink and now red!! My husband down not want me to take her into the vet because she is so old., and she is eating and not crying at all. She is old so she sleeps all of the time. But she smells so bad and the blood in her drool is so concerning to me.

    • Shelley,

      Please accept my apology for not seeing this sooner. It’s been a while since you posted – how is Piercy?

      Rochelle

  25. Hi there, my 14 year old Kymba starting drooling a few months ago… But it goes in cycles, like once a month, now like once a week, plus now I see what might be blood on the bed and stinky breathe only during the drooling phase? Is this stomatitis cyclical or constant? It took me three days to capture him to bring him to the vet, all lab work and teeth/gums were fine they said… They said Pepsid pills, but he won’t do that and he’s stl eating not nauseous… I’ve been sprinkling probiotics in his food successfully, guess I can try lysine I have. Is there a certain blood test they do for this condition?

    Thanks so much!
    Wendy

    • Wendy,

      I’m so sorry for not seeing your post sooner. I’m not sure if stomatitis is cyclical but my experience with it was not, it was constant. Sadly, there are no tests for stomatitis. It’s more a matter of ruling out other possibilities, along with visual cues. I hope that helps.

      Rochelle

  26. I have 14 stray cats who found me. Tyler had stomatitis and it occurred within 3 days. His mouth was red raw. When to Vet. Immediately. The doctor gave him a 14 day antibiotic and gave me steroid medication which includes pain medication called ‘dexamethasone’ two times a day in a small amount of food without water, at a warm temperature. Felines seem to like this medication alot.
    It took me 4 weeks, two 14 day antibiotic shots and dexamethasone 2xday medication to significantly reduce his stomatitis. With the stomatitis under control, most of his teeth were removed today without any issues. Thank goodness. He is on baby food and we continued to give his meds. regiment successfully. Water is ok but warm not cold.

    If you care about your pet, any college offers Pet CPR & First Aide in 4 hr class, no tests. Cost about $80. TRY IT if you can.

    My 8 yr old stray LinaMarie is showing signs of stomatitis too. She is on same medications, eating much better and Not in pain. It takes time but this medication resolves the redness. She will be getting her (decayed) teeth removed soon. Thank you Dr. Zaccheo…

    • Eileen,

      I don’t know since I’ve never given it to any of my cats but someone else might be able to give you an answer.

      Rochelle

  27. My ckd cat had excess fluid in her left ear..her eyes had the same color discharge as her ear and also from her nose..she was put on tresaderm and now it seems her saliva is thick bad breath and when I checked her gums with a qtip I noticed a small amount of blood..she is restless and meows alot..any ideas what this could be

    • Pat,

      It would be best to discuss this with your cat since I’m not a professional and wouldn’t want to take a guess. I hope that it turns out to be something that is easy to treat.

      Rochelle

  28. i am at wits end and don’t know what to do. about 9 weeks ago my cat had a molar and a canine removed. previous to this she hadn’t eaten in 9 days. the vet kept giving me appetite suppresants and prednisone even though i kept telling him she is drooling and smacking her lips together constantly. he finally decided after the 9 days to remove her teeth and see what happens. before that he was gonna put a feeding tube in her. i brought her to a 24hr emergency hospital and it cost me $3200 and they did nothing but tests and xrays (which i had already done) and sent her home. it took her awhile to heal from the surgery and she started to eat again 3 days after the surgery.. within 5 days it’s all back. now she’s having a hard time swallowing. he keeps telling me there is nothing wrong with her. i don’t know what to do. she is having such a hard time. i don;t know what to do. she wheezes so loud and i can tell it’s a struggle for her. do you have any ideas? he told me she has asthma and has her on 1?2 predisone a day. i am afraid i am gonna lose her. i lost her sister 2 months ago. they are both 16 and i can’t lose her to.

    • Marlene,

      I’m so sorry to hear about your cat’s struggles!

      Although I don’t know this for sure, I don’t think lip smacking is a sign of stomatitis. In my experience, cats smack their lips when they are nauseous, which could be why she isn’t eating or swallowing. Are you able to look inside her mouth? If so, do her gums or the back of her throat look red and swollen? Redness and swelling could be a sign of stomatitis, but if you don’t see that then the problem is probably something else.

      It sounds like you might want to get another vet, or at least take her to someone else for a second opinion. Here is how I found my current vet – I talked to one of the cat rescue groups in my area and asked them who they consider good vets. I explained the symptoms Lily was having so they could suggest a vet who would be able to help Lily. They recommended two vets, both of whom I took Lily to. They were both excellent but one was farther away from the vet I eventually chose. The animal rescue groups in your area are going to have experience with most, if not all, of the vets in your town, so they should be able to make a recommendation for you.

      Please keep us posted.

      Rochelle

  29. We just found out that a kitty we took in has stomatitis. SHe is 4-5 years old. She was very underweight when we got her, skin and bones, 3 lbs maybe. She is now 4lbs 11 oz. She has always had a good appetite. She had surgery to remove a non-cancerous tumor next to her tongue. The vet said that she has many growths going back to her adenoids. My question is, is it normal for a cat with stomatitis to chew on their limbs? She keeps chewing on one leg in particular. My husband thinks that she might do this due to the pain in her mouth. She goes to the vet this Tuesday for her surgery followup. I am very thankful for your site. I have learned a lot from your Q\A. Also, I sit with her when she eats, otherwise, she will not eat well. I saw that another person posted that they do this as well.

    • Ellie,

      Based on my experience a cat with stomatitis will not chew on anything. Their mouth pain can get so severe that they won’t even groom. It sounds like there is something else going on with your cat that is causing her to chew on her leg. What has your vet said about this?

      Rochelle

  30. I just noticed that my cat may have this stomatitis. She has bloody drool however you don’t notice it until I try to open her mouth. Once I opened her mouth, I noticed the blood near the gums in upper roof of her mouth. She growls when you try to get near her mouth. She is eating and still grooming herself. I have quite a few cats and am on disability therefore taking her to a vet may pose a problem. Is there anything I can give her over the counter until I can get some money together to take her to the vet? I have tried a Razoo account to raise money but have had very little success.

    • Debbie,

      I sincerely apologize for not seeing this sooner.

