annual Vet. exam, some not so good news

[DaBabaDoo]

I know some of you on this forum are cat peeps and I know everyone is supportive, so I just wanted to post this and let you all know what's up.  Maddy and Mirah went to the Vet last night for their annual exams and Madison is in great health, other than we'd all like to see her lose maybe 2 or 3 lbs.  Our kitty Mirah, however, through us for a bit of a loop:

Firstly, she has had a hair loss problem for quite some time now.  Initially we thought it was from fleas, we took her in off the streets so she came with fleas, worms, etc.  Well, quite a few months have passed since we fully eradicated the fleas, and still the hair was not growing back.  I thought maybe it was a nervous thing, but the vet looked at her again and he said he's still convinced it's an allergic reaction causing her to lick too much.  He said if it's not parasitic then it could be either food allergies or environmental.  We switched her onto a Rabbit-based formula diet and hopefully that will be the solution.  But if not, she will have to go back for more tests.

The bigger issue, though, is her teeth.  Mind you, she is only about 2-3 years old, and Dr. N. saw that her gums are severely inflamed with gingivitus.  A year ago he noticed one or two teeth that looked slightly ulcerated, and he gave us some recommendations at the time but basically said it was not really treatable, it's some sort of hereditary condition.  Well, in one year's time it has already reached a point where dental work is required, and teeth may need to be extracted.  I felt like it was all my fault but he assured me it was basically an unavoidable circumstance.  It's a genetic condition; just poor dumb luck.  He said diet would not help and at this point, trying to brush her teeth will only irritate her and be very unpleasant.  So, in January she will go in for a full dental exam, x-rays, and best case scenario a cleaning, but possibly dental work and pulled teeth.  The bright side, for now, is that he does not think she will lose any teeth that are important for eating with.  And she doesn't seem to be in too much pain or discomfort, since I haven't noticed any slack in her eating habits.  It just sucks that she is so young, and the condition will most likely continue to worsen over the years.

I am glad of one thing, here.  If she does have health issues, it makes me all the more thankful that she found her way into our lives, rather than ending up with a family that wouldn't or couldn't make sure she gets the care she needs.

[emmabull]

Thank goodness you have her and are giving her the very best care. Simon had gingivitis too. They put him under anesthesia and injected antibiotic into his gums. He only lost one tooth, but was already missing many teeth he should have. It really scared me too but he did great, his gums are so much better. Sending Mirah good thoughts . I hope the rabbit based food will cure the skin issues. I know antibiotic has really helped Simon when he has a flair up with his skin.   

[brumzoo]

I am sorry Mirah is having teeth and gum problems but am so happy y'all have her! Hugs to you and kisses to your babies!