Animal Welfare Professionals

We recently took in an adult cat (9 yrs old) with significant oral ulcers.  She has been diagnosed with Stomatitis.  We're getting conflicting information about treatment protocols so if anyone else has successfully dealt with this issue, we would love to hear from you.  We are starting her on antibiotics and steroids but one recommendation is to have all the teeth removed but the other recommendation is that teeth removal will not prevent the inflammation.   Also, is this contagious to other cats and how is it transmitted.  She came  in with another adult cat who does not have any current symptoms.

#Medicine,SurgeryandSterilization

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Kingman County Humane Society
director
Kingman County Humane Society
KS
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I personally, as well as Sullivan County Humane Society, have dealt with many stomatitis cases. I've never heard of it being contagious or separated stomatitis cats for stomatitis. However, it is very common in FIV+ cats so it may be due to an underlying condition. Of the 20+ cats we have had with stomatitis, we have done a full mouth extraction (FME) each time with great success. It needs to be done by a vet who is very good with dentals-not necessarily a veterinary dentist per se but someone who is very familiar with FMEs as  is imperative that they get all the fragments too. My first cat was not done with an expert and had to go back a year later and have all the fragments removed by a specialist.  Anyhow, of the 20+ we have had done only one continued to have problems. He too was taken to a specialist who did not see any fragments so was started on various medications but we had the most success with laser therapy. I would highly recommend the FME. There is a stomatitis support group on facebook that discusses a lot of the various meds people have tried but again I really think a FME is best!

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Cheryl Koenig
Volunteer Executive Director
Sullivan County Humane Society
NH
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Hi! "Stomatitis" is a sign (symptom), not a diagnosis. It can be due to anything from poor husbandry/diet to FORL (resorptive disease) to to periodontal disease. It is important to get a diagnosis before choosing how to proceed and presumptive/empiric treatment with antibiotics and steroids is not recommended, especially in a shelter environment.

Severe, chronic gingivostomatitis is commonly associated with retroviral infection, so we test all adult cat with severe dental disease at intake. If retroviral testing is negative, it is not necessary to isolate cats with stomatitis, as there is no other infectious cause of stomatitis. If full-mouth extractions are deemed necessary, it may be curative or it may not. Some studies show complete resolution of signs in only ~25% of cases, making lifelong medical management necessary. Organizations who choose to adopt out cats after FME must make sure adopters are aware of that possibility.

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Rachel Powell DVM
Director of Surgery
Greenhill Humane Society
Eugene, OR
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