Painful cat with mouth ulcer/plaque

Re: Painful cat with mouth ulcer/plaque

James Allsop — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 15:51:41 GMT

[quote user="Evelyn Barbour-Hill"]

Try feeding it raw mince.

[/quote]

Arlo - quick - move this thread immediately to controversial

Dr D Addie used to recommend 'Classic' cat food for stomatitis as she felt that it helped with some cats

Re: Painful cat with mouth ulcer/plaque

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 15:21:43 GMT

Try feeding it raw mince.

Re: Painful cat with mouth ulcer/plaque

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 15:15:59 GMT

[quote user="Martin Jones"]Evelyn's probably too busy frothing and spinning in circles to be able to formulate a rebuke to us idiots. But it's surely coming.........[/quote]

I'm not even frothing about people writing "steroids" when – I imagine from the context – they mean "a glucocorticoid".

Biopsy, and maybe viral and fungal laboratory stuff, are needed really. But, for whatever reason, they are not possible, and specific treatments would also be refused. So give it Depomedrone (or oral methylprednisolone). If it works for a while, fine. If it doesn't, or it makes it worse, well, at least you tried everything possible.

From what you describe I'd guess that the skin discomfort is the secondary result of being unable to groom, but you're the one doing the palpating: consider pansteatitis. I've forgotten the treatment for that.

PS I see from your latest that the cat is improved on oral buprenorphine. That's got to be good. Carry on! Forget the Metacam.

Re: Painful cat with mouth ulcer/plaque

Alice Courtney — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 14:49:05 GMT

Pleased to report that the cat seems brighter today thanks to the buprenorphine being continued at home, so fingers crossed. Poor cat...

Re: Painful cat with mouth ulcer/plaque

Mark Hedberg — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 14:47:52 GMT

Summit is the company.

Re: Painful cat with mouth ulcer/plaque

Martin Jones — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 14:42:16 GMT

Another vote for steroids. In the interim period between meloxicam going away and steroid kicking in, you could keep the oral bupe going, or consider tramadol. There is a company (name escapes me at the moment) who make the 10mg tramadol - was discussed on here a few weeks back.

Pain is this cat's issue; you're not going to get any further with whizzy investigations or treatments, so plug away at analgesia till something works.

Evelyn's probably too busy frothing and spinning in circles to be able to formulate a rebuke to us idiots. But it's surely coming.........

Re: Painful cat with mouth ulcer/plaque

James Allsop — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 14:38:49 GMT

I'd agree with some of the others that without funds you might as well try some steroids for the suspected EGC/ulcerative stomatitis or Squamous cell carcinoma paliation.

Just had a thought about this new varient calici thats supposed to be lurking in the background. Viral swabs for herpes and calici are difficult to culture (PCR more reliable) and oftengive flase negatives, so depending on how your lab tested this is possible. From what little i know about this condition and not having seen a case personally it seems to be very nasty and can cause painful joints, mouth and skin lesions etc - its also supposed to be very contagious and vaccines dont seem to be protective.

Re: Painful cat with mouth ulcer/plaque

David Mills — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 13:07:19 GMT

As Michael says, steroids. Stop meloxicam for 48h first (sounds like it's doing nothing anyway). Brave: depo. Not so brave: dexameth SA or LA. If the pain is inflammatory steroids will work incredibly well as analgesia.

Re: Painful cat with mouth ulcer/plaque

Alice Courtney — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 12:25:41 GMT

Thanks all for your thoughts. The cat is 8y old and is currently on oral buprenorphine & meloxicam. I did mention to the owner the 'last ditch' trial of steroid, but the cat's already on meloxicam and obviously I have no idea whether the steroid will work...

The cat didn't have a biopsy in the end, the owner didn't want to pursue that.

I guess then the consensus is for the time being see if we can control the pain...

Re: Painful cat with mouth ulcer/plaque

Michael Woodhouse — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 12:22:33 GMT

Depomedrone is your friend. If it's a SCC it will give some relief and you weren't going to cure it anyway. If it's eosinophilic the treatment is steroids. They make cats feel better and eat. For gods sake give it a jab and see.

I have found they improve arthritic cats quite nicely too. Don't be frightened. Steroids are your friend.

Re: Painful cat with mouth ulcer/plaque

Martin Atkinson — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 10:02:16 GMT

You've not stated the age of this cat (presume old) or the results of the biopsy - was this actually performed, you say you 'think' they may be eosinophilic plaques. I would be concerned that the oral lesions may be a squamous cell carcinoma, some cases of SCC present with very superficial lesions but which are much deeper and destructive, biopsy is obviously imperative and x-rays of the region may help although I appreciate that will be more expense and challenging. Sounds like your other problems are more likely to be due to the spinal lesion you have observed which can be very painful. If NSAIDs/buprenorphine dont help I suppose you could try something like tramadol.

Re: Painful cat with mouth ulcer/plaque

bob lehner — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 09:40:28 GMT

A stab in the dark - obese, grumpy cat, sensitive to touch and reluctant to move - consider pansteatitis.

(Off course, far more commonly, cats sensitive around the back end have just had a bite).

Re: Painful cat with mouth ulcer/plaque

Dagmar Steele — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 09:32:29 GMT

the felted fur on the back is likely due to the fact that this cat doesn't groom any more because it is so painful in the mouth. As a result many of these get really twitchy at the back and the OA adds to the pain.

As far as I know leucocytes on dipsticks or not of any diagnostic value in cats and dogs, but I may stand corrected.

If there is no chance for further diagnostics like a biopsy to rule out carcinoma I would change pain medication to oral buprenorphine.

Before putting her to sleep I also would try steroids - but this is being frowned at by the experts.