Ulcers in kittens mouth, vet said stomatitis and glossitis?

We adopted a kitten from a rescue 2 weeks ago, he came infected with a URI and eye infection. Hes on the road to recovery and is doing very well. My 5 month old kitten has caught whatever he had. He has ulcers in the mouth, on his tongue and my vet said he had gingivitis, stomatitis and glossitis. I just dont see stomatitis...his gums look nothing like pics I have seen on google. She said once the infection is gone the stomatitis and glossitis will go away to. His breath is gross, and he was put on antibiotics and an antiviral. Heres a couple pics of his mouth what do you all think? Hes eating fine seems a bit slow and tired but when I offer him a toy he plays.

Ulcer on his tongue


Ulcer behind top back molar, same story on the other side of his mouth


Gumline, this vet so far has said all my cats including the rescued 6 month old has gingivitis, Shes a great vet but I just dont know

I'm sorry to undermine your vet, but that doesn't look like any stomatitis I have ever seen, but it DOES however look dead on like the uri is calcivirus.

I would bet on it.

Seen it plenty with my rescue.

I am unsure if she meant stomatitis as in his mouth in infected as she said glossitis as well and told me once the viral infection is cleared up the stomatitis will to in 3-5 days i should notice breath to be better as the ulcers are infected making his breath stink. Im unsure if she meant true feline stomatitis. She also told me he may grow out of it...whatever that meant. Hes also vaccinated for calcivirus, so obviously the vaccine did nothing if this is in fact calcivirus. It would cost $245 to test what viral infection it is and I dont have that money.

It doesn't look like any stomatitis I have ever seen.  I sent you the picture of what a normal stomatitis cat looks like.  Yes your kitten has gingivitis, and I would bet it is probably Calicivirus for the ulcer on the tongue.  How many vaccines against calici has he had?  If he hasn't had 3 sets he can still get it.  There are different strains of calicivirus as well.  http://www.sheltermedicine.com/node/38#best  has information that talks about the vaccination.  Here's another good link: http://www.catchat.org/calicivirus.html  or this page:  www.winnfelinehealth.org/Herpesvirus_and_Calicivirus_Web.pdf

Kittens always have bad breath when their losing their primaries and their adult teeth are growing in. The ulcers may be a result of the fever from infection. I would give them time to heal. If the halitosis continues after all adult teeth are in, get their kidneys checked, not through bloodwork but palpation and/or ultrasound for enlarged kidneys.

I agree with Catwoman707...Calicivirus. The severity of ulceration varies cat to cat; but, your kitty presents with very typical ulceration.

Chloe16 said:

 
I am unsure if she meant stomatitis as in his mouth in infected as she said glossitis as well and told me once the viral infection is cleared up the stomatitis will to in 3-5 days i should notice breath to be better as the ulcers are infected making his breath stink. Im unsure if she meant true feline stomatitis. She also told me he may grow out of it...whatever that meant. Hes also vaccinated for calcivirus, so obviously the vaccine did nothing if this is in fact calcivirus. It would cost $245 to test what viral infection it is and I dont have that money.

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You said the kitten came to you with a uri, well it's calici. Kitten must have come in contact with the virus before vaccinations, so vaccines now will not get rid of it, it's already there.

Kitten shows no signs of stomatitis, as this is an ongoing auto immune disorder that causes their body to not recognize the teeth as part of the body, and rejects them, causing sores and inflammation, infection, tooth/teeth loss. Lots of pain.

You kittens mouth looks fine other than the calici ulcers and mild gingivitis.

I do want to ask you, just what food do you feed your cats and this kitten?

It's odd to see one so young with gingivitis so soon.

Plus you said vet said all of your cats have it.

Might want to change their food, but we can help with recommendations if we know what your current food is.

No this kitten did not come with this virus. I dont think you guys understand whats happening here. 2 weeks ago we adopted a 6 month old kitten a rescue claimed was healthy. He introduced a virus into our house. So far only this 5 month old kitten has gotten it the one I shows you pics of the mouth. Thats Riley, he was vaccinated for everything as a kitten but still got whatever virus this is. My vet said he has an ulcer behind both molars in the back of his mouth (which is all kitten teeth) but when I went to feel one of the ulcers I discovered it wasnt an ulcer but rather part of the back tooth coming in. See picture below, I circled in yellow what my vet said was an ulcer but is in fact a tooth as he has it in the same spot in both upper sides of his mouth


As for food I feed what i can afford and thats Kirkland Signature Chicken/rice and canned food in the evening.

