Prevalence of feline chronic gingivostomatitis in feral cats and its risk factors

Abstract

Objectives: This study investigated the prevalence of feline chronic gingivostomatitis in urban feral cats in South Korea and analysed its risk factors.

Methods: Three hundred and forty-five feral cats that visited the hospital for neutering using a trap-neuter-return approach were screened for feline chronic gingivostomatitis based on clinical criteria. In addition, we determined if body weight, sex and the presence of tongue lesions are risk factors for feline chronic gingivostomatitis. The difference in severity due to the presence or absence of risk factors, and the relationship between gross findings and histopathological lesions, were analysed by grading lesion severity.

Results: Feline chronic gingivostomatitis was diagnosed in 92 cats. Disease prevalence did not significantly differ with body weight and sex but was significantly related to tongue lesions.

Conclusions and relevance: The prevalence of feline chronic gingivostomatitis in urban feral cats in South Korea was 26.6%. It was significantly more prevalent in cats that had tongue lesions. Severity was also significantly associated with tongue lesions. Feline chronic gingivostomatitis may be associated with an infectious agent that causes tongue lesions.

Keywords: Feline chronic gingivostomatitis; gingivostomatitis; prevalence; stomatitis.

Figure 1

Clinical lesion characteristics of feline chronic gingivostomatitis. (a) Normal mucosal surfaces of the oral cavity, free gingival margin (green arrow), attached gingiva (blue double arrow), mucogingival junction (white arrows) and alveolar mucosa (yellow double arrow). (b) Gingivitis. (c) Alveolar mucositis score 3 (bleeding induced by gentle pressure). (d) Alveolar mucositis score 4 (spontaneous bleeding). (e) Mucosa of the caudal oral cavity (red circle), bordered medially by the palatoglossal folds (asterisk) and fauces, dorsally by the hard (square) and soft palate (triangle) and rostrally by alveolar and buccal mucosa (circle). (f) Caudal stomatitis

Figure 2

Prevalence and severity scores according to the presence of tongue lesions. (a) Normal feline tongue papillae. (b) Tongue ulcers (asterisk). (c) Traces of ulcers, exfoliated papillae (arrows). (d) The presence of tongue lesions is significantly associated with feline chronic gingivostomatitis (FCGS). (e) Severity according to the presence or absence of tongue lesions in FCGS. GCSIS = global caudal stomatitis intensity score; AMIS = alveolar mucositis intensity score

Figure 3

Histopathological grade according to the caudal stomatitis intensity and surface area score. (a,c,e,g,i) Gross and (b,d,f,h,j) histological findings with haematoxylin and eosin staining. (a,b) Intensity score 0, surface area score 0 and histopathological grade 1. (c,d) Intensity score 1, surface area score 25 and histopathological grade 3. (e,f) Intensity score 2, surface area score 50 and histopathological grade 2. (g,h) Intensity score 3, surface area score 75 and histopathological grade 3. (i,j) intensity score 4, surface area score 100 and histopathological grade 3. Yellow circle indicates the caudal oral mucosa; asterisk indicates the tissue collection site (3 mm biopsy punch); scale bar = 25 µm. (k) Histopathological severity grade based on the clinical lesion score