      What you’ve described sounds like it could be stomatitis. I had success with Lysine and PlaqueOff, along with a steroid cream. Other people on here have used treatments such as grain-free or raw meat diets or colloidal silver. You could try those, but it is possible that you will need some type of steroid to calm down the inflammation to give another treatment the best chance of working.

      Regarding your financial situation, something you might try is contacting pet rescue groups in your area and ask them if they know of any vets who are willing to offer payment plans.

      My prayers are with you and your cat.

      Rochelle

  31. i think my cat has Stomatitis ,she druls blood,her teeth are black ,she meaws like shes in pain wich i think she is,she still eats but some times the food falls out of her mouth,she has a horrible smell,i dont know what to do i dont have the money to go to the vet i live on social security,i dont know if there are free clinics for animals,i wish Dr.Pol lives near me so i can take her to him,i live in a 10591 zip code,please help my cat her name is Princes,shes 18 years old.Thanks so much

    • Iris,

      What you described could be from stomatitis, but it could also be something else. The black teeth is very concerning.

      I don’t know your area at all, so I don’t which places might be able to help you. My advice is to search for the following on Google: 10591 free animal clinic

      Hopefully that will provide you with some options on where you can take your cat to get help.

      Rochelle

  32. Is there a way I can share a video with you of my foster cat who had stomatitis, in hopes that you can share it on your site? (She lost her battle with it just a couple of weeks ago.) Thank you for creating this website.

    • Sharon,

      I’m so sorry to hear about your loss.

      Do you have a YouTube account? If so, you can upload the video, then send me a link to it.

      Rochelle

  33. April and Emily, 2 1/2 cats had surgery to remove 2 molars in April & 6 teeth in Emily. The vet said they have Stage 11 cancer!!! She also said their stomatitis is gone; no plaque or tarter (I wanted their teeth cleaned). This Tuesday my husband and I are going for a follow-up. I just started using Plaque-off, and have been using Vetroquil (sp?) with a raw food diet including other supplements. My husband feeds them in the morning and brushes their teeth. The problem is these sweet, loving cats are afraid of him since they hate having their teeth brushed. The vet said that cured their stomatitis. For one thing, they definitely had/have stomatitis; from the time their permanent teeth came in; all the symptoms. Since the vet only wanted to see April, I said I wanted Emily’s teeth cleaned. So Emily ends up with 6 extractions plus bone loss! I thought stomatitis never goes away. I am changing vets once we see her and get more specific answers. These two are the light of my life but have cost about $2,000 in vet bills. Making their food is not easy but they are worth it. Has anyone had an experience similar to mine? Does this make any sense? These two have a bond like I have never seen; they groom each other, sleep so close they look like one cat, and April purrs like a machine, yet they look very different. I have never had cats with so many problems (feline herpes flare ups at times) who are so bonded to me and each other. April waits on the bed until she can put her head on the pillow & curl up under the blankets next to me. If one or both dies of cancer that would be awful. I am also broke of course. People told me to put them down.There are few resources for the poor here, and some think I am nuts to make their food. Sorry for the long post but I am confused and upset. I tried posting here before but couldn’t seem to sign up. Thank you if you read my rambling. Any thoughts or suggestions will be appreciated.

    PS. Surgery was 2 weeks ago. Follow up is Tuesday . Their digestion, elimination & appetite & weight is normal. Also, thanks Rochelle for this site & great info.

    • Kay,

      I’m so sorry to hear about the struggles you, your husband, and your cats are going through.

      I don’t have any advice regarding the matter of tooth brushing because I’ve never attempted to brush any of my cats teeth. This would be a good topic to discuss with your vet. There might be edible treats that might be good that you can give instead of brushing their teeth, but this is a guess on my part. It is possible that the brushing is causing pain, so you might want to watch to see if there is any blood after brushing.

      Rochelle

  34. I just adopted my cat Aspen from the humane society in Oct. It’s been a ride since. Poor girl. She had issues with her teeth and ears. She started drooling, gagging, pawing at her mouth and bleeding from her mouth. Our vet did additional tooth surgery and since she has gotten worse. She won’t eat, hardly drinks water and wants to cuddle and sleep all day. I feel so bad for her. Our vet has tried different meds but stomotits has never been mentioned. We did decide to get a second opinion and she has her appt tomorrow. I feel so bad for her and she hasn’t been able to enjoy our home since we got her due to so many issues. Glad I came across this site and plan on asking the vet tomorrow.

  35. Is it possible for two cats in the same house to get this disease? I have four cats and two of them have started drooling excessively and bleeding, however one of them appears to have been in a fight because he got part of his lower side of his nose ripped and is bleeding from that. I figured his drooling had to do with pain from his nose but my other cat started drooling the next day and has blood around his mouth. I watched him lean over the water but would not drink it, sounds like your cats’ symptoms.

    • I honestly do not know. My vet says that stomatitis is not contagious but the woman we adopted Lily from believes that it is when the disease is active (i.e. there is drool). In our case, we have five cats and they all eat from the same food bowl and drink from the same water. None of them came down with stomatitis.

  36. Just wanted to say thank you for putting this page up. My cat had many of the symptoms but also could not close his mouth properly and left blood on some items. Turns out he has tumors on both sides of his mouth. So aggressive they weren’t there two weeks ago.

  37. I just want to say, its been a year ago this week, that my Zoey Cat had all her teeth pulled, and has been on steroids every day since, BUT has gained her weight back and had little trouble since. We’ve gone from shots per 3-4 weeks , liquid and now doing well on pill form daily. I sincerely didn’t think she would be with us past last winter but she has. My vet has assured me they will try with dignity different options, and so far, so good. I also want to say it does sound like stomatitis, as it sounds just like what I went thru, but your vet will know………Good luck and hugs to both you and kitty.

  38. Hi everyone,
    I adopted my cat from a shelter. They are not too sure how old he is. He is a sweet cat. But I have noticed that he hardly eats at all. He is very thin. He has been thin since we adopted him. I noticed that he is starting to dribble some blood down his chin and never cleans himself. He does have very bad breathe. Do you think there is a possibility that he has this stomatitis? When i take him to the vet they won’t tell me to put him down will they? That scares me so bad I love him and don’t want that as a possibility.

    • Patricia,

      I’m so sorry to hear that your cat is not feeling well. I don’t want to diagnose your cat, so please take what I’m saying as simply my opinion (I have no medical training), but based on what you said it does sound like stomatitis is a possibility. Your vet will be able to tell you for sure.

