Expert: Charlotte Sherrell, DVM - 9/29/2008

Question
My 16 year old cat has gingivitis. He has trouble eating. I feed him canned cat food. It is quite painful. He sees a vet for a shot which begins with "depo...."--not sure. He is due this week again. But he is hurting and not eating. Will it cause extra pain if I were to gently massage his gums or will he scream.How can I get him to eat besides licking the gel or gravy off his food?? Can I give him Etodolac or baby aspirin for pain? What CAN I give him for pain???  He means the world to me and we have a love and a bonding with each other. I don't want to lose him, ever.

Answer
Trish -

Have your veterinarian prescribe pain meds for your kitty.  You may also want to consider having her teeth pulled  - talk it over with your vet to determine if that is an appropriate treatment.  Your vet should also be able to refer you to a veterinary dentist that can manage her painful teeth and gums.

Best Regards,

Charlotte Sherrell, DVM