Nutro Cat Food Recall
If you feed your cat food from Nutro, please have a look at their website for information about a recall. Japan is listed as one of the affected countries.
Opinions on Gingivitis/Stomatitis in Cats
Here is a conversation culled from the Angels with Fur Japan mailing list pertaining to gingivitis and stomatitis in cats. I thought I would post it on our website as I felt that it might help pet owners who are facing a difficult decision about the treatment of these diseases. As always, please consult your veterinarian for professional advice when your pet has a medical condition.
Question 1
About two weeks ago, my male 9 year old cat was almost definitely diagnosed with chronic gingivitis/stomatitis, a condition that is treatable with corticosteroids shots and antibiotics. According to my vet, it is not curable and no one really knows why some cats are more susceptible than others. It seems genetics/heredity might even play a role. We’ve ruled out FELV (feline leukemia) and FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus).
I intuitively know it is a bad idea to give bi-weekly injections of corticosteroids and keep my cat on antibiotics indefinitely but the redness in his mouth — towards the back where the tonsils are — is pretty painful, I think, especially when he yawns. I’ve heard of giving supplements of COQ-10 enzyme and buffered (vitamin) C to keep the immune system highly functional but I’m not sure of the exacts dosages. Has anyone here tried this regime? I’d appreciate any and all info before I start researching.
Will be grateful for any info from list members on the subject of chronic gingivitis/stomatitis in cats.
Answer 1
I can’t answer your question because I don’t have cats, but maybe I can help you find some answers. When my dog was diagnosed with a liver problem I was already a member of a Yahoo group called K9 nutrition. I posted on that group about my problem and people there directed me to two other Yahoo groups specifically related to canine liver problems. I am sure there are some feline health groups and you probably will find someone who has a cat with similar problem.
Also, thanks to the liver group people, I was told about various supplements and dosages. Of course none of those supplements are available here and I was directed to Dr. Jeff at Homevet in the US.
They have been fantastic about answering questions and shipping me what I need.
I hope this helps. Nothing worse than a sick pet!
Answer 2
Stomatitis can be horribly painful. It is an ulceration of the skin, and depending on where the lesions are located it can make eating very painful. They can be on the tongue, on the gums and anywhere on the side of the mouth. It is common to see it as a symptom in low immunity cats but there are many causes including viral. It is a typical reason why stray cats with plenty of access to food get thinner and thinner. You will also see some approach food and then back away, or cough or choke when trying to eat, or thinking about eating. Failure of a cat to clean itself well can be another indication of mouth ulcers.
Our dear Sumi has mouth ulcers (kuchi no kaiyo) and we take her in once a mouth for a steroid injection and everyday we give her peterna (powder you mix in food with water, made from cow colostrum, see http://www.peterna.com/index.htm) which we believe has added significantly to her well being, and some powdered meds from the vet (though not sure what is in that concoction). We are new to peterna this year. It has more than once now turned around our sick kittens and weak adults. It is more costly. Great stuff. We understand that the steroids will do long term organ damage but we have decided that the quality of life provided by once a month injections is worth the trade off
In the past for another cat we used pet tinic. Pet Tinic is a daily liquid supplement (iron, copper, vitamins). You drop it on food. I’m sure you can buy it online from any big supplier of supplements.
We read about full teeth removal (in the US) having some great benefit but decided against that.
Question 2
I appreciate your sharing the decision you made regarding Sumi’s everyday quality of life and use of steroids. I do not want to have my cat’s teeth pulled. Do they tend to pull all of them from what you understand — even the little front ones and the canines? Do vets in Japan shun the tooth-pulling option? If so, why?
My cat was in excellent health from 1999-2007 in Tokyo. He developed dental problems in April of this year — 6 months after we moved to California. He has already had two molars removed from the upper bridge. I started administering CO-Q10 in droplets yesterday and applying buffered C in powder form to his wet food. His sister also eats the wet food. Would buffered C be bad for her, since she is not affected with this condition?
I also wonder if stomatitis is related to stress. Had anyone heard about a relationship?
Answer 3
Didn’t realize you were in the US. That opens up a slew of opportunities! First of, check out the American Veterinary Dental College website. On the left they have a link to dentists in various areas. Maybe one is near or near enough to you. These are vets who have essentially gone on to specialize in veterinary dentistry.
Second, if you have time, go to the Pet Life Radio website and click on The Pet Doctor and listen to episode 41. It is an interview with a vet dentist about feline dental problems.
And last, here is a good overview from Pet Education on your cat’s condition.
As I understand it, and I am no expert, the cat’s tooth rots from within. In the case of human teeth our cavities start from the outside and go in. In cats, it goes from the inside out. That is why they recommend pulling. It relieves the pain.
Answer 4
My intuition would be that stress would aggravate stomatitis but not cause it. I think stress can be an aggravate for almost all cat illnesses. If there are already dental problems I would think that would be connected. My Japanese vet felt like removing all the teeth would take a lot of time, and would be costly, and he wasn’t sold on the benefits. We presented the idea to him based on US articles.
Answer 5
The day I read your post, one of our cats was in the clinic getting the procedure done (pulling out all his teeth.) There is no single tooth left in his mouth. I wanted to wait to see how he is doing before responding. He is doing great now and gaining weight.
