Stomatitis

Gingivostomatitis, often referred to as just stomatitis, is a severe and painful inflammation in the mouth and gums. In many cases affected cats will develop ulcers in the mouth, on the lips, tongue, gums, and even the back of the throat. Cats of any age and any breed can develop stomatitis.

According to Catster,
“Although the exact cause of stomatitis in cats is still unknown, veterinarians generally agree that feline stomatitis is an autoimmune disorder. This means that the cat’s immune system is inappropriately mounting a response against plaque on the teeth. To support this theory, many cats with stomatitis are also infected with certain bacteria or viruses like bartonellosis, calicivirus, feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and herpesvirus. Some veterinarians believe that dental disease may also cause stomatitis in cats.”

Disease Information Sites

Stomatitis in Cats is a fairly comprehensive website devoted entirely to the treatment of cats with stomatitis.

Support Groups

The Stomatitis in Cats site has a group forum, however it looks like the most recent post was in 2018, so this forum may not still be active. Their archive is publicly available though, so you can read previous posts.

There is a Feline Stomatitis/Calicivirus Facebook group, but I am not sure how active this group is.

Cats with Multiple Medical Conditions on Facebook or Cat Health and Behavior on groups.io are possibly your best choices for receiving support.

If you’re in a giving mood…

One local rescue group I am particularly fond of is Tucson CARES (Companion Animal Rescue Education and Support)

Tucson CARES provides lifesaving surgery for many cats suffering from stomatitis. Some of their work involves helping low-income cat owners to afford surgery and medications. But the bulk of their work involves rescuing cats with stomatitis (or other medical conditions) from the county shelter for treatment, recovery, and eventual adoption. And if that is not enough, they also do extensive work in managing community cats and feral cats with stomatitis.

If you are interested in donating, and are able to, please consider giving to Tucson CARES. You can donate directly through their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TucsonCARES/.