      As for putting your cat to sleep, only your vet can answer that one. That can be an option for cats who have severe stomatitis and don’t respond to any treatment plans, but it would (I hope) be a last resort option. Hopefully there are medications that you can try before having this conversation with your vet.

      Please let us know how he is doing.

      Rochelle

  39. please help me my cat is drooling last week i bought some pills for it, it became better but yesterday it started drooling again, what can i do

    • Julia,

      There can be a lot of different causes for drooling and stomatitis is just one of them, as well as tooth decay, nausea, and heat stroke. My advice is to take your cat to see your vet to get him (her?) checked out.

      Rochelle

  40. Just an update on my Zoey Cat…..last update was in July. She is doing very well, still on the Steroid shot which is anywhere lasting 2 weeks to 4. This last time, she was given a boost in it, and some antibiotics just to be on the safe side. I’m excited that in the past 3 months she has gained 4 ounces, and getting solid again! In two months, it will be a year since we started this battle, and so very thankful its finally looking up. Six months ago, I was sure she’d not make it thru the summer but thankfully the the vet seems to be on top of it!!

  41. My 3-legged rescue cat developed advanced periodontal disease and stomatitis about a year and a half ago. All his teeth (including roots) were extracted in March 2014. Very slow to heal. Finally I was told he had “autoimmune disease” and vet offered drugs (Buprenex, Prednisolone), told me condition “very difficult” to treat/control. I refused to accept limitations of conventional treatment — purchased every book I could find on natural cat care, consulted homeopathic veterinarian, researched natural treatments. Veterinarians Guide to Natural Remedies for Cats, by Martin Zucker, was best investment I ever made. Combination of Echinacea/Goldenseal (Gaia liquid, approximately 1/10th human dose) and a few drops of ashwagandha (expressed from Gaia phytocap), administered by oral syringe, did more for my kitty than any amount of conventional drugs, and with no side effects. Read Zucker’s book — this treatment isn’t recommended for long-term use but can be used for chronic conditions if rotated — 2-3 weeks on/1 week off. My recommendation — consult a holistic practitioner, and use your best judgment. My kitty eats well — Beech Nut beef or chicken baby food (no additives/fillers) and small piece kibble. He still doesn’t tolerate fish very well. His holistic vet has been very supportive and helpful; he has regular checkups and acupuncture sessions.

    • Suzanne,

      Thank you so much for sharing this information! I do not have any experience with holistic medicine but many people benefit from it. I had no idea there are holistic vets so what you’ve written is helpful to me, and I’m sure to many other people.

      Rochelle

  42. Rochelle, I’m so glad to have found your site, as many others have stated and I thank you for all of your kind consideration in responding to everyone. You have a very big heart. Mine is breaking now, because my cat of 8 years, Dorothy (or Dot) started showing strange symptoms a few days ago, and they’ve made her gravely ill. She may or may not have stomatitis, I read where you mentioned to another concerned cat parent that you’ve never heard of a cat grinding her teeth, or teeth grinding being associated with stomatitis. Dot has eaten next to nothing and has taken in very little water (I started squirting a dropper full of water into her mouth last night but as she was so miserable, I couldn’t do it more than a few times), and not knowing that wet food is more difficult for a cat to eat – when they’re afflicted with Stoma – wet food is all I was giving her. She hasn’t been herself, she usually has a hearty appetite and prefers to be outside.. we live out in the sticks. I didn’t notice any bleeding in her mouth or drooling. I wrapped her in a towel and held her while my friend looked inside her mouth and then we switched so we could both see. My friend saw nothing but a sore on her tongue, but I saw a couple of sores in addition to the right inside portion of her mouth/jaw was swollen. She sometimes looked like she was yawning, but was actually gagging, as though she was trying to get something out of her mouth. She didn’t produce any bile or vomit when gagging. No pawing, but it’s readily apparent that she’s in a great deal of pain. She shows a few symptoms of somatitis, but unfortunately I realize her condition could be related to several other causes. I know she needs to be seen by a vet, but I couldn’t take her yesterday as I haven’t been working for the last year because I moved in with my mom to care for her and have gone through my savings. I’m looking for a job now, but in the meantime, I have no financial resources and my mother isn’t able to help. That leaves me with good news and bad news: I learned from a friend this morning, on Facebook, that there’s a woman in a nearby town that has set aside funds for someone precisely in my predicament. As long as the cat is spayed, she will pay the vet bill for an emergency visit. The bad news is that although my cat has stayed inside for two days straight, (usually she’s out enjoying nature during the day, but comes inside at night to sleep with me..she’s happier in the country than she ever was in the city!) when I opened the sliding glass door this morning to let out one of my mom’s dogs, Dot turned into a lightening bolt and slipped outside before I could catch her. She’s grown considerably weak over the last few days, and I know she’s dehydrated. I’m terrified she’s gone off somewhere to hide, and will die alone within the next day or two. I know cats often do that when they become gravely ill. I’ve searched high and low, I hiked halfway up the hill behind our house, through tall brush and blackberry bushes. I slid down into the ravine in front of the house, near the road and searched for quite a ways along the creek, under bushes and old barrels, cut myself and twisted my ankle, calling for my cat and crying. Forgive me, I know this is long and I’m not even sure she has stomatitis. I just can’t stomach the idea of my cat dying out there, in this heat, all by herself. I will keep searching until I find her.. You’re so kind and giving of your time, I guess I wanted to ask you to pray that I find my baby. I’m feeling tremendously guilty because I took in a rescue kitten (Penny-Star) two weeks ago, who had some health issues. In nursing and caring for her, the kitten is now perfectly healthy, but I’ve been giving her more of my time and attention than I was my own cat. I’m taking care of Penny until my friend moves in August, and is able to adopt her. I’m worried that Dot felt cast off. I’m praying to the Universe that she returns this evening when it cools off. Again, I apologize this is so terribly long, I’m curious if any of Dorothy’s symptoms sound like Stomatitis. She’s never had unpleasant breath until the last couple of days. The tooth grinding, however, is the most distressing to hear. I know you’re not a vet, but do mouth sores sound like she could potentially have cancer?
    Thank you, and take care!
    Jerri

    • Jerri,

      I want you to know that I feel terrible for not responding to your comment sooner. I was out-of-town for a while, then life has kept me busy since I got back. I am so sorry for the delay.