My understanding is that many vets  use the term stomatitis to describe any ulceration or open lesion in a cat's mouth (stoma means opening in medical terms).  There are a number of different types or 'stomatitis' with different causes. Along with gingivitis which can commonly occur when young cats are teething, lowered immune systems at that stage in a kitten's life, when they are growing up quickly, can also be a time when they show signs of  viruses that can have been dormant in their system prior to the symptom showing.  (Not unlike having chicken pox as a child and the virus being dormant until getting shingles 60 or so years later in humans).

Mouse was diagnosed with stomatitis, faucitis (tonsilitis) and gingivitis when he was about 8 months old and his mouth was extremely painful and a lot of secondary infection.  He never had many signs of URI however did sneaze and cough occasionally.  Mouse was tested for Calci Virus amonst other things when he first got sick but all sceening done came back clear.  However a year or so on his mouth was quite well managed with TD food and twice daily brushing to keep the gingivitis at bay but he started to get repeated bouts of runny eyes.  After about the 3rd time the vets put together the picture, checked for tiny little ulcers on his eyes and concluded everything was down to Feline Herpes Virus.  He had had full vaccinations as a young kitten and never had any contact with cats other than his mother:  it is most likely that his young mum had dormant FHV1 and was stressed around the birth and Mouse's immune system hasn't managed to keep the virus at bay (so far).  He hasn't been really sick with it since the initial oral problems and seems to be getting better at keeping the virus back as he gets older.  I want to raise awareness that not all mouth lesions are related to Calci Virus, and my vets told me that the tests, particularly for FHV1, are not always that reliable so they tend to go on more prolonged symptom obeservation than testing.  Anti viral medication and specific secondary infection treatment with antibiotics would likely be the options for either Calci Virus or FHV1 so specific viral identification would not help in terms of treatment at this stage.  

MServant has some excellent points and advice.

It sounded to me from your first post was that the kitten "came infected with a uri and eye infection" so I assumed so.

Yes, the fact is, it can be either the herpevirus (rhinotracheitis) or the calicivirus that will cause mouth/tongue ulcers. It is much more common to see with calici is all.

But as MServant states, the meds he is on now, the antibiotic and anti-viral are going to treat either one so it doesn't matter at this point really at all.

There is nothing terrible about Costo's Kirkland brand and canned at night. You're doing the best you can and that works fine!

I merely asked just for my own curiosity, with the vet commenting about all of your cats having gingivitis.

As I mentioned, this is normal for a kitten getting its adult teeth. Unfortunately, vets are only given minimal education when it comes to dental health. They should have all their adult teeth between 6 and 9 months. If the bad breath continues after this time I would then be concerned.

Chloe16 said:

My vet said he has an ulcer behind both molars in the back of his mouth (which is all kitten teeth) but when I went to feel one of the ulcers I discovered it wasnt an ulcer but rather part of the back tooth coming in. See picture below, I circled in yellow what my vet said was an ulcer but is in fact a tooth as he has it in the same spot in both upper sides of his mouth

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• chloe16
• Feb 15, 2014

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The very first thing I thought of after seeing the photo above was that it is a tooth coming in and I am no vet :lol3:. I would find another vet if I were you as I can't believe your vet told you that it was an ulcer. MServant is right - many vets unfortunately use the term "Stomatitis" to describe any lesion in a cats mouth which I think can be incorrect and alarming. Although the median age of cats with oropharyngeal inflammation is 7 years, sometimes this disease can develop when the cat is very young which I think is called "juvenile onset", a form of the disease. It may occur at 3-5 months when the permanent teeth are erupting and become more severe by 9 months of age. But, in all honesty, I would get a second opinion if you are concerned.

I went to the vet with Rayden today for his tongue ulcer (he now has one to) and asked the vet to clarify what she meant by stomatitis. She told me that shes pretty sure he does in fact have feline stomatitis and in order to know for sure we have to test for it (then she recommended the FeLK and FIV test again). Now im more confused then ever. His mouth looks better since we brought him in. She also told me Rayden also has gingivitis...so far all my cats have it even the kittens with some kitten teeth left

As for confusing a tooth with an ulcer she told me the ulcer was medial to the tooth so beside it. But I didnt see any ulcers there

Sorry all this is getting more complex for you, and that you do not have confidence in your vet at this point.  That must be really stressful with a house full of cats showing signs of something painful and not knowing what to do to help.

