• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Our website uses cookies. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our use of cookies. To see what cookies we serve and set your own preferences, please review our Cookie Policy. Learn More.

The Dog People by Rover.com

Powered by Rover.com

Tips, stories, and reviews for people who love dogs, powered by Rover.com, the world's largest network of 5-star pet sitters and dog walkers.

  • The Dog People by Rover.com
  • Dog Breeds
    • Golden Retriever
    • Australian Shepherd
    • German Shepherd
    • Pomeranian
    • Shih Tzu
    • Border Collie
    • Labrador Retriever
    • Boxer
    • Beagle
    • Dachshund
    • Chihuahua
    • Poodle
    • Yorkshire Terrier
  • Dog Love
    • Cute
    • Funny
    • Heartwarming
    • Quizzes
    • Trending
    • True Stories
  • Dog Names
    • Best Girl Dog Names
    • Top Boy Dog Names
    • Unique Dog Names
    • Cute Dog Names
    • Best Puppy Names
    • Dog Name Generator
    • Tough Dog Names
    • Food Dog Names
    • Romantic Dog Names
    • Literary Dog Names
    • Country Dog Names
  • Dog Videos
  • Life with Dogs
    • Dog Safety
    • Dog Behavior
    • Dog Psychology
    • Dog Nutrition
    • Dog Training
    • Health and Wellness
    • Recipes
    • Can My Dog Eat…?
  • PuppyHQ
    • Dog Adoption
    • Puppy Essentials
    • Puppy Names
    • Puppy Training
  • Shopping
    • Shop Rover Goods
    • All Dog Product Guides
    • Dog Gift Guides
    • Safety and Training
    • Toys and Chews
  • Cats!
    • Cat Breeds
    • Cat Names
    • Cat Psychology
  • Dog Training
  • Get Rover
    • Dog Boarding
    • Pet Sitting
    • Dog Walking
    • Doggy Day Care
    • House Sitting
    • Search Pet Sitters & Dog Walkers
    • Shop Rover Goods
    • Sitter Resources
  • Languages
    • en-CA
    • en-GB
    • fr-FR
    • es-ES
    • de-DE
    • it-IT
    • nl-NL
    • nb-NO
    • sv-SE
    • fr-CA

Everything You Need To Know About Cat Mouth Sores

Share0Pin It0
Calico cat sits on bed with mouth open licking paw
krblokhin via iStock

Everything You Need To Know About Cat Mouth Sores

Updated March 18, 2023 | Caring for Your Cat
By Victoria Arnold

Share0Tweet0Pin It0

Table of Contents

  1. How to Know When Your Cat Has Mouth Sores
  2. What Causes Cat Mouth Sores?
  3. Diagnosing Cat Mouth Sores
  4. How to Treat Cat Mouth Sores
  5. How to Know When Treatment Hasn’t Worked
  • Not a substitute for professional veterinary help.

Sores in your cat’s mouth, especially along their gums, are most likely caused by a condition called feline chronic gingivostomatitis (FCGS), also known as feline stomatitis. These sores may also appear in the back of their mouth and inside their cheeks.

“Feline stomatitis is a cat’s overactive immune response to tartar or plaque that causes inflammation of the gum tissue in the mouth,” says Meaghan Thomas, DVM, veterinarian at East Ridge Animal Hospital. This condition is serious, but it’s fairly uncommon. Only about 3% of all cat oral health concerns relate to feline stomatitis.

Dr. Thomas adds that this condition is difficult to treat and diagnose because it can have many different causes. Without a proper diagnosis of the specific cause, FCGS will likely keep coming back. “Finding the underlying problem is key in treatment,” Dr. Thomas emphasizes.

Taking your cat to the vet as soon as you notice the signs of mouth sores can help them get the care they need.

How to Know When Your Cat Has Mouth Sores

If your cat has mouth sores, you can often see them clearly when they open their mouth. But certain changes in their behavior may also point to mouth sores.

