Doença periodontal e suas complicações em gatos de um abrigo na região central do RS

Abstract

Periodontal disease is the most common infectious disease that occurs in feline patients. Although it occurs in cats of both sexes, different age groups and any breeds, the prevalence and severity seems much higher in cats living in animal shelters. The aim of this paper is to describe the clinical, radiological, cytopathological and virological aspects of periodontal disease and its complications in cats, based on these aspects and, consequently, on the importance it brings to cat feline medicine in shelter cats. For this, nine cats with periodontal disease from a single animal shelter were evaluated. These cats demonstrated a disease characterized by halitosis, excessive salivation and oral discomfort. Lymphadenomegaly of the mandibular and retropharyngeal lymph nodes was observed in 44.4% of the cases. Oral lesions consisted of varying degrees of gingival hyperemia, complete loss of free gingival margins, and consequently gingival retraction, dental calculus deposition, dental mobility, complete exposure of the furcation of premolars and molars, and dental roots of canines and incisors, loss of bone radiopacity due to alveolar bone resorption and tooth loss. Complications included chronic ulcerative paradental stomatitis (22.2%), faucite (22.2%), and chronic gingiostomatitis (11.1%). None of the cats affected by periodontal disease was positive for FIV or FeLV. In 33.3% of the cases, cats were carriers of feline calicivirus, but not feline herpesvirus. Based on the results described here, it can be concluded that the severity of the periodontal disease presented by the patients was directly related to the observed complications (contact stomatitis, faucite and chronic gingivostomatitis) and that their development was not related to retroviral, herpesviral and caliciviral.