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Cat swollen lips

post #1 of 9
8/11/11 at 7:58pm
Thread Starter 
Hi, I'm new to this forum. I'm looking for some help. My cat Kitty who is 3 years old has some swollen back lips. I took him to the vet, but the vet wasn't helpful at all. Told me that he might have got bitten by a bug, but I doubt that's what it is. Another friend who is a cat lover told me that cats get tarter build up, and it might be that. I tried getting a photo of it. Maybe you can all look at it and tell me what you think it probably is. Sorry, it's not the best photo. It's really hard to get a clear picture of it. If you could see it in real life, it looks puffy and white. And just today started to get a bit red.

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post #2 of 9
8/11/11 at 8:28pm
Did the vet take a look at your kitty's teeth? You can see plaque build-up, so when kitty's relaxed again, just go take a look.

I don't know, but one of the most common reasons for swelling is Esinophilic (sp) Granuloma complex... which is an inflammatory response, often reason unknown, but also often due to allergies.

Let me go find information for you... Here's one: http://www.vet.uga.edu/vpp/clerk/Starnes/index.php

Basically, apart from finding what's causing the allergic reaction, treatment is usually antibiotics and steroids.

Our Chumley had allergies and problems with rodent ulcers in his mouth. We took him to a holistic vet, put him on a grain-free diet, and she prescribed some herbal things for him, and his swelling and over-grooming problems were solved rather quickly. Chumley needed antibiotics to treat his gingivities, but because of his health (beign FIV+), we successfully avoided having to use any steroids.

Since your vet wasn't very helpful, if you want a second opinion, I highly recommend searching the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association to see if there is a holistic vet (an actual vet with additional training in alternatives) near you: http://www.ahvma.org.

Vibes for you and your kitty!
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post #3 of 9
8/11/11 at 11:06pm
Thread Starter 
Well, my cat is a male and got the crystals, and had to have an operation. Which was like 1,000 dollars. Then they told me I should only feed him Royal Canin Urinary SO in Gel, which is what I have been giving him. That's wet food.

But I was told a wet food only diet can lead to tarter build up. So I am trying the dry urinary solid food, as it's supposed to remove plaque. Or so I'm told. I'm hoping that will stop some of the swelling. You recommend the grain free diet, but I don't know that I can do that with his condition being prone to get crystals.

Does the swelling ever go down on its own? Or do you think I have to get him antibiotics for sure?

Also, is Sour Cream bad for a cat?
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post #4 of 9
8/12/11 at 4:58am
Quote:
Originally Posted by kittycatlips View Post
Well, my cat is a male and got the crystals, and had to have an operation. Which was like 1,000 dollars. Then they told me I should only feed him Royal Canin Urinary SO in Gel, which is what I have been giving him. That's wet food.

But I was told a wet food only diet can lead to tarter build up. So I am trying the dry urinary solid food, as it's supposed to remove plaque. Or so I'm told. I'm hoping that will stop some of the swelling. You recommend the grain free diet, but I don't know that I can do that with his condition being prone to get crystals.

Does the swelling ever go down on its own? Or do you think I have to get him antibiotics for sure?

Also, is Sour Cream bad for a cat?
Firstly, yes, sour cream can be bad if your cat is lactose intolerant which many cats are. It may also cause an allergic reaction and that may be what is causing the white spots.

Wet food does not cause tartar buildup any more than dry food, in fact if you eat a cracker (dry food) versus beef stew (wet food), which one will leave behind more residue on and between your teeth? The crackers! Dry food does not remove plaque. Cats do not chew, i.e., their jaws do not go side to side, only up and down. They break the larger pieces of dry food with the tip of their tooth and swallow. That does not clean tartar off their teeth.

The wet food is better to avoid crystals.
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post #5 of 9
8/12/11 at 8:27am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Yosemite View Post
Firstly, yes, sour cream can be bad if your cat is lactose intolerant which many cats are. It may also cause an allergic reaction and that may be what is causing the white spots.
Assuming this is the reason, does this require antibiotics or will the swelling go away on its own?
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post #6 of 9
8/12/11 at 9:11am
If the swelling does not go down soon. I would get another opinion from a different vet!
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post #7 of 9
8/12/11 at 10:14am
Quote:
Originally Posted by kittycatlips View Post
Assuming this is the reason, does this require antibiotics or will the swelling go away on its own?
It depends upon whether the sores are infected or not. Stop the sour cream and see what happens.
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post #8 of 9
8/12/11 at 5:15pm
Thread Starter 
Here's the latest. Took the cat to a new vet today. Had blood work done. He does not have pancreatitis. The doctor gave me anti-inflammatory / appetite stimulant pills. So we'll see if the swelling goes down.
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post #9 of 9
10/29/11 at 6:56pm
@kittycatlips - I'm wondering what happened with your kitty after the meds. My 6 month old kitten's mouth is swollen in the corner, JUST LIKE the image you posted. A month ago, the other corner of his mouth was swollen and we took a trip to the vet - we were given a topical steroid cream that he HATES, we replaced his food dishes with glass bowls, and it went away. Now the OTHER side of his mouth is swollen and it seems to be getting worse/puffier. He doesn't seem to be bothered by it in the slightest which makes me feel better about it... but it sure doesn't look normal. What ever happened with your kitty? Any advice?
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