A cat owner always strives to provide their pet with the best and to take proper care of its health and mental well-being. To achieve this, regular visits to the veterinarian and monitoring its condition are essential. However, sometimes unpleasant conditions or diseases that are common in cats occur, which are hard to avoid. One of them is undoubtedly plasmacytosis, which is a kind of gingivitis in cats.
It is a chronic, recurrent, and quite troublesome disease, both for the cat and its caretaker. At the same time, the affected animal experiences significant pain and discomfort. It is estimated that about 2% to 4% of cats suffer from it. According to studies conducted, it most often affects cats that have previously been neutered. This disease mainly affects adult cats that have reached the age of 3.
Plasmacytic gingivitis in cats manifests itself as a rapid increase in the number of plasma cells in the cat’s body. The cause of its occurrence is inadequate oral hygiene of the cat. The symptoms of this disease are quite characteristic, leading to severe swelling of the cat’s mucous membranes, which begin to resemble the appearance of raspberries. Upon touching them, bleeding occurs. Additionally, the cat drools excessively, and an unpleasant odor emanates from its mouth. At the same time, there may be a loss of appetite and the spitting out of food that the cat took into its mouth. Furthermore, noticeable changes in the cat’s behavior will be observed – it will likely not want to be around family members and will seek solitary refuge. Therefore, if you notice any of the above symptoms, do not wait; take your cat to a specialist immediately. The veterinarian will conduct all necessary tests and will provide a definitive diagnosis based on which treatment can begin. Treatment of this disease usually involves administering appropriate antibiotics along with painkillers and antibacterial medications. It generally lasts several weeks.
It is important to remember that proper care of our cat’s oral hygiene will eliminate this disease. Therefore, it is essential to continuously brush the cat’s teeth and remove any accumulated tartar. It is also advisable to use appropriate dental products and to enrich the cat’s diet with specialized dental food.
Plasmacytic gingivitis in cats is an extremely burdensome disease that primarily causes tremendous pain to the animal. If we notice the symptoms described above, we should not delay a visit to the veterinarian, who, after conducting the necessary tests and making a diagnosis, will be able to take appropriate measures immediately. It is also worth remembering the golden rule that it is better to prevent than to treat. Therefore, we should take care of our pet’s oral hygiene properly, which will help eliminate the possibility of this problem arising.