You can often recognize cat mouth sores and ulcers by the following signs:

  • A bright red color
  • Bleeding in the area
  • Patches that resemble cobblestones in your cat’s mouth, especially along their gums, cheeks, tongue, back of their mouth, or around their teeth
Vet examines cat's mouth

Murilo Gualda via iStock

You may also notice your cat:

  • Paws at their mouth
  • Drools (often with blood-tinged saliva)
  • Has swollen gums or lymph nodes
  • Has bad breath

How to tell if your cat has mouth ulcers through their behavior

Because these sores are very painful, they can make it difficult for your cat to eat. They can also change your cat’s vocalizations—the way they make sounds, in other words.

Paying attention to these changes in your cat’s behavior could help you recognize mouth sores:

  • Crying out when opening their mouths or eating
  • Approaching their food bowl and running away
  • Decreased grooming
  • Depression, which may show up as increased hiding or withdrawal
  • Dropping food from their mouth
  • Weight loss
  • Hissing or other signs of aggression if you try to touch their mouth

Types of cat mouth sores

Cats can have two different types of FCGS. Both cause mouth ulcers, though these sores may develop in different areas of the mouth.

  • Type 1: This type, often called simply “feline stomatitis,” begins with inflammation around the gums and the tissues surrounding the teeth. You may notice sores on your cat’s inner lips and cheeks. This type is generally easier to treat.
  • Type 2: This type, also called “caudal stomatitis,” can be more challenging to treat. It involves sores that develop at the fauces. This is the back of the mouth where your cat’s upper and lower jaws come together.

What Causes Cat Mouth Sores?

Experts have yet to determine exactly what causes cat mouth sores.

According to current theories, this condition may develop when your cat’s immune system overreacts to bacteria in dental plaque or common bacteria and viruses, such as:

  • Bartonella
  • Calicivirus
  • Herpesvirus
  • Feline leukemia virus (FeLV)
  • Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)

Diagnosing Cat Mouth Sores

Diagnosing inflammatory conditions like FCGS is often challenging, in part because the signs and symptoms may match up with other health conditions.

Before your vet can diagnose this condition, they’ll likely try to rule out other oral health issues. According to Dr. Thomas, other possible causes of sores in your cat’s mouth include:

  • Caustic stomatitis
  • Uremic stomatitis
  • Gum infection
  • Other dental problems like root fragments
  • Mouth cancer
  • Feline viruses like FeLV and FIV

What to expect from your vet

Your vet will likely use some or all of these tests to help diagnose your cat’s mouth sores:

  • Complete baseline blood panel: A blood test can’t diagnose FCGS, but it can rule out other diseases.
  • Physical exam: If your cat is in pain, your vet will give them an anesthetic to avoid distressing them further with the exam.
  • Testing for other feline viruses: Your vet will want to rule out conditions like FeLV and FIV.
  • Dental x-rays: These can help identify signs of periodontal disease, tooth root resorption, or retained root remnants—any of which can also cause oral inflammation.
  • Biopsy of the affected tissue: A biopsy can help rule out oral cancer or an infection in the area.

How to Treat Cat Mouth Sores

In many cases, FCGS can improve with treatment, but it’s a complex disease. It won’t go away on its own, and it doesn’t have one specific treatment.

Finding an effective treatment approach may take some trial and error, since the cause of the sores may not always be clear.

Your vet may recommend a combination of treatment options, and your cat will likely need ongoing treatment to manage pain and inflammation.

Brushing a cat's teeth

LittleCityLifestylePhotography via iStock

Dental surgery

FCGS is a painful and uncomfortable condition.

For many cats with FCGS, removing most or all of their molar and premolar teeth, along with the inflamed tissue, can offer relief from their pain. In some cases, your vet may recommend a complete dental extraction.

In one older study involving 30 cats, 24 of them (80%) showed significant improvement within a year or two after the dental extraction. For some of the cats, extraction cured the condition.

Medication

Your vet may also prescribe medication to treat your cat’s mouth sores, though the specific drug they prescribe will depend on the underlying cause and the severity of your cat’s symptoms.

They may suggest:

  • Medications to relieve your cat’s pain
  • Short-term antibiotics to manage infections causing the mouth sores
  • Steroids like prednisone to control inflammation (though these become less effective over time)
  • Immunosuppressive medications to help manage your cat’s immune system response
  • Cyclosporine to reduce inflammation

Generally speaking, the most effective treatment involves recognizing FCGS early on and having dental extractions done before the condition gets worse. After the extraction, your vet may prescribe steroids.