      Your story broke my heart. I’m afraid to ask, but did you find your cat? How is she doing?

      As for your question, I don’t want to guess as to what might or might not be going on with your cat. It wouldn’t be fair to you to either scare you or give you false hope based on anything I might say in my ignorance. I apologize for not being able to give you a better answer.

      Rochelle

  43. Ling ling chow has been diagnosed with stomotits… She has had several shots of steroids and antibiotics…. They are not helping as much anymore….. So I am fixing to find a vet that can extract her teeth….maybe just her back ones. Here’s a tip that might help others….. I get the softest cat food I can find or I buy jars of baby food….chicken,beef,turkey or even ham. One jar has 8 grams of protein. I put it on a plate and get really hot water and mix it into the baby food where its kind of runny,or I get lactaid milk (which will not bother their digestive system) I warm the milk up kind of hot and mix it into the baby food or the very soft canned food where its pretty runny, with the lactaid WHOLE milk this will add extra protein for your little fur babies. I also use extra virgin coconut oil….she loves it and it soothes her gums. It doesn’t take care of the problem, but it helps until I can take her to the vet and get her teeth extracted….I never thought about fish oil,plaqueOff,or Buprenex for pain……I’m so glad I ran upon this websight,its incredible….. Thank you so very much! I just thought I would let y’all know what has helped my little Ling ling chow…. If I was not to mix the food with liquid and make it runny she could not and would not eat at all…..but remember to make the liquid hot,because when you mix it well with the food it will be the perfect temperature and they will lap it up pretty quickly. She likes it when I stand there with her while she eats. I stroke her fur and just let her know just how very much I love her. Please pray for her when I take her to the vet…..I LOVE MY LITTLE LING LING CHOW SO SO VERY MUCH. I HOPE SOME OF MY INFORMATION WILL HELP SOME OF YOUR LITTLE FUR BABIES. GOD BLESS TO ALL!

    • Lorraine,

      Thank you so much for sharing this.

      I think I read somewhere that cold food has less of a smell for cats, so it makes sense to me that your method of heating up food for your cat works.

      Rochelle

  44. I noticed our cat doing this, so I took her to the vet as soon as I saw it. The only thing is that a couple of times, it looked like her legs just gave out and she fell onto her side. She did not lose consciousness and she got up right away. However, I noticed that she almost seemed post-ictal. She will hide under the bed or the chair. We are waiting on blood results. I wondered if there was something with her food. I have not changed brands but I did open a new bag and it seemed like this happened after I gave her food out of this new bag

    • Deanna,

      Oh my gosh! I’ve not heard of anything like this so I have no idea if it could be from her food. What did the blood results show?

      Rochelle

  45. I also want to add that those shots cost me $9.00 per shot, per month so we have been very lucky. Of course the pulling of the teeth etc was quite costly but I’m fortunate to have found a great vet, cheaper than others I’ve dealt with.

  46. Time got away from me, and I had not made it back here to offer what I’ve been thru with my Zoey Cat. I think in looking back it was last week in March that my vet removed all of Zoey’s teeth to try and combat the stomatitis. Yes that is what she was diagnosed with. After the teeth were removed, she spent overnight at vets and then sent home with a shot of steroids to help the back of throat inflammation etc and I was given single doses of pain meds in syringes to use if needed. One week and she was drooling again so back to the vet for post op anyway and a different steroid shot was given. It lasted 4 weeks, and I gave her lots of pate wet food so in her check-up and next shot, she gained an ounce. Another near 4 weeks and anything she would eat and she gained few more ounces, but end result was drooling and running from food which by now I could see the very earliest signs and get her right in for a shot. So at this time, she gets a shot as long as she can hold out til early signs of distress, for the most part 4 weeks , but like this time she only lasted 2 weeks. It is Depo-Medrol 20 mg. We are getting the syringes and bringing home to allieviate the trip for her, but at any given change of symptoms, she will go right in and be checked. This week I have found two little pea size lumps tween the shoulders, seem painless, and not sure if due to the injections there or if it could be what they said they believed she is “pre-cancerous”. The vet and I have talked about quality of life and have a wonderful mutual agreement, that as long as the shots work, and she can eat on her own, and go without pain, then we are sticking with the shots. Vet has a few other types of shots if needed to change. But if suffering happens with the shots, then she will have fought the good fight. I pray anyone with the symptoms described on this home page happening to their cat, get it to the vet asap. Look at their throat, and check for the red raw inflammation.

  47. Hi I noticed my cat was dribbling a little bit yesterday an was not eating as the day went on I noticed she really smelt bad from her mouth! This morning her mouth is soaked an her chest fur is soaked an there are little pools or bloody dribble where she is sitting an she hasn’t eaten again this morning but is drinking lots an lots! She is a stray car that I took in as she was constantly on my doorstep I put a found car post on the cats protection site but she wasn’t claimed I put noticed on lamposts an at the park out thd back from me an put a collar on her saying I’m lost! I’ve had her around 4 months now but don’t really want to get involved with costly vets bills as that was never the intention I just feed her an let her come in my house! What shall I do an what can be wrong with her! I don’t want her suffering in pain but cannot afford vets bill either

    • Sheryl,

      Wow, what a difficult situation you are in! If your cat has stomatitis you might be able to treat it with supplements such as Lysine and PlaqueOff, but those can take a while to kick in. Your cat might be able to hold on until those kick in by getting a steroid shot from the vet.

      If your are struggling financially then you might consider starting a fund raising campaign at a site like GoFundMe. Other people here have done that and been able to raise enough to care for their kitties.

      Good luck and please keep us posted.

      Rochelle

  48. My cat started out drooling a lot and eventually turned into blood he stopped eating and drinking, he’s loosing a lot of weight, he cry’s a lot and hides out, I don’t know what to do, other than go to the vet he’s 12 years old

    • Tonni,

      The best thing you can do is take your cat to your vet. Your vet will be able to run tests and visually assess your cat to figure out what is causing his pain and drool.

      Please keep us posted as to what you find out.

