How to Treat Gingivitis in Cats: Vet-Reviewed Causes, Signs, & Treatments
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Between 50% and 90% of cats over 4 years old suffer from some form of dental disease. Gingivitis or gum inflammation is one of the most common dental diseases, and it can affect cats of all ages. Cases can range from mild to severe. But if not treated, it will cause pain and discomfort for your cat as well as lead the way to more serious dental diseases, including periodontitis.
If gingivitis reaches the point of progressing to periodontitis, it can’t be reversed. If your cat has gingivitis, it is important to treat it immediately. But how are you to know if your cat might have gingivitis? We’ll explain the causes and signs of gingivitis in this article, as well as how to treat it so that hopefully you can get in front of this problem before it becomes serious.
What Is Gingivitis?
What Is Gingivitis?Before we get into what causes gingivitis, it is necessary to know what exactly gingivitis is and why it causes so many problems for cats. Gingivitis is a condition that results in inflammation of your cat’s gums. The gums may become red and swollen, and your cat will experience pain when eating.
Gingivitis can be brought about due to poor oral hygiene, viral disease, or other infectious disease, or it can coincide with and be brought about by other conditions.1 Some of these causes include feline immunodeficiency virus, feline leukemia virus, feline diabetes, auto-immune disease, or even severe kidney disease, often leading to inflammation of the mouth in general called stomatitis. But whatever the reason that your cat developed gingivitis, early detection and treatment are important to keep the condition from worsening.
What Causes Gingivitis?
Gingivitis begins with plaque buildup on the teeth. Plaque is essentially a film that lies on the surface of the teeth and can serve as a home for bacteria. Some of these bacteria cause minimal to no issues in cats with appropriate oral health, but there are some that may be harmful as well and will activate the cat’s immune system, leading to inflammation. The problem lies with the accumulation of bacteria as a result of the plaque not being removed from the teeth often enough, migrating deeper where the gum and base of the tooth meet, causing the immune system to react.
1. Lack of Dental Care
When plaque isn’t removed, it migrates toward the gums as more plaque is produced. This allows the plaque and bacteria to eventually start to move underneath the gum line, causing inflammation and infection. As a result, an immune response is triggered inside the cat’s body as it tries to fight off the infection. This leads to the gums becoming inflamed.
The reason that gingivitis can become more severe if not treated is that when bacteria get underneath a cat’s gums, they can start to destroy the cells and tissues that connect the gums to the teeth. This can eventually lead to both the teeth and gums weakening, resulting in periodontitis.
2. Illnesses
Although poor oral health is the most common cause of plaque buildup resulting in gingivitis, it is not the only cause. Infections, organ system disease, autoimmune diseases, and tooth overcrowding can all cause more plaque to build on a cat’s teeth.
3. Breed
Some breeds of cats are also more susceptible to gingivitis than others, including cats with flat faces, such as Persians.2
Finally, cats with overbites, underbites, fractured teeth, malocclusion or other teeth abnormalities are also at a greater risk of developing gingivitis because plaque can get trapped in places where it is hard to remove.
What Are the Signs of Gingivitis in Cats?
The most obvious signs of gingivitis to look for include redness, pain, drooling, and swelling of the gums. But unless we’re already giving our cats regular dental care, how many of us look inside their mouths unless we suspect that something is wrong?
With that being said, there are signs that you may be able to spot that can tell you that you should get your cat’s teeth and gums checked by a vet. Cats with mild cases of gingivitis may experience bad breath or excessive drooling as a result of the buildup of plaque and inflammation. They may also express a general sense of discomfort or seem like they just don’t feel good. Some cats may isolate themselves as a result. Look for other unusual changes in behavior or eating patterns as well. Some cats may also refuse to eat or eat less than they normally would depending on the severity of the disease.
In some cases, your cat may prefer soft cat food because hard food is more difficult or painful for them to chew. Your cat may also begin to lose weight as a result of not eating or eating less than normal. If you haven’t looked at your cat’s gums yet but have noticed some of the signs listed above, try and check them if your cat lets you, and get your kitty to the vet. Cats are usually not big fans of having their mouths examined, so be careful to avoid getting scratched or worse. Any hint of gum inflammation or pain is a surefire sign that there is some dental issue going on with your cat, most likely gingivitis.
How to Treat Gingivitis
If you suspect that your cat indeed does have gingivitis, it is imperative to take them to the veterinarian to get a diagnosis that can verify your suspicions and get to the root cause of the gingivitis. If it is caught early enough, most of the time even more advanced cases of gingivitis can be successfully managed, although the issue may persist for the duration of the cat’s life.
