Saturday, February 25, 2012

We have a Plan

Vet number two got back to me, and we have a treatment plan for Cali. I think I have read just about everything on the web about juvenile gingivitis and stomatitis in cats. Some vets believe that the bartonella bacteria plays a role in this problem. (This is the "cat scratch fever" bacteria.) Other vets disagree, saying that research has not proven a causal relation. The thing is, bartonella is a bacteria. There is an antibiotic that is fairly successful in treating it. The treatment is 21 days of azithromycin (Zithromax). The aspiring dental vet, after his own research, strongly recommended that we go ahead and try a course of antibiotic treatment. This seems pretty reasonable to me. If the treatment doesn't work, Cali is probably heading for caudal extractions, all the teeth behind the fangs. She could end up losing the front teeth also, eventually. In talking to Cali's breeder, she previously had a kitten in which treatment with azithromycin cured juvenile gingivitis, so I am praying it will work for Cali.

On the recommendation of a friend, and good reviews on Amazon, I've also purchased a product called Biotene to use. They make an oral antiseptic gel designed for use with severe gingivitis and stomatitis. They also make a maintenance gel and water additive to reduce plaque. I've purchased them all. Since we also have papillon dogs, who have notoriously bad teeth, I figured if it works they will all benefit and it will be well worth the cost. I'll let you know. I'm praying that this works for Cali.

Hoping to be better soon!

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