Stomatitis Laser Treatment...good or bad?

2gr8cats

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Does anybody have any feedback on laser treatments for Stomatitis?

Our boy Walli had all his teeth removed and after 3 months of being healthy and "normal" the Stomatitis has returned....although nowhere near as bad as it was. The oral specialist we are seeing is recommending laser treatments, but based on the research I've done I don't know if I want to do it. I've read some good stuff and some bad, but I don't know of any other options and he can't live on Buprenex for the rest of his life.

Any input based on experience would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance.
 

carolina

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Hi,

I also have a boy with Stomatitis. I did not have extractions, as my dentist explained to me that it is a hit or miss - like for your kitty, it works for some, but not for all. My cat Bugsy is on daily meds, and will be for life; he is currently on remission, doing really well. He doesn't need any pain medication, and is doing fabulous on it.
It is a proprietary formula developed by my dentist group here in Dallas - the owner was actually regarded as the "father of veterinary dentistry" (died last November (RIP Dr. Wiggs)). It is a WONDERFUL treatment, but unfortunately only done here in Dallas... He was specialized in Stomatitis, and his team continued with his legacy.
People come from all over to treat their cats with his team though...
I hope you find a solution for your baby...
 

momofmany

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I also have a cat that has LPGS and has had all of his teeth extracted. When the stomatitis tried to come back, we put him on prednisone for the rest of his life. 3 years later, he's fine. He's not on any pain medication at all.

I was referred to a vet dental specialist who has done the lazer surgeries. Then I read about the procedure and decided that I didn't want to risk it. I also joined a stomatis group on Yahoo and heard from people who put their cats through it. The concensus was that if they had to do it all over again, they would not put their cat through it again. It was painful and not very effective.

If your cat has LPGS, realize that it's an auto-immune disease that they will have for life. Anti-inflamatory medications like steroids can relieve the swelling. If your baby has it on his gums, then go to a dental specialist and have an x-ray done on his gums to ensure that they got all of the teeth fragments. Cats teeth are very fragile and can crack off during extractions. If any remnants remain, they will trigger the swelling and redness. If this is the case, get every last fragment removed and you should see relief. If the swelling has worked its way into his throat, then anti-inflamatories may help.

If you choose to go down the prednisone path, realize that while the drug is hard on humans and dogs, it is relatively safe for cats. There is a chance of developing diabetes from the drug, but I've had specialists tell me that it is usually short lived and the cats resolve it on their own. I have blood work done every 6 months on my boy just to verify he isn't having any odd side effects.

The disease is maddening. Sending that you can resolve this.
 
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2gr8cats

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Thanks so much, your response is pretty spot on from what I've been hearing from people. I've also been told about the diabetes and that was a big concern of mine. It looks like I have some serious decisions to make to get my buddy on the mend.
 

momofmany

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Originally Posted by 2GR8Cats

Thanks so much, your response is pretty spot on from what I've been hearing from people. I've also been told about the diabetes and that was a big concern of mine. It looks like I have some serious decisions to make to get my buddy on the mend.
I have 2 cats with 2 different auto immune diseases. Both have been on steroids for years now and neither have developed diabetes. It's a risk you take, but honestly, the alternative for both of them would have been fatal.

I got multiple opinions about these 2 babies, including cat specialists. It was the deeper levels of training with the specialists that helped me to make a decision to leave them on steroids. I wouldn't do depo-medrol long term, but prednisone can be very easy on them.

I'll repeat - even if a dentist pulled the teeth in the first place, do another x-ray of his mouth, or call the dentist to see if they did an x-ray once they were done. A good vet that is used to this disease will always do an x-ray afterwards. The relapse time for a LPGS cat that had teeth fragments after extractions is typically 2-3 months, which is exactly the time frame you are under.
 

marta

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One of my furkids with LPGS went to the Bridge a week ago, he was also FIV+ which is what provoked most damage.
He was on pred for several years and would have been still on it.
Lately we would only give it to him every time he had a flareup, otherwise we didn't. He did have Alpha Interferon every other day though.
I did learn about Feline Omega Interferon(FOI) and would have given it to him if he hadn't gone into ARC, and then full blown AIDS.
My other 3 cats with LPGS are doing fine at four and three years after full extractions (one had all teeth including fangs removed b/c it was easy his mouth was so bad but not the other two)
I did notice that only the ones that had had steroids previously had flareups, the vet said that it will come back and it probably will but it has been years and no sign of it.
Marta
 
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