Background:
This cat of ours was generally healthy until he started to have teeth problems. It started sometime 6-7 years ago and he is now 10 years old. Prior to developing teeth problems, he was having his teeth brushed almost everyday. His teeth problem started with red gums, which the vets said was due to his autoimmune problem. We lived in Hong Kong and U.S before with him and now Japan. All vets have said that, eventually, all his teeth needed to be pulled out. I asked of how he was going to eat then and they also said that he would be able to eat normally as their jaws are very strong. When I heard this, I couldn’t believe how this could be. (Now, our tooth-less cat eats normally and eats both wet/dry foods happily.) During those 7 years that he had problems with his teeth, he had to go in twice to get some teeth pulled and cleaned. He also was constantly treated with Prednisone and antibiotics. Between treatments, I also gave him golden seal, echinacea, colostrum, and probiotics. Golden seal seemed to help a lot with infection. I needed to give him probiotic later as his poops would be very soft as the tooth problem (I think) was giving him a digestive problem as well. Over the years, he slowly started to lose weight even though he was eating and taking Prednisone.
Some vets may be more aggressive in suggesting pulling all teeth out than others. Truly, from my experience, if I’d known that he would have more normal life, which was less painful, I’d have had pulled all his teeth out as soon as a vet suggested instead of subjecting him to all medications and digestion problems. However, please note that some cats do have an improved condition after having their teeth cleaned and removing a few bad teeth. And, a few may have their problems goes away completely. Prednisone has a lot of side effects but helps with his condition. His behavior changed with Prednisone as he became more aggressive and moody. He is now drug free, eating normally, enjoying his wet/dry/raw foods, gaining healthy weight, in a better mood, and no longer has wet poops.
Choosing Pet Health Insurance in Japan
There are quite a few companies that offer pet health insurance (ペット保険, petto hoken) these days, but it can be difficult to choose the right one. I recently read an article in a local magazine that recommended finding out about the following before signing up for any pet insurance plans.
1. What animals are covered?
2. How old must the animal be to start receiving coverage? Is there an age beyond which the animal is not eligible?
3. Will you receive a set amount (e.g. per day or per illness) or will the insurance cover the full amount of the treatment?
4. Are any limits placed on the amount that you can receive?
4. Is there a limit on the number of consecutive days an animal can receive treatment or be treated as an in-patient in a clinic?
5. Does the insurance cover cancer and operations?
6. Do you need to produce receipts or death certificates?
7. Are there any discounts based on having multiple pets, the age of the pet, or the owner having a disability?
Here is a good article about knowing what you are getting into when dealing with pet insurance.
I had a pet insurance plan when I lived in Canada, but I have not found a suitable one here in Japan yet. I did some research a few years back and couldn’t settle on one, but the pet boom has since exploded, so perhaps there are more options out there now. If anyone has any recommendations about pet insurance plans in Japan, please let us know in the comments!
Animal Wellness
Have you heard of Animal Wellness magazine? Their delivered subscription is quite expensive for overseas, around US$75 or so. However, their digital subscription is only US$14.95 for 6 issues (published bimonthly). You get the same magazine in digital format. Apparently, it is quite a good magazine if you are interested in holistic approaches, home prepared food, and what not.
Veterinarians in Osaka
Here is a recommendation for a veterinarian in Osaka.
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Fabre Doubutsu Iryou Center
Osaka-fu, Kadoma-shi, Minami Noguchi-machi 512-3
Tel: 072-887-2525
ファーブル動物医療センター
大阪府門真市南野口町512-3
Comment from Aw/F member:
It’s difficult to access without a car, but not impossible, depending on what kind of animal you’re bringing! The best thing is that they are open on weekends and holidays. All the doctors I met were very friendly, wonderful with the animals, and tried their best to communicate with me with my limited medical Japanese. One of the doctors works at ARK, so I think that’s a decent recommendation too.
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Any others to recommend in Osaka or other areas of Japan? Please list them in the comments or post to our mailing list.
Veterinarians in Nagoya
Here is a recommendation for a veterinarian in Nagoya.
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Morimura Animal Hospital
Aichi-ken, Nagoya-shi, Kita-ku, Kaneshiro 2-2-2
Tel: 052-982-2790
森村動物病院 = morimura doubutsu byouin
愛知県名古屋市北区金城2-2-2
Comment from Aw/F member:
He is really good at explaining things in English.
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Any others to recommend in Nagoya or other areas of Japan? Please list them in the comments or post to our mailing list.
Attitudes about Pets in Japan
Here is an article I found about how attitudes about pets have changed in Japan over the last few years resulting in a lot more pet-related spending.
Though figures are scarce, a study published last year showed that longevity for cats in Japan almost doubled between 1991 and 2003, from 5.1 years to 9.9 years. Dog longevity surged from 8.6 years to 11.9 years.
Read the full article: Aging pampered pets in Japan get acupuncture
Are Poinsettias Poisonous to Cats?
When I was out shopping this weekend, I noticed that poinsettia season has begun in stores in Japan. (Sales of Christmas-related things seem to start earlier and earlier every year. Hallowe’en hasn’t even happened yet!) That reminded me of a topic that was covered on the Angels with Fur mailing list in December 2003: Are poinsettias poisonous to cats?
While some of the members thought that they were, the consensus was that they are not necessarily toxic, but they can be “highly irritating to the gastrointestinal tract” (see: My Cat Ate a Poinsettia, Now What?). The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals supports this position, as you can see in the Toxicology Brief they published in the November 2000 issue of Veterinary Technician (p.630) entitled Tis the Season to Be Informed: Toxic Potential of Holiday Plants (pdf). In the brief, the ASPCA suggests that your cat may exhibit “gastrointestinal (GI) irritation, including hypersalivation, vomiting, and diarrhea” after ingesting a poinsettia, but that you may be able to reduce the seriousness of the symptoms by giving the cat water or milk.
If your cat eats poinsettia leaves, keep a close eye on her and perhaps try to feed her some milk or water. If you are worried about her condition, take her to your vet to be sure that she is okay.
(Angels with Fur is not associated with any veterinarians, so the advice presented in this post should not be taken as official medical advice for your pet. Please consult your veterinarian if you have any questions regarding the content of this site.)
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