Conference misery::feline_v1

    Does Misha have Bad Breath???  That is another sign of the beginning of
    Gun disease.  
    
    I would bring her to the vet ASAP, but don't worry, cats can survive
    pretty well without their teeth!!!  She may just need a cleaning.  
    
    I got a cat a while back that had a terrible case of bad breath, and
    she also drooled.  We put her on antibiotics for a week before she went
    in to have her teeth cleaned.  They had to pull several of her teeth,
    but she still manages to eat pretty well, in fact, she was munching on
    dry food again within 2 days.
    
    She's happy and healthy, and has had no further problems.
    
    Don't worry...
    cin
    

    re -1
    hi, Misha had had bad breathe a while back and required a
    teethcleaning, but no drooling. this time her breath isn't bad
    but she "is" drooling.  But I believe you are right, she may need
    another cleaning.
    Thank you, I feel better, the drooling frightned me. I will take
    her to the vets this week.  
    
    Fran
    

    It sounds like she is an actual distress.  She could have an abscessed
    tooth.  These are very very painful (I know, I had one once and the
    idiot medical dept. at school didn't correctly diagnose it for
    a week, at the end of which I was just about berserk.)  I would call your
    vet and ask about this, rather than possibly putting her thru several days
    of pain.
    

    Fran,
    
    I have had a gum problem with two of my cats lately.  I noticed
    that my cat Lillie had lost some weight.  I had her stool checked
    for worms, but it came back negative.  As it turned out she had
    a bad case of gingivitis.  The vet put her on antibiotics and
    she seems to be doing much better. She didn't need her teeth 
    cleaned, as there was barely any tarter on them.  However, the vet
    suggested that she could have picked up the bacterial infection
    from one of the unfortunate creatures she hunted.     
    
    Cleopatra had a large swelling on the side of her face and had
    stopped eating. I thought it was a bee sting.  But the swelling didn't
    go down, so I brought her to the vet.  As it turned out Cleo had
    an abscess.  Fortunately it was draining.  After 10 days on
    antibiotics she was fine.
    
    If Misha is still having the same problems with drooling, etc. 
    I would take (him/her)? to the vet.  It may be some sort of
    infection that is causing your kitty to be in distress.
    
    Good Luck,
    
       Kathy (Mr. Kitten, Lillie, Cleo and Monster Molly Ann)

    took Misha to the vets friday and although she does need a 
    cleaning it turned ut that the drooling was caused by a a
    briuse on her lower lip when she must have bumped her chin
    when making one of her incredible leaps! there was no infection
    or cut, just bruised and by Sunday she was munching her kibbles
    quite happily and chattering to me again!!
    
    Fran
    
    

    Rotten Cat.....    How dare they make us worry and drive us crazy like
    this.  I just wish they could speak a language that we could
    understand.
    
    Actually, I'm glad that Misha is OK.  I wonder if there is a way to
    control gingivitus or tarter build-up in cats.  I feed my three both
    wet and dry and Thunder and Lightning still have problems.
    
    Sandi (mom to Lightning, DejaVu, Thunder & Storm)
    
    

    Re: .6
    
    My vet has a packet of gauze pads called Cat-O-Dontics which you can
    use to rub the cats gums with once a day.  It works quite
    well with Sweetie.  I suspect just buying a roll of gauze would be cheaper
    than this specially made stuff.
    

    re.6
    My aunt used to clean hercats teeth with a washcloth, just sort
    of dampened it with warm water, open the cat's mouth and quickly
    rub-rub-rubbed!
    well, I tried tht with Misha and my other furfaces and they didn't
    think much if it, I got scratch-scratch-scratched and bit-bit-bit!
    Maybe had I started that when they were kittens it would work
    better. But it worked well for my aunts cats who had Pepsodent
    smiles!! :-))
    
    Fran
    

    We took in Limoges and Mirabel for dental exams recently, they are
    9 months and 5 months, respectively.  I was worried that they both
    seemed to be showing signs of gingivitis so young.  Well, the concensus
    was that they should not have their teeth cleaned at this age, and
    that their teeth weren't in that bad of shape (I worry), but they
    did have bad breath (see, I told you Doc!).
    
    I was given a bottle of Novalsan Oral Rinse to have them swish and
    spit with once a day.  Only problem now... they insist on spitting
    it all over me (it was your idea, mom...).
    
    It is a known fact that purebred cats can be more susceptible to
    gingivitis, but for now, all that the vets know to do is to keep
    the teeth clean.  The Winn Foundation is funding a study on gingivitis
    right now, and who knows, maybe we will learn if there is any truth
    to the rumor that dry food will help prevent it.  Dry food is in
    the same category as Dog Bones when it comes to tooth cleanliness.
    
    Jo 

    Mao has had a tartar problem for quite a while.  When we switched
    to Hills CD there was a marked improvement in he teeth.  Now if
    we can just get the Ethoxyquin out of the dry food!