Stomatitis?

The boys went for their annual exam today.They're both 2 years old. Everything good - weight etc - except Mr Poe had reddish gums.

The vet said it could maybe be the first stage of stomatitis. She's put him on zithromax for 30 days and wants to see him in 4 months.

I was thinking I should also give him some L-Lysine. I got some 500 mg tablets. How much should I give him? I'd also start giving it to the other two cats, one of whom is 17 years old. Grind it in a little mortar and mix with wet food?

Any suggestions, comments, or helpful advice?

TIA

I have a boy who has stomatitis, Bugsy. IMHO, if I were you, I would go to a dentist. "Redish gums" can just be gingivitis, maybe a cleaning will do..... A month of antibiotics..... I don't know if I would go for that, frankly - stomatitis is not an infection, is an inflammation, so I am not sure what the purpose for a month of antibiotics is :dk:
Not all vets have experience with stomatitis..... Seems that this is the case for your vet.....

His teeth are nice and white, no plaque.

Catapault said:

His teeth are nice and white, no plaque.

Click to expand...

Why did the vet sent you home with a month of antibiotics? what's the reasoning behind that?
Like I said, Stomatitis is inflamation, not an Infection. It is an immune reaction to the teeth or to the plaque in the teeth - other triggers are possible and it is a very complicated disease..... There are vets that have experiece with it, others don't. Dentists do better.....
A short term dose of Clindamicyn is often used, along with either prednisolone or another steroid, more often than not, depo-medrol when the inflammation is bad. It seems that it is not the case for your boy, with slightly reddish gums.
Bugsy's treatment was a different treatment that didn't involve either, but he has regular dentals, and for a long while he took daily medication. A change of diet made a World of difference (raw) - it pretty much resolved his situation, taking him from stomatitis to a grade 1 gingivitis. He has a vet and a dentist working side-by-side on his case....
One month of antibiotics, is very harsh on the system, and that antibiotic is not one that is used for Stomatitis, which is why I am saying this..... Anyways, just my experience.... I battled with this disease for quite a while, it is not an easy one

He does not have stinky breath. Appetite enthusiastic, he quickly gobbles down both his canned and dried food. No grains in his wet food and he only gets 2 Tablespoons of dry food / day.

So perhaps it is not stomatitis but some other gum inflammation

My stomatitis cat does not have stinky breath and gobbles her food too.  Many cats stop eating well with mouth pain but not all.  I would be very concerned with gingivitis or stomatitis and seek out a vet who is very good with dental issues.  I like reading and researching on the internet so I'd probably start by researching successful treatment of stomatitis and gingivitis and see if you agree with the approach your vet takes.  Did the vet say why the zithromax?  A little unusual from what I've read, unless Bartonella is suspected as a factor. 

L-lysine is commonly given at a dose of 500 mg twice a day during feline herpes flare ups (commonly observed as a cat cold.)  You could grind it I guess.  We buy powder and sprinkle it over their food.  L-lysine specifically battles the herpes virus, a common factor in cat colds and sometimes a factor in gum disease.  If there is no herpes virus, it probably won't help but won't hurt either (according to my vet.)  Good luck.

My vet did mention Bartonella but didn't enlarge on that.