Expert: Jessica - 8/13/2009

Question
My cat is about 3 years old, neutered male, part Maine coon. a day or two ago i noticed that he was opening and closing his mouth like he was reluctant to close it because it hurt or something. so i tried to open his mouth and look to see if anything was wrong but i couldn't see anything. maybe i overlooked something. well i didn't want to take him immediately to the vet (though I'm planning on it tomorrow now) so i kept a watch on him and things just started to get worse. today it has gotten worse. now his mouth is emitting quite a foul odor and he is either drooling liquid or its oozing. but the liquid is a very very pale yellow. i tried to open  his mouth again and notices a small circle on his tongue where all the barbs were missing, simply gone. also the bottom left side of his gums, just a very small section, is bleeding. Please help, i really would like my kitty to be comfortable.        -Elisa

Answer
Hi Elisa.  I'm glad you're getting your kitty to the vet.  In cats, mouth ulcers like this are often caused by a virus called calici.  Unfortunately, there's no cure for the virus, and symptoms must pass their own, usually in about 10 days' time.  The cat generally goes on to become a permanent carrier, and the virus may reactivate from time to time.

However, you should still get him to the vet, because when there is a foul smell that comes along with the ulcers, it indicates that there may be a bacterial infection present in the mouth as a result of the sores, and an antibiotic must be given to address that.  This should help him feel a lot better.  There is also a medication called sucralfate which is labeled to help heal gastric ulcers.  Some vets feel that it works well to treat ulcers on the tongue and especially down the throat, as well, so this may be beneficial in your kitty's case.

Also, while calici is a common cause of ulcers in the mouth, there are other reasons why your cat might have these sores.  One is a condition called lymphocytic plasmacytic stomatitis (LPS).  This is a condition that still isn't well understood, but many now believe it's an over-reaction of the immune system to plaque in the mouth, which is made up of food particles and bacteria that stick to teeth, or perhaps to the dentin in the teeth themselves.  Cats with LPS usually present with bleeding gums and bad breath, and when the disease is advanced, lesions and infection may have spread to other areas including the tongue or roof of the mouth.  While antibiotics and/or steroids can sometimes help to alleviate pain and infection for a short time, because the cat’s root problem appears to be related to plaque and teeth themselves, removal of all the cat’s teeth is the only cure for this disease at present.  However, as someone who’s had lots of LPS sufferers, I can tell you it is 100% worth it to just go ahead and have every problem tooth removed instead of delaying or trying to save some of the teeth.  I even went so far as to have a veterinary dental professor work on one of my kitties with all the latest techniques, and he ended up much happier once all his teeth were just removed (just one year after his fancy procedure, as a matter of fact).

Finally, there are problems outside the mouth that can cause oral ulcers.  The viruses feline leukemia and feline AIDS make cats much more susceptible to bacterial mouth infections, so if you’re not sure of your kitty’s status with these two infections, you should have him tested.  Most vets can give you results in 10 minutes.  It’s also possible for advanced kidney failure and sometimes liver failure to cause ulcers in the mouth.  You would probably notice weight loss with these diseases, as well, but if the vet feels there is a reason, you may wish to go ahead and have some blood tests run to check these organ functions.

I hope all turns out well!

Jessica