Are there any other vets in your area, esp ones you know have a good reputation and / or specialize in dental care?  If you do not feel your vet has been able to explain and show you where the problem is adequately I would look for a second opinion if you can.  

Meanwhile keep an eye on your cats to make sure they are all eating as this can drop off drastically if a cat's mouth is very sore: they may need some assistance and very soft food until things improve.

I asked her if she meant stoma as in ulcers and inflammation in the gums and she said yes. So I am still unsure if she means full out feline stomatitis or just inflammation of the gums. She told me something is causing his gums to inflame but I understood teething could cause that? I trust my vet, shes a great vet and has been nothing but kind with my animals, I guess im just confused. She said she would have to test for feline stomatitis in order to accurately say thats what it was. Heres a picture of every thing he is on and rayden is on, the probiotc and lysine everyone is on.


And here is happy Oh Riley. Hes eating kibble normally, eating canned normally, playing etc

She must think he has herpesvirus, because Famvir is a herpes suppression drug (and of course lysine is too). I wonder why she isn't telling you that.

As far as I can tell, there's no actual test for stomatitis :dk:. The info I found said that tests for FIV/FeLV and Bartonella are usually done, but no definitive diagnostic test exists.

Personally, I'll say it looks like calicivirus or herpesvirus, and I would give it some time before pursuing more aggressive treatment options. Much of the practice of medicine is less scientific than we want to think , so unless it's a true emergency I like to explore all options first.

She mentioned it could be herpes virus which is why he was put on the antiviral. She said unless she tested there was no way to know for sure

I have two colony cats that have the horrible breathe and mouth sores. They vet says is is stomatitis. I feed them wet food twice daily aside from the rest of the colony. No one else has the condition. Or at least no other cat that I handle on a regular basis. I mspake it a point to smell their breathe from time to time.

I know it is painful for these cats and they have both had steroids and antibiotics for this. It is chronic and I can't afford much extra expense at the vet.

I hope your guys get better soon.

Your conversation with your vet sounds helpful, and it does come across that your vet is using stomatitis in the more generic medical way that my vet has, and I agree with Willowy that they seem to be thinking along the lines of herpes virus with the Famciclovir.  As I posted earlier, my vets don't consider the FHV1 test to be conclusive and go on their experience and clinical presentation for treatment options after the other tests have come back negative for things like Calci Virus.  They would only run more expensive tests if the cat didn't respond positively to the treatment.  

That your vet has opted for Famciclovir at first presentation is a really positive thing as most research seems to say it is most effective when prescribed early and first outbreak.  Mouse wasn't prescribed it until later when his eye symptoms became aparent.  If you are confident and happy with your vet this is good, and with the additional information you have obtained things do make more sense.

I chose not to push my vet for more testing.  From everything I have read up on this site and in research papers I am confident that Mouse's FHV1 diagnosis is correct and that he does not have the type of Feline Stomatitis that many cats have as a chronic inflammatory disease (usually requiring tooth extraction and prolonged careful management).  He does require careful oral management and his gums do become red and inflamed if I don't maintain the TD diet and tooth brushing on a strict daily basis but as he gets older this seems to be imrpoving slightly, and the addition of L Lysine gel presumably bolsters this.  If your young cat is eating well as you say then I would follow what your vet is saying at this point and not put yourself and your cat through more trauma: managing stress is very important if this is herpes.  

What seems unusual is that both cats seem to be presenting with the oral symptoms when this is a more unusual symptom of feline herpes, but that isn't to say it has to be something different.  Also, that your other kitten had been vaccinated does not mean that he could not be infected, something like 80% of the cat population carry this virus but most show no sypmtoms; some cats are unlucky perhaps because of a lowered immune system or a high level of stress that the virus will manage to break through.  Feliway diffusers are a good investment in terms of keeping outbreaks at bay along with the L Lysine.

I know how worried I was when Mouse was first diagnosed, and worried that he would become as sick as many of the cats members are caring for on this site and others.  I'd like to reassure you that some cats are well despite showing symptoms of the virus, and Mouse is, to date, one of those cats.  He was only really sick in his first 18 months, due to the oral inflammation and infections, and since then you wouldn't know he had the condition.  He is fit and well and is on his way to being a Premier (neuter equivalent of a Champion) cat so it's not just me that thinks he's in good condition. 

I have asked many people and they thinks its calcivirus. The eye symptoms started first then the ulcers came about. My vet put him on the antiviral/antibiotic because I couldnt afford to test what it was so she said ill put him on both and hopefully it treats whatever it is he has