Does anyone know what this is called?

We've taken Sam to the vet a couple of times over the last year with red lumps on his gums. The vet says it's caused by a virus that can be controlled by antibiotics, but it can't be completely got rid of, so the lumps will usually come back again at some point. (We've seen 2 different vets because we wanted to be sure, and both have said the same thing.) Both vets are Spanish, and neither were able to tell us what the virus is called in English, and I haven't been able to find it online.

Sam is 12, part Burmese (we believe - I found him at the side of a road as a kitten), and also has neck lesions and has lost practically all of his teeth except for 3 canines and a couple of back teeth. The lumps don't seem to cause him any pain, although I assume they would if we let them grow out of control, and they've been cleared up both times he's had them by 2-4 weeks of antibiotics.

I'd like to do a bit more research into what seems to be an ongoing condition, but I'm a bit stuck not knowing what it's called!

It sounds to me that your kitty has stomatitis, a symptom of calici virus (which is also known as one of the cat flu viruses). I'm no vet so don't take my words as gospel, but having just had Benji test positive for calici virus and his gums have been sore (no lesions yet though) I've researched it quite a bit. The antibiotics won't control the lesions if it is stomatitis, it will only prevent infection from the lesions. It may be worth asking your vet if it is calici virus, the test they do is by swabbing the back of the throat and any gunk in their eyes too.

Have a look at Feline chronic lymphocytic plasmacytic gingivostomatitis although bear in mind the pictures there are of some of the worse cases, Benji's mouth looks nothing like that but has tested positive. If they have confirmed calici, it may be worth apssing this link on to your vet, if not, get them to test for it!

Best of luck xxx

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Sooty 9.6.1996 - 28.04.2011 Rest in peace my love!
Storm (Sueragdandy Phantom) 28.02.2010
Benji (Kassaro Benjamin Franklyn) 08.03.2011

Has he ever been tested for feline herpes?

Not specifically that I'm aware of, although he has been tested for quite a lot of things over the years.

It does sound like that, to be honest. There's the link with neck lesions, and also our believe that he's partly oriental. And the pictures do look like a much more severe version of what he's had. (But if it's cat flu related, I am a bit puzzled as to how he could have picked up a cat flu virus when he's vaccinated against it, and he's an indoor cat who very rarely comes into contact with any cats apart from our other indoor cats.)

Anyway, the first time he had red bumps was in the back of his mouth. The second time was the same side, but further forward. Both times, they've disappeared with antibiotic treatment.

He also doesn't go off his food or show any other signs of being in pain, even when he's had lumps in his mouth - he's been a biter since he was a kitten, and it doesn't put him of biting - and he also grooms himself meticulously, to the point that vets have commented that he overgrooms and gives himself a bald chin.

It's all a bit puzzling really.

We did try to start cleaning his teeth years ago when our other cat had most of her teeth removed because of bad gingivitis, but the cat toothpaste made him violently sick, so we gave up on that. And, as I said, he's only got 5 teeth left now, and 3 of those are canines.

I have tried him on some Applaws lately, and he quite likes some of the flavours. He's a very fussy eater - eats well, as long as we give him what he likes (mostly Gourmet Perle), but turns his nose up at anything else. I'll try to introduce more Applaws into his diet and see how we get on.

The lumps have only come up twice, 12 months apart, and if that's all it ever is, and it clears up with a couple of antibiotic injections, I'm happy to carry on like that. But having a better idea of what it could be means I have more idea of what steps we need to take if it starts happening more often, or the antibiotics stop doing the trick. It makes me feel more in control, at least.