Re: sores in the mouth

[PEC2851]

Terri, From what I've read about these poor babies & their mouth problems, it sounds that it could possibly be calici virus, which is quite common in kittens w/ compromised immune systems.  The calici virus has been linked to a reaction from vaccinations, and Felv+/FIV+ kittens are most prone to develop the virus. How many vaccines have they rec'd., and when was most recent?  Have you discussed this possibility w/ your vet? Sadly, most allopathic vets will just treat it as a type of "gingivitis" & then prescribe prednisone or prednisolone which I find to be very frustrating, because it seems allopathic vets "overprescribe" pred as the magic cure all or fix it for anything they don't have a specific treatment plan for........ Another thing about the calici virus is that it is very painful and highly contagious, therefore it would not surprise me if that is what the diagnosis would be. There are many excellent homeopathic/holistic treatments for dealing w/ any type of mouth sores. (Those that are familiar w/ me know that I have a wonderful allopathic vet that works well w/ my holistic vet)   Astragalus, a Chinese herb is available in many forms & strengths. It is considered a "tonic" because of it's ability to nourish the blood, it is used widely for chronic immune deficencies, frequent infections and overall weakness.   One of the BEST treatments is Anitra Frazier's "Healthy Mouth Formula",which is published in her book,"The New Natural Cat", is as follows: "Mix together 1/4 cup spring or distilled water. 1/8 tspn. salt, 3 drops tincture of myrhh & apply liberally to the gums once a day w/ a cotton swab." Myrrh is a medicinal herb that has great soothing & healing properties and when used orally will greatly reduce the redness & swelling, as well as soothe the pain. This is the treatment we used most frequently at the shelter for just about any oral irritation/infection, gingivitis, calici, stomatitis and even abscesses.   There are two other medicinal herbs that can be used either separately or in a combination formula. They are Echinacea & Goldenseal. Echinacea is an antiseptic antifungal herb and can be used either as a tincture/extract or tea. It is a fever reducer, blood purifier & frequently used for abscesses. Goldenseal used in the tea form is natural antibiotic & antiseptic, a well known tonic for soothing all mucous membranes. It is a natural anti-inflammatory, and a well known fungicide in the holistic field of veterinary medicine. Holistic medicine uses it as an alternative to corticosteroids, as in, "Say no to prednisone."(My  own personal view) Both Goldenseal & Echinacea, used in the tincture forms are excellent natural treatments for ringworm. As I stated before, they can be used separately, or in a common combination. These two herbs are perhaps the ones we have used the most at the shelter.   Another herb, Slippery Elm, a food herb, is most commonly used as an anti-inflammatory for the digestive tract, with symptoms of vomiting, ulcers and most commonly for diarrhea.(An excellent alternative to meds such as metronidazole.) It's most commonly used in the syrup formula, but the powdered form can be "sprinkled" right in to the cat's food. We have had excellent results with this herb and do use it as an oral anti-inflammatory also. Supposedly, it has a pleasant taste to cats.....   Terri, there are many "natural" treatments available to help these poor babies with their mouth sores. Most importantly, first, I would get a defnitive diagnosis as to exactly what the "sores" are. And since they are so young, and being Felv+, having already highly compromised immune systems, I would AVOID using any drug like prednisone on them, since it is my own personal opinion that pred just "masks" the actual cause & therefore symptoms of whatever issue being dealt with seem to just disappear.....(As you can probably tell, I am NOT AT ALL FOND OF THE USE OF PREDNISONE, especially when there are NATURAL plant forms of steroids available.......) I wish you the best of luck with your little ones.... You have already suffered the loss of your other little ones. This is only my own, personal view on the subject, but when they are so young & frail, I always put my faith in holistic medicine & the power of prayers. I sincerely wish you and your little ones the best of luck, and will keep you all in my thoughts & prayers. Hugs, Patti