can raw diet cure stomatits?

space1101

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Feb 18, 2011
Messages
177
Purraise
10
Hi, 

I found a 15 year old persian, possibly abandoned by the owner.  He has stomatitis, many ulcers on the roof of his mouth, and he also has one Eosinophilic granuloma on each side of his mouth.  Has anyone had experience with stomatitis?  Could this be improved if the cat switches to raw diet?    He has very good appetite and blood tests are all normal except signs of inflammation.

Please help!
 

txcatmom

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Jan 24, 2012
Messages
760
Purraise
30
One cat owner who posts here, Carolina, has a cat, Bugsy whose stomatitis went away on raw.  I have a stomatitis kitty named Lucy.  She is eating 100% raw.  So far her symptoms haven't gone away but I have to believe that excellent nutrition is at least helping her situation.  There are sooo many possible contributing factors to stomatitis.  Grains in food are one of the things that are a possible culprit.  Also, additives in pet food could cause problems.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3

space1101

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Feb 18, 2011
Messages
177
Purraise
10
How long has Lucy been on raw?  Has she shown any sign of  improvement?    Do you give her medication?  

  I wonder if his Eosinophilic granuloma  was caused by stomatitis.  He drools all day, but he really has good appetite.  He would eat anything in front of him.  
 

otto

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 7, 2008
Messages
9,837
Purraise
197
When I told my vet I was putting my cats on a raw diet she was very supportive. The first thing she told me was that she has seen cats with stomatitis cured when put on a raw diet. Also, IBD. Cured.
 

txcatmom

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Jan 24, 2012
Messages
760
Purraise
30
How long has Lucy been on raw?  Has she shown any sign of  improvement?    Do you give her medication?
She's lived with us for four months and had some raw the whole time.  100% raw for about 2 months.  She had all her teeth extracted behind the canines.  Then 2 months later she still had horrible redness and inflammation at the back of her mouth and throat (while eating 100% raw.)  So she had a long acting steroid shot and antibiotics.  She has been symptom free since then, but the steroids should wear off any time now.  We are considering treatment options since steroids can have dangerous side effects.  (But for many kitties it is a good last resort to give them some relief.  It is worth the side effects, in my opinion, if it is the only way to relieve the pain.) 

Since there are so many other factors (surgery, medication) it is hard to say how much the raw is helping.  But, I really believe it must be helping at least some.
 

carolina

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Nov 17, 2008
Messages
14,759
Purraise
215
Location
Corinth, TX
For my Bugsy, it resolved both his IBD and his stomatitis. His IBD was immediately; his stomatitis took a bit longer.
Have you taken him for a dental? You should remove that tartar/plaque build up, as a kitty with stomatitis will still react to that no matter what diet he is on.... Luckily AFTER a dental, the enzymes in the meat, and the chewing will help to keep the teeth clean.
In addition, stomatitis can be triggered by an inflammatory response to ingredients in the food. That's why so many cats with Ibd have stomatitis.... You remove those ingredients, you remove the inflammatory response. That's the beauty of a raw diet. Now, when I say raw, I say a raw diet with no fruits, veggies and grains. A good species-appropriate raw diet proper for our feline friend.
Is Bugsy cured of stomatitis? I don't know. There is no cure for it, so for now he is under control, and doing amazing. Same for his Ibd.
He will continue to go to his dentist once a year, and have an extra check up on his teeth by his vet at least another time between visits. I monitor him quite closely.... I would say he has a very mild, slight case of gingivitis- there is a faker pink line on the bottom of him gums, but that's about it.
 
Last edited:

b-roc

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Nov 26, 2013
Messages
39
Purraise
19
My cat has been on an all raw food diet since May and was just potentially diagnosed with stomatitis so I would say it neither cures nor prevents stomatitis (at least in my case).  It definitely helped with the IBD like issues she was having and was a blessing for her food allergies.
 

mschauer

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 17, 2007
Messages
6,753
Purraise
2,338
Location
Houston, Tx
This is an old thread but it might be helpful for those looking for help with stomatitis to hear of the experiences of other raw feeders. Switching to a raw diet won't necessarily cure or even help with stomatitis. My cat *developed* stimatitis after having been on an exclusively raw diet for 5 years.  Removing sardines from her diet is what cleared it up for her. The cause of stomatitis is poorly understood but food allergies are believed to be a possible culprit. Making your own food, whether raw or cooked,  and having total control of what goes in it can make it much easier to eliminate allergens.
 
Last edited:

catwoman707

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Dec 16, 2011
Messages
7,689
Purraise
2,263
Location
Vallejo, CA
Stomatitis is actually an auto-immune response for cats, their systems see their teeth as an 'intruder' and attempt to get them out, causing swelling/sores/loosening teeth.

Something in their genetic make-up.
 

mschauer

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 17, 2007
Messages
6,753
Purraise
2,338
Location
Houston, Tx
 
Stomatitis is actually an auto-immune response for cats, their systems see their teeth as an 'intruder' and attempt to get them out, causing swelling/sores/loosening teeth.

Something in their genetic make-up.
That's actually just one of many theories. Obviously that wasn't the cause in my cat since since all I had to do was remove sardines from her diet to clear the stomatitis.
 

catwoman707

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Dec 16, 2011
Messages
7,689
Purraise
2,263
Location
Vallejo, CA
Mschauer, You were so lucky that it only took removing sardines!

