Sandy - Periodontal disease ....

I am currently caring for Sandy, a 2 year old female tabby / siamese mix with periodontal disease. She contracted it probably as a result of an upper respiratory infection gone wild when she was a kitten. Sandy was rescued by the group director I work with from a feral colony. She's *incredibly* timid, but very loving once she realizes who's visiting her. Sandy currently resides in my spare bathroom until she has completed her antibiotics, and Furball becomes a little more aquainted with her. She'll lay on my lap, curl up, and always wants to be pet.

Because her condition was not recognized immediately, she has lost significant weight. When it became painful to eat, Sandy just stopped eating. She is now eating a mixture of Science Diet Prescription A/D formula, mixed with warm water and powdered kitten formula. She's eating on her own after she got a steriod shot to reduce gum swelling. The "plan" is to get Sandy to gain some weight before undergoing some anesthetic- dental work. Once her teeth are cleaned, and the complete oral work done, she should be able to start eating more normally with regular teeth brushing.

Have any of you had a cat with this problem before? Is there anything additional I can do to make her comfortable? The sweet girl loves to lay in her carrier under a towel, and I'm trying to keep those relatively clean - reduce any extra bacterial "visitors" we might get. I'm also keeping a short log of her medicine, food that goes in, waste that goes out ( in case it ever becomes a question for the vet ), along with her personality progress and any new behavior trends I notice.

If anyone has been through this with their cat, or knows someone who has, I'd love to hear any help or advice possible.

Thanks,
Jennifer, Furball, and Sandy