      Rochelle

  49. I am so glad for it to be almost Friday morning! Zoey did eat a tiny bit, as it is quite evident she holds out til she is quite hungry. I have printed out the info to be taken to vet with her, and will make a note for the vet to call me as my husband is taking her due to my work schedule. Hate taht but most important is getting her there! I will post what our results are as soon as I know. Your Lily looks alot like my Zoey ………..

  50. I have added a forum to this site in an effort to make it easier for people to find and/or share information. I would like to invite you to take a look around and share what has worked for you (or what hasn’t), even if you’ve already shared it here. The forum will be a place where it is much easier to search for and find helpful information.

    You can visit the forum here.

    I will be posting this comment on all the pages of my site to make sure everyone who is subscribed to comments sees this, so I apologize if you get multiple copies of this message.

  51. My Zoey cat has been suffering with “teeth and gum” problems for about 4 months now that has entailed a vet. She had some teeth removed, given predisone shots monthly, which would last 4 weeks tops. Then she would need an antibiotic. That’s what basically it had been called , and this past week she has refused to eat, losing more weight, drooling, and still the ongoing bad breath. She hides now, and has turned away from her favorite food. I called the vet two days ago and said pull the rest as we only seem to be going up and down with the predisone, and gaining no ground . I also suggested that maybe there is another underlying cause of all this. So Friday she goes in to have her teeth pulled but also to be checked over again. My dear friend who has worked with Humane Soc and Shelters told me tonight to ask them to look into stomatitis, that her cat had it. So I looked it up, and found this page and it HAS to be what she has. It all fits……….all of it!! I’m writing it down and my husband is giving them the name of it when he takes her in that morning! She is only 10…….she was a rescue from Hurricane Katrina and I love her, she is my best friend. I’ve been so worried, but knowing this could be it has given me some relief. Knowing is half the battle!

    • Ardith,

      Please let us know what the vet says and what treatment(s) offer relief to Zoey.

      Rochelle

  52. My kitty is 11 years old this month and he has had this for about 5-6 years. I have only recently (in the last year or two) been totally aware of what it is. My kitty is truly like my child and when he hurts, I hurt. I have taken him to the vet several times and have asked about different solutions but the only one I can truly afford is the monthly steroid shot and the occasional antibiotic. I’m a nurse and I’m worried about the medication regimen being that of which both can cause more difficulties in the long run such as possible Feline Immunodeficiency Virus or even Feline Diabetes. I am relieved to have stumbled onto your site and want to thank you for bringing more awareness to this painful disease. Please, keep my information and Email me with any further information or treatments. Dental removal is so very expensive and until I can afford it, I will have to continue to give him the shots and antibiotics.

    Sincerely,
    Max’s mom

    • Bryna,

      Having Lily’s teeth removed was a difficult decision and it came as a last resort after trying various treatment options (at least, the ones that I knew of at the time – I have learned a LOT since then). If I knew then what I know now I would have immediately started Lily on Lysine and PlaqueOff. Would it have saved her teeth? I’ll never know but will always wonder.

      I am working on adding a forum to the site and will include a section where people can go into detail about what treatments worked for their cats. I’ll post on each comment thread when the forum is up and running to let people know about it. Perhaps someone else’s treatment will be helpful to you and Max.

      Rochelle

  53. Hi Rochelle

    I keep getting an error when I attempt to reply to you but thank you for responding. When I took him back to the vet it seems his low-grade kidney disease had escalated massively. It wasn’t stomatitis. He was feeling quite sick, you’re right. The prognosis was bad, and my dream of having him for another couple of years was over.

    My poor sweet boy. There was nothing I could do for him and the next day after having him observed and pain-treated, I let him go 🙁

    • Tracey,

      I am so sorry! I’ve been in your shoes before and it is never easy.

      Right now I am trying to add a forum to this site but am running into problems. Hopefully I will figure out what I’m doing wrong and get it installed soon. When I do, I want to add a section where we can remember the pets we’ve lost and invite you to share if you would like to.

      Rochelle

  54. Ok, I stumbled upon this cause I was researching what might be wrong with my cat. He’s always had a little runny nose, not much at all so I never paid much mind to it. But this week it got really cold out side (note my cats stays outside and we live in the country) so I noticed his runny nose got a lot worse so I thought it was just the weather so I fixed a litter box and kept him inside out of the weather for a few days. But I’ve noticed there is blood in his snot. And this last day or two he’s started to drool so much its dripping on his chest. This drool smells like something dead. So I was wondering, do you think he might have stomatitis? I’m getting really worried, not only about my cat but I don’t want it to be something really bad that my other animals could catch.

    • Kati,

      It’s really hard to know if your cat has stomatitis or not but based on what you’ve said, it sounds like that is a possibility. However, I am unaware of stomatitis causing a runny nose so it is also possible that something else is affecting your cat or he might have stomatitis and something else.

      How is he doing? Have you been able to give him anything that is helping?

      My prayers go out to you and your cat.

      Rochelle

  55. I’m so glad I found this site! My poor boy is suffering a lot and this may be the answer. Reading this has given me some hope, as I’ve had a few cries lately thinking all was lost. He is almost 19 and in recent times has been diagnosed with high blood pressure, hyperthyroidism and early-stage kidney disease.

    Last year he had permanent treatment for the thyroid issue, which seems to have worked but taking a while to fully apply itself. His BP has come down. About a year ago he had his first ever tooth extraction.

    He’s been drinking a fair bit of water for a while, which I attributed to his kidney problem but now I’m thinking it’s to soothe his throat. He went to the vet not long ago and he looked in his mouth and said it looked good, and that the bad breath he had was probably because of his kidneys. It certainly seemed that he had a sore mouth though, he was smacking his lips a lot. Then he started to show signs of difficulty swallowing. In the last few days he’s barely eaten but this morning I got him to eat a bit of mince. He’s still drinking a lot. Also in the last week I’ve noticed some darkness on the side of his mouth and the paw he rests his head on, which I now believe to be saliva.

    His meows definitely sound to me like he’s in pain and I feel helpless. I really hope when I can get him in to the vet again (hopefully tomorrow) that they can do something for him to ease his pain and treat his throat because otherwise he’s still doing well for an arthritic, ailing-kidneys old fellow and I love him deeply. I hate to see him in pain. I’m only concerned that his other issues may prevent him having some of the treatment he might need.

