tories and anti-biotics, and did better for 2 more weeks. It became a cycle. For months, we went back in forth on meds that temporarily helped him, and we still did not have a diagnosis. Things got worse. His weight dropped from 16 lbs to 8lbs. His coat lost its luster. He was uninterested in food, eating only cream of chicken soup, and getting to the point where he wouldn't even eat that. He began making the noise when he wasn't even eating. I would set food down in front of him, and he would run away and hide under the bed (VERY out of character) like he was afraid of it. I was desperate. I love my vets, and they were both doing everything the could for him, but it wasn't enough. I took him to a vet that specializes in cats. She was God-sent. She ran several tests, and a year after his symptoms began, he was diagnosed with Plasmacytic Lymphocytic Stomatitis. What a horrible name. This was the monster that was ravaging my precious baby. This was what had been taking away his appetite by making eating a painful process. It is an auto-immune disease in which, essentially, his body can't fight off the bacteria in his mouth. It proliferates so rapidly that gingivitis and ulcers take over his poor mouth. His teeth were so sensitive from the damage that it hurt him to chew initially. As it progressed, even the soft foods I was feeding him hurt him just by touching his teeth. This is why he was gagging. He was hurting. I was so fearful that I had not paid adequate attention to his dental care. I had read articles and things, but what cat is going to let you brush its teeth? My regular vet had been after me for some time to let them professionally clean them. Money wasn't a factor, but I hated to sedate a cat his age to do that. So I didn't. My new vet assured me that this had nothing to do with the disease. It is auto-immune in nature so it is unknown why it occurs, but it is a problem within his own immune system, and not any external factors. Although his lack of dental hygiene aggravated his condition, it did not cause it. She told me that more often than not, these cats have to have their teeth removed eventually because the nerves become so exposed that nothing eases their symptoms. It broke my heart to think about that, so I pushed it in the back of my mind, thinking that would be farther in the future if it had to happen, and there was a chance that maybe it wouldn't go that far. She had him feeling so much better! She cleaned his teeth thoroughly. He put his weight back on (now up to 14lbs) by eating prescription canned food and baby food (strained chicken and beef). I began giving him colloidal silver to boost his immune system, and he was taking antibiotics only as needed. He will have to receive a Depo Medrol (anti-inflammatory) injection every 8 weeks for the rest of his life. As the injection begins to wear off, a couple of weeks before the next one, he sometimes has to take Prednisone. He did very well for about 4 months, and started gagging again, and having trouble eating even baby food mixed with broth. It was a total shock to me that it had progressed so rapidly. Even though we were treating the effects of it, the actual cause, the horrible disease in his system, was still running its course. Only 4 months after his diagnosis was actually known, we were looking at the reality of having to pull his teeth. The cleaning of his teeth that she had done only lasted 2 months. They were cleaned again, and this time it only lasted 2 weeks. On Labor Day weekend 2000, my baby's teeth were extracted...
all of them. We had hoped that we would only have to pull his molars and premolars, but this was not the case. My vet said when she went in there his poor little teeth were in such bad shape, she had to take them all. It was very heart-breaking. But now, 2 weeks after he has had his teeth pulled, he is acting so much more like himself. His coat shines again. He is more loving and affectionate. He is more interested in interacting with his "brothers". He has still been eating baby food, prescription canned food, and Fancy Feast, alternately. For the last 3 nights, I have caught him nibbling on some kibbles. I am so proud of him. I am still disturbed that this illness has robbed him of his teeth, but I am so thankful that he is feeling better and that things are not any worse. He will continue to have Depo-Medrol injections every eight weeks for the rest of his life. He will continue to have anti-biotic intervention as needed. I will continue to mix colloidal silver with his food to boost his immune system. The disease is still there, but by removing his teeth, we have also removed the primary problem it was giving him. He is acting like himself again, and I am so thankful to have my baby back!