If the gingivitis has led to an infection, your veterinarian may prescribe antibiotics for your cat and painkillers to make them more comfortable. But even with antibiotics, gingivitis will still persist if the plaque is not removed. Your vet may also recommend that you try and clean your cat’s teeth at home by using chlorhexidine rinses if the cat will tolerate it, while waiting for the dental appointment.
In most cases, your vet will have to anesthetize your cat in order to remove the plaque buildup. If the plaque is already present, there is nothing you can do about it by brushing their teeth at home, as it’s too firm and you will just end up making your cat sore. Brushing your cat’s teeth can prevent plaque buildup but it cannot treat it if it’s already present.
If your cat has any underlying dental problems, such as an overbite, underbite, or tooth crowding, some teeth may have to be removed if that turns out to be the cause of the gingivitis, or if they have irreversible lesions that will cause mouth pain. Finally, if your vet determines that the gingivitis is being caused by an underlying medical condition, they may prescribe daily medicine for your cat to take, in order to treat the primary condition before gingivitis is addressed.
How to Prevent Gingivitis
Whether your cat has had gingivitis before and you’re trying to keep it from coming back, or you’re trying to stop gingivitis from occurring altogether, it’s important to clean your cat’s teeth on a regular basis. The easiest way to do this is by brushing your cat’s teeth at home, but you can also schedule regular teeth cleanings with your vet, which are performed under general anesthesia.
When brushing your cat’s teeth yourself, it is important to have the appropriate products. For example, you don’t want to use a toothbrush and toothpaste designed for humans. A human toothbrush is often too large and will be ineffective and uncomfortable for the cat. Instead, you will want to use a cat toothbrush that has a smaller head on it designed to fit into your cat’s mouth.
Toothpaste designed for humans often contains ingredients that are toxic to cats. Cat toothpaste contains ingredients that are safe for cats, and it also contains chicken or other protein flavors to make it more appealing for your cat. If you’ve never brushed your cat’s teeth before, you don’t want to just go in all at once and try to do it. It is important to slowly introduce your cat to having their teeth brushed so that they can get used to the idea. Here’s how to do it.
1. Give Your Cat a Taste of the Toothpaste
To do this, you should first put a small amount of the toothpaste in their food bowl or somewhere that your cat can find it, or even on your fingers. Let them lick the toothpaste so that they learn that it tastes good.
2. Practice the Motions of Having Their Teeth Brushed
Next, place some wet food or even some of the toothpaste if they like it, onto your finger. Let your cat lick it off your finger, while gently rubbing and touching your cat’s gums and teeth as they’re licking off the food. Reward them with an extra treat afterwards. You may have to do this several times before your cat will be comfortable letting you touch their mouth and gums.
Once your cat is used to it, try placing the toothpaste on your finger instead of wet food, and touching the gums on both sides of your cat’s mouth, without rushing the process. This again may take several days or longer, for your cat to let you touch most of their gums in one go. It’s not a big deal, if you need to do it over several attempts, or one side per day.
3. Introduce Your Cat to the Toothbrush
Place a little toothpaste onto the toothbrush and place it in front of your cat. Let them lick the toothpaste off the brush. Once your cat has become used to that, pick the toothbrush up, place more toothpaste on it, and hold it up to your cat’s mouth. Let them lick the toothpaste off the brush with you holding it, and occasionally try gently moving it along the gum line, in order to imitate actual brushing. Do it slowly and gently.
4. Brush Your Cat’s Teeth
You’re all set! By now, your cat is used to the toothbrush and toothpaste, and you touching their gums with it, so try gently brushing their teeth, while letting them lick off some of the toothpaste. Take your time and be patient with your kitty, as they may need some more time getting used to the process, and use plenty of treats. Longterm, all your efforts will pay off.
If not treated, gingivitis can lead to more serious health conditions for your cat, including periodontitis, which can weaken your cat’s teeth and make it painful and hard for them to eat at all. By keeping your cat’s teeth clean, as well as watching for any unusual changes in behavior and eating habits, you should be able to catch or prevent gingivitis before it becomes a serious problem.
Final Thoughts
If not treated, gingivitis can lead to more serious health conditions for your cat, including periodontitis which can weaken your cat’s teeth and make it hard for them to eat at all. By keeping your cat’s teeth clean, as well as watching for any unusual changes in behavior and eating habits, you should be able to catch or prevent gingivitis before it becomes a serious problem.
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Featured Image Credit: Yaya Photos, Shutterstock
