C O L D R I V E R V E T E R I N A R Y C E N T E R
Diseases of modern living: gingivitis in cats
CONCEPTS OF NUTRITIONAL MEDICINE
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Gingivitis
Diseases of the oral cavity would not be expected in young,
immunocompetent cats and dogs. In today's veterinary practice it is not
uncommon to see red, inflamed oral mucous membranes (gingivitis) in
cats as young as three years of age. What's wrong with modern pet health
care? More importantly, what can we do to prevent this disease?
What is wrong with modern health care?
We see several factors that predispose cats to gingivitis: processed food; sugars and refined carbohydrates; immune dysfunction and allergies. Tooth malocclusion, persistent viral infection, and acidifying diets also play a role in dental disease.
By far the most common cause of unhealthy gums is poor nutrition. Most domestic cats are not fed fresh, raw ingredients. Instead, commercial pet foods contain too much salt, too much saturated fat, too much wheat and cornmeal, too little effective fiber, and are certainly not fresh. Access to fresh foods, especially vegetables, is sorely needed by most house cats.
Second, domestic cats receive an excessive number and frequency of vaccinations. The vaccines themselves are a modern disease challenge that cats and dogs have only been exposed to in the past 40 years. Are vaccine agents so benign that they can be administered as a group of three or more viral agents on the same day (a large antigenic load by any measure) every year with no ill effects? Or is the experience of most holistic veterinarians true that the more vaccinations given to a pet, the less likely they are to be healthy?
Prevention
You can prevent inflammatory dental disease and tooth extraction in cats. Start by adding fresh pureed or finely chopped vegetables to your cat's diet. Good choices include asparagus, avocado, carrot, cilantro, broccoli, dill, spinach, wheat grass, yam and zucchini. A simple home diet for cats consists of 50% chopped meat, fish, poultry, dairy, nuts, seeds or legumes and 50% vegetables. Add 1/2 teaspoon raw oil daily (olive, safflower, sunflower, walnut, sesame, primrose, fish oil, etc.), and 1/2 teaspoon oat bran, wheat bran, psyllium, flax seed, sesame seed, etc. for fiber. The teeth can be cleaned by offering a fresh or frozen chicken wing or chicken neck. The keys to a good home diet are to use fresh, whole ingredients in wide variety. Vegetables and fruits provide bioflavanoids, vitamin C, manganese, zinc, boron, and organic silica to keep collagen, teeth, bone and connective tissues healthy.
Finally, ask your veterinarian about new guidelines on vaccinating cats and dogs. Avoid redundant vaccinations, and seek natural ways to support a healthy immune system. Annual check ups are an opportunity to have the teeth examined, scaled and polished if necessary.
William K. Kruesi, D.V.M. /2002