Feline Chronic Gingivostomatitis – Current Concepts in Clinical Management

Course Details

This lecture has been RACE approved for 1.0 CE hour for veterinarians and veterinary technicians.

Program Description:

Feline Gingivostomatitis (FCGS) is a debilitating, chronic inflammatory oral mucosal disease, that affects 0.7%-26% of domestic cats. For over 3 decades, the etiology of feline chronic gingivostomatitis (FCGS) has been considered elusive and challenging. The current etiologic theories for FCGS include: an immune response to chronic antigenic stimulation, chronic viral infection(s), and a potential genetic predisposition. Without knowledge of the etiology of FCGS, as clinicians, we have focused on symptomatic and/or aggressive treatment options that may not lead to a cure. No single treatment has achieved a clinical success rate close to 100%, and cats that fail to respond to treatment require lifelong medical management or euthanasia. This lecture will review historical knowledge of FCGS as well as discuss the most recent updates related to the etiopathogenesis and treatment of this disease.

Learning Objectives:

The objectives are to understand the clinical manifestations of FCGS and to differentiate it from other oral diseases of the cat. Also to understand the immune mediated nature of the disease and other factors impacting etiology to better understand upcoming innovative therapies and how they target the disease itself.