Baffling Ailment!

[clight]

I have 4 cats ages 3 and 4 years old. 8 months ago, one came down with inflamed gums/tongue and the rest soon followed. The first one has never been outdoors. All 4 of the cats mothers were tested for FIV shortly after giving birth to them when I went to have them spayed, and the tests returned negative.
I tried using Amoxicillan to no avail on them. I wrote in to you and you suggested to try Clindamycin or another drug. I took two of them into the vet to get the Clindamycin. He looked at one and said "oh he just has bad teeth". I thought this is strange as his teeth were fine until he contracted this ailment. He looks at the female and right away and said cancer! He did no biopsy or testing nor did he offer to do such. I find this extremely odd that I would have 4 cats who come down with this baffling ailment at apx. the same time and that one would be cancer but the others just bad teeth! Never the less, he did go ahead and prescribe me the Clindamycin to try. All of the cats are still able to eat hard food, however I do also give them canned food. The female has a swelling protruding from under the right side of her tongue within the past couple of weeks which is what the vet called cancer. I am at my wits end to figure out exactly what the heck this ailment is and how to eradicate it! I do not have money for second opinion. They are being treated with the Clindamycin at this time and I hope that it does the trick, but I really want to know what this ailment could possible be! Also, should this Clindamycin not work, would like to know what other alternatives I could pursue. All of the kitties with exception to the female are within normal range of weight. One thing I might add is the first one to contract this ailment, it also bothers his eyes much like an upper respitory ailment. It does not seem to affect the others in this manor. I would also like to know how long I should expect to see any results with this Clindamycin if it is going to work.

[Aleda M Cheng, D.V.M., C.V.A]

There are infectious causes of gingivitis, and stomatitis which can be passed on from one cat to the others in a multi-cat household, like yours.  The most common causes are Bartonella disease, Calicivirus, feline infectious peritonitis, Felv/Fiv, and feline herpes virus.  

Bartonella (cat scratch fever) is treated by the antibiotic Azithromax.  Herpes outbreaks can be controlled by using Lysine supplementation.  

There is also a non-infectious cause of stomatitis called Lymphocytic, Plasmacytic Stomatitis.  This is an autoimmune disease which can be treated by antibiotics such as Azithromax or Clindamycin and Steroids, such as prednislolone.  The mouth lesions of Lymphocytic, Plasmacytic Stomatitis can resemble mouth cancer.  

It would require extensive diagnostics to try to discover the cause of your cat's gum problems.

If the Clindamycin is ineffective, you can try Azithromax.  Brushing and flossing your cats teeth, and using Hill's Feline T/D (tartar diet) in place of some of your cats regular food would also help.  

It might be a good idea to have the mouth lesion biopsied.  If the results of the biopsy come back as Lymphocytic/Plasmacytic Stomatitis ask your vet about using prednisolone and antibiotics.  

[clight]

Oh thank you so very very much for the good info!!! I intend to make the vet biopsy her mouth if this Clindamycin does not help. As I stated before, none of them are FIV possitive, but I do know their immune systems are not up to par. I also thought about Calici virus in the beginning, but since the first one to come down with this problem has never been outside, then it doesn't seem likely. The other things you mentioned I will look straight into!
Again thank yoooooooouuuuuu!!!!