Recurring viral problems and gum issues

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Laurencat
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Recurring viral problems and gum issues

Post by Laurencat »

Hi folks, this is my first post so thanks in advance. We adopted our awesome cat, Devon, as a sickly stray this summer. He is beautiful and has an amazing personality but has not been able to shake recurring viral problems (seepy eyes, sneezing, etc.) including some very troubling gingivitus which may result in having to have a number of teeth pulled. He keeps being put on different anti-viral meds and prednisone, but I feel like we have just been playing tag with his symptoms and not making a dent in the root cause. His vets don't seem to have any ideas for how else to treat or boost his immune system. Does anyone have advice? I like our vet but thinking of moving to a more cat-centered vet. Anyway, he is the best little dude--thanks in advance!
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Ruth B
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Re: Recurring viral problems and gum issues

Post by Ruth B »

Welcome to the forum.

I'm not sure I can be much help with runny eyes and the sneezing, but the gum problem I might be able to give you some encouragement on, even if it isn't what you really want to hear. There are certain viruses that cats can catch as kittens that never really leave them and it sounds like that is what Devon has. It might be worth asking your vet about treating the symptoms rather than constantly trying with antivirals and seeing how he gets on with those.

On to the gum problems, i have a 6 year old lad called Saturn who I adopted when he was 6 months old. Very early on we were told that he had Viral Gingivitis and would probably need some of his teeth out. It was mentioned at each annual check up but never made to seem like it was too urgent, and it certainly wasn't giving him any problems so we kept putting it off. Then, early last year, we noticed one of his upper canines had gone so he was booked in for a dental and to have the root removed. While he was on the operating table the vet phoned me, all his incisors had been resorbed (the term used for when teeth get broken down slowly and absorbed back into the body), all his premolars had been resorbed and his molars were rapidly going the same way and would be better removed while he was under the anesthetic. it wasn't what I wanted to hear, but I said yes as it was best for him in the vets opinion, and if they were left they would just resorb anyway. So I now have a 6 year old cat with 3 teeth, one upper canine and both lower ones, and you would never know it unless you actually looked in his mouth. He still eats anything he can get hold of, wet cat food, dry cat food, cooked meat, raw meat, cheese or treats, he may have slowed down a little, but it certainly hasn't stopped him. He also was always an avid mouser, and that hasn't stopped either, although we do get a few more live ones than we used to, it does seem like he can't quite manage the death bite every time, or maybe he just wants to bring them home to play with them a bit more where it is warm. I will say he never seemed in pain with his teeth and there was no sign of problems when he was eating, the only symptom we ever noticed was bad breath, which now the teeth are gone has cleared up. I have been told several times over the years that the problem was probably due to a virus he had as a kitten, whether it is true or not I don't know, but when you take in a rescue you take a chance on things like this, and in the end he is very happy cat and that is all I can ask for.
I do hope that Devon's aren't as bad as Saturn's were, but even if they are, hopefully this will help you realise that it isn't the end of the world for him.
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Mollycat
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Re: Recurring viral problems and gum issues

Post by Mollycat »

Are you sure the two things are related?

My Boo (sadly no longer with us) was a run into a door breed, a ragdoll, a retired stud cat from an outdoor pen. As soon as he moved into my centrally heated flat with a smoker, he started runny eyes, sneezes and horrible coughs, in waves. Vet was happy that his upper and lower respiratory tract were clear and offered x-rays if I wanted, but I didn't as long as it didn't get worse, which it never did. It wasn't until near the end of his life my new more enlightened vet said likely a latent herpesvirus infection that wasn't an issue in itself but flared any time he was a bit low or fighting off a bacterial infection.

Now you come to mention it though his teeth and breath were pretty bad, he only ever had one extraction but his mouth wasn't all roses. Dental issues can cause sneezing. And the one time Boo's issues cleared up was just after his two dentals.
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