I think the overall consensus remains the same though, regardless of what actually triggered the response. Whether a cat, at a young age showed early signs of hyperplasia, or an aged/adult cat suddenly developing stomatitis due to unknown or various triggers, the actual response of the cat is to reject the teeth, which is a stem response from their immune system.

I believe it is in the genetic roots whether a cat may or may not ever have stomatitis.

I see what you are saying though too, there are many different opinions/viewpoints about this, as it does remain as an unknown disease.

I have also seen a cat recover from it, go 6 years perfectly fine, then suddenly it's happening again.

This is probably why I believe it is rooted in their genetic makeup.
 

mschauer

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 17, 2007
Messages
6,753
Purraise
2,338
Location
Houston, Tx
 
Mschauer, You were so lucky that it only took removing sardines!

I think the overall consensus remains the same though, regardless of what actually triggered the response. Whether a cat, at a young age showed early signs of hyperplasia, or an aged/adult cat suddenly developing stomatitis due to unknown or various triggers, the actual response of the cat is to reject the teeth, which is a stem response from their immune system.

I believe it is in the genetic roots whether a cat may or may not ever have stomatitis.

I see what you are saying though too, there are many different opinions/viewpoints about this, as it does remain as an unknown disease.

I have also seen a cat recover from it, go 6 years perfectly fine, then suddenly it's happening again.

This is probably why I believe it is rooted in their genetic makeup.
We should be careful to make clear when we are just stating things we believe rather than stating those things as known facts. 
 
Last edited:

catwoman707

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Dec 16, 2011
Messages
7,689
Purraise
2,263
Location
Vallejo, CA
I would not be so careless as to state only my beliefs, but many doctors who have studied stomatitis as well.

 It has been suggested that a genetic predisposition is likely.- Dr. Arnold Plotnick MS, DVM, ACVIM, ABVP

Factors that may contribute to the disease include environmental stress, diet, with a genetic predisposition-Dr.s Foster & Smith

The exact cause of stomatitis is unknown. The role of bacteria, viruses, genetics, nutrition, environment, and domestication in general have all been considered. Whatever the trigger, it is generally believed that cats with stomatitis have an altered immune state.-Colorado's Veterinary Dental Specialist and Oral Surgeon

Feline stomatitis is thought to be autoimmune in nature.

The feline immune system seems to overreact to the area around a cat's teeth, triggering inflammation in the tissues of the mouth.-Dr. Karen Becker of Healthy Pets

Many, many vets and experts say the same thing. The list goes on.

Anyway, not trying to get into a debate here. Thx.
 

catwoman707

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Dec 16, 2011
Messages
7,689
Purraise
2,263
Location
Vallejo, CA
There's no disputing that the cause is unknown.

It is highly suggested that it likely stems from a genetic disposition in the cat.

Just as human doctors don't have factual answers of why people are born with or acquire auto immune diseases. Acquired in the sense that nobody acquires auto immune diseases, they just have the capacity genetically to be triggered by various things.

Mostly it is said to stem from genetics, but there are other factors, mine comes from being a daughter of DES.

However my mom also had rheumatic fever as a child, which is also an autoimmune triggered illness. There's that genetic disposition thing.

Maybe I believe what I do because of my own personal health issues I have dealt with throughout my entire life.

Doctors would give this reason or that for various problems, but the bottom line always seems to land in the genetics to blame. If my immune system weren't altered in some way I would not be capable of "acquiring" rheumatoid arthritis.

Anyway!! You are correct, there are no facts with this.

BTW-I thoroughly enjoyed following your journey of Mickey and his outstanding weight loss. I have a fat cat myself :)
 

maryann118

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Apr 14, 2015
Messages
30
Purraise
3
OK, I'm so late to this discussion, but I believe these cats are reacting to the plaque build up. Big cats in the wild do not get stomatitis because they eat not only organs and flesh, but they scrub their teeth clean by chewing on muscle, tendons and bone (raw bone does not splinter). Just look at some dental photos of a lion's teeth. They're pure white.
 

mschauer

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 17, 2007
Messages
6,753
Purraise
2,338
Location
Houston, Tx
OK, I'm so late to this discussion, but I believe these cats are reacting to the plaque build up. Big cats in the wild do not get stomatitis because they eat not only organs and flesh, but they scrub their teeth clean by chewing on muscle, tendons and bone (raw bone does not splinter). Just look at some dental photos of a lion's teeth. They're pure white.
That obviously was not the case with my Jeta because due to severe gum disease when she was young she was toothless (and had been for years) at the time she developed stomatitis so there could be no plaque build up. And, again, all I did to prevent Jeta's stomatitis was to remove sardines from her diet.

4 years later Jeta remains stomatitis free.
 
Last edited:

maureen brad

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Aug 18, 2013
Messages
957
Purraise
363
Location
San Jose, CA
I had a cat with Stomatitis ( Remy RIP) raw diet did not cure it.I wish it had. I think it did help his health in other ways and he sure loved it.He ended up losing all his teeth. that is probably the best way to go.
 

Desrae1

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Jan 13, 2019
Messages
2
Purraise
0
That's actually just one of many theories. Obviously that wasn't the cause in my cat since since all I had to do was remove sardines from her diet to clear the stomatitis.
There are days that have had all their teeth removed and still suffer from stomatitis. I just read an article that states stomatitis is not a dental disease but actually a bone disease. Here's the article. It has a lot of good info!
One Clinician’s Experience With A New Treatment For Feline Stomatitis - Veterinary Practice News
 
Top