Hi there.  I have a question about my sick cat.  I'm
hoping someone can tell me of their experiences.

My 2 year old Siamese mix has inflamed gums, full-blown
gingivitis, pain on eating, halitosis and a very
sensitive mouth generally.  She's tested negatively
several times for leukemia and FIV.  Her vet has
treated her with antibiotics and steroids, which helped
for a while but now the gingivitis and bad breath are
back.  The next steps appear to be a thorough cleaning
and polishing and if that doesn't work, extraction of
some or all of the teeth or alternatively, continued
steroid use.

The cleaning is ok but the extraction seems extreme and
I'd like to avoid it if possible.  Alice has already
lost her claws (to whoever dumped her) and needs her
teeth.  And the steroids make her bloat and can or will
affect her organs.

Has anyone had any experience with such a disease?   Is
there something else that we might try to keep her
intact?

Thanks in advance.

DL Farnworth