    • Tracey,

      It sounds like your cat has been through a lot and it is clear that you love your cat and want what is best for him.

      I don’t know if lip smacking is a symptom of stomatitis. In my experience it is caused by nausea. What did your vet have to say about all of this?

      You’ve probably seen that I use and highly recommend PlaqueOff, but this isn’t something you should give your cat. PlaqueOff should never be given to cats that have hyperthyroidism.

      Rochelle

  56. Shelby – I so admire your love and dedication to Sparta. Please let us know if you start a GoFundMe site for him. I would like to help. Stomatitis is a very expensive disease from the extractions to on-going treatments.

  57. My Sparta is only a year old and he has stomatitis.
    My vet wants to try every for of medication before removing his teeth and it’s draining my bank account I had the money saved up for the surgery but I had to use it all to pay for the different medications.
    I’m only 23 working in a deli so obviously I don’t have very much money.
    Sparta isn’t just a cat he is my baby I love him more than anything in the world and it breaks my heart that I can’t help him.
    People are telling me I need to surrender him but I can’t I lovery him way to much and I know he loves me just the same he shows it with his kisses and cuddles.

    I know what some of you are going threw and how hard it is on your poor cats I just hope maybe someone can give me some advise on what to do. I can not and will not surrender my baby.

    • Shelby,

      I’m so sorry that you and your cat are struggling, both emotionally and financially, with this disease.

      I don’t know what medications you have tried, but if you are able to, have you considered using the supplements that I use on my cat? Every day I give Lysine and PlaqueOff to Lily. It takes up to eight weeks for the PlaqueOff to work and I found that it was almost exactly eight weeks before I noticed any difference with Lily, but it truly was a lifesaver for her.

      You are not alone in struggling financially in treating stomatitis. At least one person I know of started a campaign at GoFundMe to raise money for treating stomatitis. I’ve never done this myself so have no advice to offer, but that might be a really good way to help raise some money for you and Sparta.

      I truly admire your dedication to Sparta. It shows that you are a loving kitty mom. 🙂

      My prayers go out to you and Sparta.

      Rochelle

  58. Finally! Maybe an answer to my poor Wayne’s problem. Where have been all his life!! Wayne is 11 years old and started “grinding” his teeth 2 years ago – a week before a life threatening urinary blockage resulting In a PU surgery. Mentioned the grinding of the teeth subsequent to the surgery and told probably a “tick” that developed due to inability to groom himself. 6 months later, no change. Then told he needed a teeth cleaning. Check. 1 tooth pulled and told an auto-immune disorder causing body to “eat away” enamel. Should be fine. No joy. 6 months later, still grinding. Told to see a cardiologist – who refused to see Wayne until internal medicine cleared him. Meanwhile, thyroid blood test revealed tumor. So, treated with I-131. Told that what was causing grinding. Wrong. 6 months later, still grinding – even more. Started a little drooling, too. NOW I find out vet who cleaned the teeth never took x-Rays. Poor Wayne. Why is this so hard? None of the 1/2 dozen or so vets I’ve seen ever even mentioned this problem until today (which is how I found your website – “thank you”). I’m disheartened to hear the stories and prognosis – and cost, saddened that he’s suffered so long, feeling all along he MUST be in some distress to be doing it in the first place, and maybe a little relieved to finally have an answer. If this is so prevalent as the many websites seem to indicate, this really should not be as difficult as it has been to get diagnosed. Maybe someone should put a suggestion in the suggestion box at the vet schools to educate more students of this problem.

    • Kate,

      It sounds like Wayne has been through a lot. I’ve never heard of a cat grinding his teeth and hope you are able to finally find the cause of it and a treatment. Please let us know what you find out and how Wayne does.

      Rochelle

  59. Thank you for a timely answer Rochelle. I am also thinking it’s the elusive “something else.” I thought maybe the URI was the cause. When she grooms herself she just stinks so badly because the mouth smell is all over her body then. She is the sweetest cat ever too.
    I will let you know what vet says.
    Mimi

  60. I give my cat a fourth of my PB8 once a day. It’s a probiotic… Her eyes used to weep. She’s 18 now and has been taking probiotics for the last 5 years. I give a whole one to my dog too, once a day… He’s a boxer and never has any issue with yeast/ear problems… I open capsule and mix in their food. You may have to be a little more aggressive with the amount and frequency to overcome the infection. Hope this helps

  61. Hello, I have cat which is suffering from excessive grooming n small amount of blood coming out from her nose
    Please suggest me the medicine on this
    I m not financial able to do a doctor for her there for suggest me the medicine

    • Swapnil,

      I’m so sorry that you and your cat are going through this.

      Unfortunately, I’m not a vet and am not qualified to diagnose your cat. From what you’ve described it doesn’t sound like stomatitis.

      Are there any cat rescue groups where you live? If there are then you can ask them if they know of any low-cost vets. You might even call vets and ask them about low-cost doctors. Some cities have vets that are dedicated to helping animals and don’t charge very much.

      My prayers are with you and your cat.

      Rochelle

  62. My kitty is a year old. Healthy when I got her then she got a URI which caused her to just lie around and not play at all. Now she gets a runny nose sometimes. The main thing is her breath is just foul. She does eat and drink and seems to be normal sized. No drooling or blood and she does groom herself a normal amount. After grooming her fur stinks and feels funky. I’ve tried looking in her mouth just now but she was having none of that. She rubs her cheeks on me like all cats and doesn’t act as if she has mouth or facial pain. She doesn’t like it if I pet her body too hard or pick her up. She is missing a front lower tooth. I’m sure the smell originates in her mouth, not her lungs. Wondering about early stomatitis but she’ was really still a kitten when it started. Then it seemed like it got a lot better but last few days bad again. Can’t take her to vet till 2nd week of February but wondered what you think. I’m stumped.

    • Mimi,

      I’m sorry to hear that your kitty is suffering from something. It could be stomatitis, but there are a lot of other illnesses that could be the cause of her bad breath. I have no idea if it is stomatitis but one thing that makes me a bit skeptical is the fact that your cat is okay being touched on the mouth. My only experience with this disease is from my cat Lily, but she hated being touched on her cheeks or mouth because it caused her a great deal of pain. We didn’t touch her face for close to a year.

      Please keep us informed about how your kitty is and what the vet says.

      My prayers are with you and your cat.

