Guys, please help me....

Ok- sorry if this gets too long and drawn out, but I need to explain my situation. I have 8 cats correct, with one being pregnant and due any day!! Well I have a real concern about one of my cats, Sherman. He has really aquired some odd behaviors and also something seems to be wrong with his teeth/gums. I have taken him to the vet for this, and they just put him on some meds and guess thought that would help him, but it hasnt. He has a VERY hard time eating, and thats even food wet down or his canned food! He gets grumpy and growls when he chews.......its SAD! So I have really been thinking maybe I should have him pu down. I dont know what to think....its such a hard decision. And btw~hes not an old cat,maybe 4-5 yrs old. Uggh...I dunno what to do guys I love him, but like I said, he cant hardly even eat! Please give me some answers/advice on how to deal with this. TIA!

I'll move this to the health forum for you

Please do not put this cat to sleep!!!!

It sounds as though he has severe gingivitis! The antibiotics will have been given to him with the aim to clear up the infection and inflamation.

There are other options for helping him such as steroid injections, mouthwash (difficult to administer) and as a last resort, the removal of most of his teeth!

Gingivitis can be genetic, so it could have occurred at any point throughout the cat's life!

Please visit your vet again or get a second opinion from another vet! You will need to do this soon, as Gingivitis can cause other problems within the body if left untreated!

But do not put this cat to sleep because of this!!

I know putting him to sleep is not the answer, but I know I need to get something done. I just called the vet and they are booked until this afternoon, so I am going to take him and let them take a look at him, and hopefully they can give him something to help him!

Until you have a solution for his mouth you could try stage one chicken baby food - no chewing needed. But ONLY stage ONE, ok.

I hope that you are willing to commit your time and resources to get to the bottom of Sherman's problem.

You said that your vet put Sherman on some meds.
What was the diagnosis and what meds is Sherman taking?

Did your vet suggest that you have a complete blood panel done and that Sherman might need dental work under a general anesthetic?

If your vet does not offer to do the necessary exams that will enable him to accurately diagnose and treat Sherman's problem then you need to be referred to a specialist immediately.

If not ... find a different vet who will take Sherman's problem seriously

Putting Sherman to sleep is not an option.

Ok guys heres the scoop.....I took Sherman to a different vet and they said he has mouth ulcers/infection. She gave him a steroid shot and a antibiotic shot. She also said that he will need some(if not all) his teeth pulled, in the *near* future, but until then he will have to go in every 2 weeks for a steroid shot. I guess it was really bad!! I feel so bad for the sweetie. I sure hope he can get to feeling better soon! And btw, thanks for the baby food suggestion. I will have to get some and see if he can handle it.

It sounds like Sherman's new vet is one top of the problem.
Are they waiting to do the extractions until the infection has improved?

There are several TCS members who have kitties that live well without teeth.
Do a search in this forum and look for previous thread about this.

I am sending you and sweet Sherman positive healing vibes.

When getting the baby food make sure you get one without onion. One of them has it and I am not sure which one it is. It will be listed on the label. I don't understand putting onion in stage 1 food but one of them do.

Poor Sherman - but he will prob be happier when his teeth have been removed. I have had 2 cats that have had all their teeth removed, neither struggled eating after - they could both eat both wet and dry food, plus things like chicken. My male cat can only eat a small amount of biscuits though cos he drops a lot of them and they are wet, so they stick to the bowl.

When my cat had trouble with his teeth, I used to put his favorite canned foods (and he especially liked the fancy feast this way) into the blender. That way I was sure he got all the nutrients he needed, especially if it has to go on for a while.

Another thing I did was to put some very high-quality dry food that he liked into the blender until it became a powder, then would sprinkle some on top of his food or stir some in.