Feline Chronic Gingivostomatitis (FCGS) or Stomatitis affects up to 11 million cats in the US.
This condition involves significant inflammation and widespread involvement of mouth structures such as gingiva, mucosa and may involve the tongue and palatoglossal arches (shown in image). FCGS can be a very painful condition in many cats leading to halitosis, drooling, lack of grooming, and decreased appetite.
It’s highly correlated with Calicivirus infection, which is why it can affect more than one cat in a multi-cat household. Unfortunately, there’s currently no treatment for this infection.
While pain medication and immunosuppressant therapy (steroids or cyclosporine) can provide some relief, it’s not a cure and has long term consequences.
Full mouth tooth extraction is recommended for severe cases, but about a third of cats don’t respond. Additional therapies are being evaluated and Winn-funded research (MT12-002 and MT17-008) has led the way on a promising new treatment avenue.
Allogenic stem cell therapy has shown significant promise for these refractory cases, with 70% of affected cats showing significant improvement and many are cured.
If your cat has been diagnosed with FCGS, and you would be interested in participating in the study, or if you would like to learn more about this study and treatment, this treatment, DentaHeal™, is currently available as a clinical trial from VetCell Therapeutics (https://www.vetcelltherapeuticsusa.com/fcgs_trial).
Stem cell therapy isn’t as effective with early intervention, therefore the treatment’s availability is for refractory cases.
For more information about FCGS, you can learn what to do next when your cat has been diagnosed with this condition.
See also:
Arzi B, Peralta S, et al. A multicenter experience using adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell therapy for cats with chronic, non-responsive gingivostomatitis. Stem Cell Res Ther. 2020 Mar 13;11(1):115. (free PMC article)