Chiquitita
Sing a new- song... | 
 | | Purred: Sat Jan 12, '13 11:51pm PST |  | |  | | So sorry you are going through this, and with a furbaby that is so young. We have never had to face this, but I found this article that may be of help and comfort- here is an extract from it and the web address is at the bottom.
How is LPGS treated?
The goal of treatment is to decrease the inflammatory response. If a hypersensitivity to dental plaque is believed to be the major factor in an individual cat’s LPGS, a thorough dental scaling and polishing should be performed. “Plaque control is the cornerstone of therapy” says Dr. Bonnie Shope, a veterinarian at the Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine whose practice is limited to veterinary dentistry. “In some instances, these cats may need a professional dental prophylaxis three or four times a year”. Ideally, cats’ teeth should be brushed regularly after the dental scaling, however, cats with LPGS have mouths that are too painful to tolerate brushing. Oral rinses or gels may be of benefit, but again, many cats find any manipulation of their mouths intolerable. “Home care is an essential part of therapy, if the cat will tolerate it”, says Dr. Shope. Unfortunately, even with thorough dental scaling and subsequent home care, the condition often progresses. Antibiotics and anti-inflammatory steroids are of some benefit in many cats, however, the use of these drugs usually offers only a short-term “fix”. Eventually, most cats become non-responsive to medical treatment and will require extraction of all of the teeth. “Extracting the teeth tends to be the most successful treatment”, says Dr. Shope. In some individual cases, the canine teeth (the “fangs”) may be salvaged, however, they may need to be extracted at a later date if the condition doesn’t improve, or if it worsens over time. In some cases, extraction alone successfully reduces the inflammation and allows the cat to eat and live normally. Clients often worry that their cat won’t be able to eat after full-mouth extraction, however, most cats tolerate extractions very well and can eat moist food readily, with many cats able to crunch on dry food after the extraction sites have fully healed.
Many cats need an occasional short course of anti-inflammatory drugs during flare-ups. Ideally, the anti-inflammatory medication is given orally at initially high doses to control the inflammation, and then the dosage is tapered to the lowest dose that keeps the condition under control. However, as stated above, most cats won’t allow oral administration of medication. In these cases, an injection of a long-acting steroid is often the only alternative. A few cats require continuous administration of anti-inflammatory medications even after all the teeth have been extracted. Such is the case with Maxine, who had most of her teeth extracted when this problem first became apparent. Before her extractions, medical therapy was largely unsuccessful at keeping Maxine comfortable, and she was truly miserable. Although she improved markedly after her extractions, she still requires regular doses of anti-inflammatory medication to keep her mouth relatively pain-free. Other drugs, such as lactoferrin and interferon, have been tried, however, results have been inconsistent. Dr. Shope has had moderate success using cyclosporine, a potent immunosuppressive drug, in some cases. “For cats with LPGS that have improved after extraction but still need other medications to control the condition, I’ve seen some positive results using cyclosporine”, she says.
Management of LPGS can be challenging. Clients need to be aware that the long-term prognosis for a cure is guarded, and that the cat is likely facing a lifetime of frequent veterinary visits and treatments. With vigilant monitoring and conscientious veterinary care, cats with LPGS can live comfortable happy lives.
Sidebar: Possible causes of lymphocytic plasmacytic gingivitis and stomatitis
Hyper-responsiveness – some cats are “plaque intolerant” and develop an exuberant inflammatory response to very small amounts of plaque
Immunosuppression – a weakened immune system, due to viral infections, stress, certain drugs, and environmental factors, may promote development of LPGS
Viral and/or bacterial infection – the feline leukemia virus, feline immunodeficiency virus, feline calicivirus, and bacterial organisms are suspected to play a role in promoting development of LPGS
Genetic predisposition – some breeds are believed to be more susceptible to gingivitis and LPGS than others.
http://www.manhattancats.com/Articles/Severe%20Gingivitis -Stomatitis.html
We hope this helps and in the mean time we will be purrring for you!
Sandpaper kisses and gentle headbonks-
Chiquitita and mommy |  |  | |  |
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and we take this time to reflect and say thank you for being there for us. You were all there through the worst of my illness. You supported mommy and sent me light, and healing and above all love. Some of you have traveled over the bridge in these two years, however, you are still in our hearts and out thoughts and we are thankful that you are watching over us. Much love to all, and as always the nippy ball (and nippy mice) are me 