      Rochelle

  63. Hi Rochelle !
    I just read your post about Lily, my cat before 4 days she had the same problem as Lily : drooling from mouth and smell bad. I try to check on her mouth and I saw red spot on her tongue.
    I’m in china so I bring her to doctor, they gave her some injection and they say need give her at least 2 times per day, keep give her 3-5days and see how is going.
    She already had 2 shots from 2 days now. Sometime the water stop come out from her mouth but after one night again the water come out. She still eating and yesterday she playing a lot.
    I’m worry that I just bought new wet food and I gave her too much, it happen after 2 days I gave her that food mix with chicken. So I’m stop giving her wet food now, just boil chicken meat and dry food. I can see she really angry with me 🙁
    I don’t understand much about the doctor say about her sick, so I don’t know it’s because of the food I gave her too salty or because of her stomach problem.
    I don’t know beside of the injection so I need to give her any medicine ?

    • Trang,

      I’m so sorry to hear that your cat is suffering!

      If she has stomatitis on the back of her throat then eating wet food will cause her pain because it takes more effort for a cat to eat wet food than dry, so it makes sense that your doctor said to stop giving her wet food. If the food is salty then the salt would also be painful, just like when we get salt in an open wound.

      I don’t know if this will help your cat but I give Lysine and PlaqueOff to Lily. I have no idea if these supplements are available in China. I know there is an Amazon store for China so you might look there to see if either of these products are sold there.

      I wish you luck in finding what works best for your cat.

      Rochelle

  64. Hi Rochelle, just a note to let you know Frankie had his monthly checkup and his mouth looked so good, a bit pink in the back, but not the bloody mess from a year ago. He’s feeling good, playing, stalking, snuggling, doing all the normal things a cat does. My husband says its a miracle and the vet congratulated me on a job well done, but you are the one that should be applauded—-if it weren’t for you and your website Frankie may not have made it! He’s 8 years old and acts like a kitten. Loves to tease our one year old Russian Blue that arrived a few months after Frankie showed up. (We have seven now) They are all precious and I want you to know how grateful we are for your help.

  65. Hi Rochelle. I took my cat to vets and luckily enough it was only an infection
    He gave him 2 injections to help the pain and within an hour of being back home he was back to his normal self. I will keep an eye on him just in case but he does seem to fine now. Thanks.

  66. Rochelle, thank you so much for your quick reply.

    Frankie and I are going to see how it goes without the azithromycin.
    Will keep in touch!
    You are a blessing!

  67. I have a tom cat who is 5yrs. The other day i noticed he wasnt his usual self, not eating &sleeping more. When i tried to give him a treat he would eat the first few then hiss & leave the others. I tried to look in his mouth and noticed the bad smell. He is also smacking his lips & dribbles but no blood found. I found this site and have read what you are all saying, I will be taking him to vets tomorrow and just hope it is nothing to serious. Im so glad i found this page. Thank you.

    • Kath,

      What did your vet say about your cat’s mouth? If it is stomatitis, what treatment options did your vet recommend?

      Rochelle

  68. Hi, Rochelle:

    Thank you so much for your very helpful answer and for encouraging me to contact my vet. The vomiting has stopped now; I made an adjustment to her feeding schedule so that she is getting smaller more frequent meals instead of the two big ones.

    I’ve also been trying to look in her mouth as you suggest; I did notice that the front part of her lip, where it divides in a vertical line beneath her nose, does seem reddened and possibly slightly swollen. I’ve managed to peek into her mouth when she’s yawning and don’t see much in there, but she does continue to smack her lips and work her mouth quite a bit.

    I’ll be keeping a close eye on her and writing to the vet about her. I’m glad I know what to look for, thanks to your very thorough and super helpful website.

    I hope your Lily is doing better. (By the way, my cat’s name is Lili!)

    Best, CatMommy

  69. I’ve read elsewhere on the internet that bovine Lactoferrin can help in the treatment of stomatitis. I thought I would mention this in case it is helpful to your readers. My cat had pyometra surgery this spring and this caused a bad flare in her feline herpesvirus. The vet put her on L-lysine (1000 mg/daily) and I’ve been advised to add bovine lactoferrin. Since this happened, she has been smacking her lips and working her mouth and has bad breath, so I’ve been worrying about stomatitis. No drool but every now and then she will claw at her mouth. She also sometimes vomits small amounts of bile. Does this sound like the beginnings of stomatitis? I can’t afford to visit the vet right now (I’m still paing off her surgery!)

    • The vomiting is concerning. To the best of my knowledge that is not a symptom of stomatitis, though the bad breath and clawing at the mouth can be. These two symptoms could also be caused by bad teeth or severe tartar. You might want to take a careful look in your cat’s mouth to peek at the gums and throat. Are they red and/or swollen? How do the teeth look? White and clean or brown? How does the back of her throat look? Of course, if this causes your cat pain then don’t do it.

      I don’t know anything about bovine lactoferrin, so have no idea if that might help with the possibility of stomatitis. Even if you can’t visit your vet you can make a call and ask a question or two regarding all of this. I’ve done that many times.

      As for the vomit, I don’t know what that means, but I do know that if you mention it to your vet that you will want to include the fact that it is bile. The quality of cat vomit helps a vet narrow down the cause. By quality, I mean what it looks like. In this case it looks like bile. It could also look like fully digested food, or not yet digested food. Each of those types of vomit can have a different cause, especially if your cat consistently has the same quality of vomit.

      Prayers are being sent your way, and I truly hope that you can find out what is going on with your cat.

      Rochelle

  70. My 6 yr old Siamese has stomatitis. He has had a full mouth extraction and has started a course of imberferon injections. He is much improved, now has a good appetite. However, he does still cry out in pain randomly. This happens when he is sat or stood, not eating, and no one has touched him or his mouth. I hate to hear the very distinctive sound of his pain.
    I have two questions please, is there a daily medication he should have as pain relief?
    My second question is, will he ever play again? He used to love to play before this illness, but now associates it with pain as he would cry out and run away before I realised what was wrong.
    He is only 6, its so sad to think he wont play

    • Katherine,

      I’m sorry to hear that your cat needed a full mouth extraction, but it sounds promising that he is eating again and much improved.

