Chronic gingivitis and stomatitis in cats, resulting in tooth loss and inflamed gums, may be caused by Bartonellathe bacteria that causes "cat scratch fever" in humans, after the bacterium is transmitted into the bloodstream by cat claws that have been licked by infected cats.
Cats can transmit Bartonella to other cats by scratching, biting, spitting, hissing, sneezing, or even eye-licking in connection with social grooming.
In addition to chronic mouth problems, Bartonella can cause bronchitis, pneumonia and conjunctivitis (eye infection) in cats. It also can cause these diseases in humans, plus chronic fatigue and serious lymphatic diseases (a sign of which is enlarged lymph nodes). Symptoms of Bartonella infection in humans can mimic mononucleosis and Lyme disease.
The treatment for Bartonella is Azithromycin, sold in the U.S. as Zithromax. The dosage for cats is 10 mg. per kilogram (two pounds) of weight. An average cat weighing five kilograms (10 pounds) would get 50 mg daily for ten days.
The standard dose for humans is 500 mg the first day and 250 mg for four days thereafter.
A blood test can confirm the diagnosis of Bartonella, but the test costs about $100 U.S.and if one cat among a group of cats housed together for very long is infected, they are probably all infected.
We have seen dramatic improvement in all of the cats we have treated with Azithroycin, not only in their mouths but also in their general health. --Kim Bartlett