Bad breath, inflamed gums, snotty nose, messy eyes...

pee-cleaner

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Hi,

I have had my 6.5 month old American Wirehair kitten for 5 weeks. She has had bad (I mean drop a MOOSE bad) breath from the start and I orignally thought it was from eating canned food, so I switched her to kibble. No luck. I also gave her a few week's worth of probiotics as she had been a c-section kitten and her mom had taken lots of antibiotics. No luck.

I took her into the vet's today and he had a look and found very inflamed gums along with the runny nose, eyes, etc. He immediately suspected FIV or leukemia and tested for that (it was unlikely as the kitten came from a well respected breeder/ACFA judge). That was negative. He concluded that she has a chronic respiratory infection and gave her clavamox. He's a little stumped by the red gums, tho, as a young kitten shouldn't have those.

I like to treat things holistically if at all possible. I gave the kitten some powdered bovine colostrum when we got home and plan to continue that. I will also continue the probiotics, especially since she's now on a course of antibiotics. I was thinking of using colloidal silver swabbed on the gums. The kitten is spayed, btw.

Has anyone else dealt with this kind of chronic problem, or inflamed gums in a kitten? Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance,

Cally
 
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pee-cleaner

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If you'd read my post, you'd see I just came from the vet.
 

sharky

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thou a little late she may still be teething..there is a disoder that causes inflammed gums the was recently discussed her( cant remember)...

what food is she eating??
 

jen

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Hmm, that is tough, maybe find a different vet for a second opinion on the gums. That doesn't sound right to me at all since she is so young. There has to be something going on. Wet food is probably better since she can eat it without as much pain, and it really has nothing to do with the odor coming from her mouth. Did he check for ulcers?
 

zissou'smom

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Hi Cally!

Did you tell the vet about absolutely everything you've been giving your kitten? Is it a holistic vet who would know about all of them? Did the vet advise you to give her all these things and put colloidal silver in her mouth?

I don't know what can cause the red gums, but I do know how frustrating it is when your kitten is sick and you don't know why, and I hope she feels better soon.

I would suspect (based on really no expertise at all) that she is eating or otherwise getting into something very bad for her.
 

emmylou

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I can't say what the condition is, but I wouldn't be giving any non-prescribed substances as it's very possible they're what is causing the gum irritation. The kitten may be having an allergic reaction to these substances and that may account for some of the sneezing and runny eyes also.
 
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pee-cleaner

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The kitten eats dry kitten kibble, with no difficulty, I might add. She seems to feel fine...runs and plays and is extremely healthy looking--except for nose, eyes and breath.

Yes, the vet recommended probiotics along with and especially after the antibiotics are finished. Colostrum is very benign, and and excellent immune system stimulant. As for the colloidal silver, I haven't used that yet, but read about it on a holistic cat health site. I considered the teething, but the vet noted that she's all done with that.

From my reading, American Wirehairs are prone to respiratory issues and also seem to have slow immune responses to things. My vet confirmed that. He said it may be that she has this chronic "stuff" forever, so I'm determined to try and build up her immune system to the best level I can get. I'm very willing to follow the vet's advice (I've trusted him with all my pets for 15 years) yet I feel holistic options are also valuable (I'm a healthcare professional who uses them with my human family members.)

Thanks for the ideas.

Cally
 

sharky

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I am wary of collidal silver for a small animals since safety in humans of various levals is a concern...

What brand of kitten of kitten is she dry only ??? Is the colostrum a kitten milk with it???

Grapefruit seed extract or GSE as many call it may help.... Llysine may help ...

Do you have acess to a holistic vet???I always check things firstwith the vet first
I am lucky and have two one with lots of experience and the other a conventional that is learning///
 

jen

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Originally Posted by pee-cleaner

The kitten eats dry kitten kibble, with no difficulty, I might add.
The important thing is what brand
 

semiferal

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Juvenile stomatitis is not terribly uncommon - two of my cats had/have it as have the cats of many people I know. One of my cats needed his first mouth surgery at 9 months old, another had an extraction at 12 months old. It usually has a strong genetic component. I would ask questions about the cat's siblings and other relatives' oral health.

If it is juvenile stomatitis, there are basically three options to treat. The first is to put her on long-term steroids - not a great idea since it can lead to a whole host of problems including diabetes and other endocrine malfunctions. The second is to pull all her teeth - this may eventually be necessary. The third is to have periodic laser surgeries on her gums in hopes that she will eventually outgrow the condition.

As for the URI, herpes can be pretty rampant in catteries and often flares when the cat is stressed. I would do a course of antibiotics and hope for the best. There's a good chance that in the long run, symptoms will only flare when she's significantly stressed.
 
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pee-cleaner

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Hmmmmm, interesting on the stomatitis. I seriously doubt that's what it is, however. The kitten's parents are both grand champions so if it were genetic, I think it would have been noticed by now. As for now, I'm leaning toward inflammation left over from her teething. It certainly seems to be causing no discomfort whatsoever.

Thanks for the input on the URI. I agree that no matter what level of care is given at a breeder's, optimum health simply cannot be expected in crowded conditions. Sheba was very stressed at the time I got her as she'd been living in a bedroom with about 10 other cats, one of whom she did not get along with at all. In addition, she was being "chewed on" by the breeder's little dog. Since coming to live with me 5 weeks ago she's had to adjust to having free reign in a large house, learning to get along with 4 other pets, and was spayed! Hopefully now things will settle down for her--she does seem extremely happy to me.

Today she looks good. The antibiotic is causing her no problems, she's eating, playing well. BTW, the food I'm using is Purina ONE kitten food.

Thanks for the input.

Cally
 

sharky

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If it continues I would suggest a food without soy wheat corn and by products... and any milk products
 
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