      I do not know of a long-term daily pain medication, but I do know what Lily was on. I would give her Buprenex when her pain got to be too much for her, or if I saw blood in her saliva. This was something that I was able to give her twice a day (I think – it’s been well over a year since she needed any). I don’t know if this is something you can give long-term, so you might want to ask your vet about it.

      If you do give Buprenex to your cat, make sure you give it properly. The liquid needs to go in the cat’s cheek where it can be absorbed through the skin. It isn’t a liquid that is meant to be swallowed. Swallowing Buprenex will not bring pain relief and will be a waste of the medication.

      As for his not playing, I suspect you are right that he now associates play with pain. None of my cats have ever done this so I have no idea how you would go about disassociating play from pain. I searched on Jackson Galaxy’s site (he’s a brilliant cat whisperer) but didn’t see anything specific to this. However, you might take a look to see if there is anything helpful. The problem section will probably be your best bet.

      http://jacksongalaxy.com/learn/

      The only thing that I can think of that might help your cat is to find his favorite kitty treat, attempt to play with him, and reward him with a treat when he does. This might work because he will start to associate play with yummy treats. Good luck with this.

      Please let us know if your cat does play again, and what you did.

      Rochelle

  71. Taking my cat to vet tomorrow. Has been drooling and very bad breath. This is the second visit. I may need to switch vets.

    Thanks!

    • Debbie,

      What did your vet say when you took your cat in for a visit?

      Rochelle

  72. My cat Abigail has been fighting this for months now, she just turned 9 years old. I have been to the vet every month for Prednisone and antibio. I love my cat a lot but I do not have the money to keep this up. Is there not a natural way to combat this illness. Please any advise is greatly needed.

    • Rita,

      Sadly, stomatitis is a very expensive illness, especially if your cat needs to have her teeth pulled.

      I recommend that you discuss this very issue with your vet. If you have a good vet, he/she won’t be offended by you asking about a natural way to treat stomatitis. If he/she is offended, it might be time to get a second opinion, since most vets want what is best for the animals they see, but also understand the financial situations of owners.

      Also, I suggest that you discuss the potential problems of long term antibiotic use. Cats (and humans) will become immune to antibiotics when they take them for extended periods of time. It isn’t a permanent solution for stomatitis.

      The two things that I do for Lily that I consider natural are to give her Lysine and PlaqueOff (made from seaweed). Some owners have had success with a raw diet, though I don’t do this and know nothing about how to proceed with a raw diet. No doubt there is good information about raw diets for stomatitis if you do an online search.

      The only other thing I can think to suggest to you is to contact the cat rescue groups in your area and discuss this with them. I guarantee that they have experience with stomatitis, and they may be able to provide you with advice that neither I nor your vet has thought of.

      Please let us know what you find and decide to do, as well as how Abigail responded to it.

      Rochelle

  73. Rochelle-what do you mean hopefully something else is going on in his mouth? Isn’t this stomatitis treatable? As it is my Moe takes heart and thyroid meds twice a day and really too much more will be terrible. Is his body shutting down? How did he get this? He is totally blind too so he’s not outside at all.

    • Sandy,

      I fear my comment frightened you, and that wasn’t my intention at all. My apologies to you for doing so.

      Some cats with stomatitis respond completely to treatment, others respond partly (my Lily falls into this category), and still others do not respond at all to treatment (this is the minority of cats). If your cat has stomatitis, there is no way to know how he will respond until you and your vet start to treat it. All I meant is that I hope the mouth problem is something that can definitely be treated, with a pretty much guaranteed positive outcome, since no one can guarantee the outcome with stomatitis.

      As for if his body is shutting down, or how he got stomatitis, I regret that there is no way for me to know. It is most common for cats to develop stomatitis when they are older, but as to why they get it, that part is usually unknown.

      If Moe does have stomatitis, there are treatment options. And hopefully, if it is this, the stomatitis isn’t too bad and can be dealt with fairly quickly.

      You mention that Moe is on thyroid medicine. I don’t know if he has a hyper or hypo thyroid problem. If it is hyperthyroidism, please do NOT give him PlaqueOff. This is a great product, but it should never be given to cats with hyperthyroidism because of the iodine content (I think that’s the reason).

      This is probably a very scary time for you and Moe, but it sounds like you are doing all the right things. The fact that you made an appointment with your vet as soon as you recognized that there is a problem is the best thing you could have done.

      Please keep us posted.

      Rochelle

  74. I am so very happy I read this site!! I have noticed for a few days my 18 year old cat was starting to drool a lot. Then this morning as I was giving him his heart and thyroid medicine by mouth he hissed at me. He also is not drinking water and eating like he does. Vet appointment will be made first thing in the morning!! Thank you for your info!!

  75. Thank you so much for taking the time to help educate your readers. This is such a dreadful disease and it’s so heartbreaking to watch our cats suffer. I appreciate the information and have learned a great deal from your posts.

    Linda Pringle

  76. My cat, Grey, was diagnosed with Stomatitus approximately a year ago. He had all the classic symptoms. I took him to several vets and all tried different drugs, treatments, etc. Not until I did some reading, did I find my way to a vet who had specific dental training. Grey had xrays where the doctor saw that although his teeth had all been removed, the previous vets never bothered to check and see that they hadn’t removed all the roots. Grey had the dental surgery, 5 roots removed as well as infected gum tissue. He was on several drugs for several weeks. He will be on a low dose of Prednisone for the rest of his life. Today Grey is a healthy 16 1/2 lbs., beautiful grey coat, gums are pink; there still is some light redness on either side of his mouth which is the only sign of the illness. He has a healthy appetite and does not have a problem with his weight, coat or touching his face. The drooling has completely stopped. He sees a special vet for dentistry at least once a year. One last thing, Grey is FIV positive which makes this disease that much harder to treat.

    • It makes me so angry to hear stories like this! I myself have a cat who had the same thing happen. At the time, I had no idea that x-rays should be taken of a cat’s mouth after tooth extraction surgery, so didn’t know to ask to make sure it happened. It wasn’t until I switched to our current vet that I learned of this, and that is when we found out that Sasha also has root fragments in her gums. In her case, it doesn’t seem to be affecting her, but I was told that she could develop an infection in the future.

      I’m so glad to hear that your cat is healthy now. Lily will also be on a low dose steroid, but if it keeps her healthy, which it does, I am okay with that.