Regular dental care can also play an important role in both helping prevent this condition and keeping it from getting worse. You can be proactive with your cat’s dental care by brushing their teeth and offering dental treats.

How to Know When Treatment Hasn’t Worked

Your vet will always work hard to find an effective treatment and give your cat the best outcome possible. Still, they may not always find it possible to cure FCGS.

Because this condition can cause a lot of pain, it can have a major impact on your cat’s quality of life. If they struggle to eat and experience constant pain, your vet may explain that euthanasia is the only real treatment.

As a pet parent, making the decision to say goodbye to your beloved pet is extremely difficult, to say the very least. But sometimes, it’s the only way to relieve their distress. Your vet can always offer more guidance with considering your cat’s quality of life and deciding when euthanasia may be the right step.

Share0Tweet0Pin It0
Article Sources
Trust and integrity are foundational to our editorial process at Rover.com. Our editorial team prioritizes primary sources, including peer-reviewed studies and industry experts, to provide factual, accurate, and high-quality information to our readers.
  • Bajwa, J. (2019). Feline indolent ulcers and their significance. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6697023
  • Cyclosporin medication information. (2018). https://uwveterinarycare.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Cyclosporin-2018.pdf
  • Davis, S. (2022). Feline chronic gingivostomatitis: An update. https://todaysveterinarynurse.com/dentistry/feline-chronic-gingivostomatitis-an-update
  • Hennet, P. (1997). Chronic gingivo-stomatitis in cats: Long-term follow-up of 30 cases treated by dental extractions. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/089875649701400103
  • Lee, D.B., et al. (2020). An update on feline chronic gingivostomatitis. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7194110
  • Little, S. (2009). Inflammatory disease in cats: The oral cavity and bladder as targets. https://www.vin.com/apputil/content/defaultadv1.aspx?pId=11294&meta=generic&catId=33440&id=4101300&ind=24&objTypeID=17
  • O'Hara, K. (n.d.). Feline stomatitis. https://www.mspca.org/angell_services/feline-stomatitis
  • Reiter, A.M. (2022). Oral inflammatory and ulcerative disease in small animals. https://www.msdvetmanual.com/digestive-system/diseases-of-the-mouth-in-small-animals/oral-inflammatory-and-ulcerative-disease-in-small-animals#v3265997
  • Thomas, M. (2023). Personal interview.

sidebar

Avatar photo
By Victoria Arnold

Share This Article

Share0Tweet0Pin It0

Popular Posts

  • 3 Frozen Dog Treats You Can Make in Less Than an Hour [Recipe]
  • 5 Reasons Dogs Lick and Chew Their Paws — And How to Help
  • The ‘Catluminati’ Magically Makes Friends With Every Cat He Meets
  • Ice Licks Keep Your Dog Cool and Happy All Summer Long [Recipe]
  • What to Do if Your Dog Is Stung by a Bee
  • What You Need to Know to Prevent Heatstroke in Dogs
  • Two-Ingredient Watermelon Ice Cream Is an Easy Summer Treat for Your Dog [Recipe]
  • 4 Blended Summer Slushies to Share With Your Dog [Recipe]
  • Peggy the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and Molly the Magpie Make the Cutest, Unlikely BFFs
  • Esther the Wonder Pig and Her Dog Brother Phil Are Besties for Life
Advertisement
Advertisement
More from The Dog People
white cat scratching

Meals That Heal—the 10 Best Food for Cats With Allergies

closeup of chubby kitty; cat foods for weight loss can help

The 13 Best Cat Foods for Weight Loss and Kitty Fitness

kitten eating formula

The 6 Best Kitten Formulas for When You Really Have to Be a “Cat Mom”

Learn More

  • About Rover.com
  • Download the App
  • Rover Store
  • Sitter Resources
  • In The Press
  • Terms of Service
  • Affiliate Disclosure
  • User Terms
  • Privacy Statement
  • Cookie Policy

Need Help?

  • Help Center
  • Join the Team
Your privacy choices
© 2023 Rover.com. All Rights Reserved.
"Mmmm... cookies!"

While slightly less delicious than physical cookies, digital cookies help us enhance and personalize your ads and experience, analyze website traffic, and more.