Gingivitis in Kittens

[amylyou]

I have a question regarding kitten dental health.

Back story:
I adopted my furr baby from a local SPCA at ~4 months. FIV negative.
Received 2/2 kitten vaccines. Otherwise I know little of his history. However,
he has been a very healthy, loving kitty with lots of energy and a good appetite.
Yesterday, Pekoe was booked for his neuter which went very well
and he is recovering quickly and is already back to his usual cuddly self today!
However, the vet noticed some reddening of his gums near his teeth.
She recommended dental xrays during his anethesia which showed an extra
tooth which she didnt seem too worried about and didnt recommend extracting
at the present time. However, she did show concern about the gum redness
and apparently consulted a specialist. She called me today and recommended
a dental surgery to remove the inflammed gum tissue and clean beneath.

From my research it seems as though she is suggesting a stomatitis (as she also mentioned extraction of all teeth may be necessary if the first surgery doesnt work)

My question is, does this sound a little, extreme.. to anyone?
I asked her about the risk benefit ratio of this surgery at the present time,
as he is showing no symptoms of distress or discomfort. She only recommendation was to get the surgery done in a month or two once he has recovered from his neuter. I feel like a more conservative option should be
tried before I put my furr baby under for (what sounds like) a pretty intensive surgery. I'm not concerned about money, my kitties health is priority.
But does anyone think an at home brushing/dental treat routine might be
a better first option?

Any advice would be great! Thanks! And sorry for the long post!!!

[sugarcatmom]

Originally Posted by amylyou

But does anyone think an at home brushing/dental treat routine might be
a better first option?

Absolutely! That and diet (a raw diet can be great for dental health and the overall immune system). Also, I wonder if part of the gum inflammation has to do with teething? If it were me, I would certainly wait and see what happens (especially since your kitty doesn't have any symptoms of pain at this time), and then get another opinion or 2 before making a decision on surgery.

[Reg]

hello there amylyou:

I am fully in agreement with SCM re the dental. I would be looking for a 2nd opinion on what appears to be extreme procedure for the problem so early in the little guy's life.

I had a vet who would do everything in his power to circumvent extractions until absolutely it was necessary. He was also a certified dental surgeon and believed in preventative procedures - extractions when all else failed.

I am a great believer in raw food and brushing. There is something in the raw food that aids in cleaning the teeth along with the chewing. Something else to consider with brushing is that it stimulates the gums helping the blood flow which helps to dissipate any infections.

I've included 2 web sites - one on brushing your cat's teeth - from Cornell University - and one on a product that I've used for about 10 years that you just add to the drinking water. I have noticed in recent years that there are more products on the shelf for treating pets' teeth, which might be worth looking into as well.

I just tried the first site and it's a bit sticky so you will have to right click on it and open it in a new tab. That worked for me.


https://www.veritasdvm.com/veritas/c...byct/index.htm

http://oxyfresh.com/pet/default.asp