Upper Respiratory Infections in Cats and Kittens
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Causes, Symptoms and traditional and home treatments
A sudden sneeze, teary eyes and some nasal discharge...While cats have been known for many years to have 9 lives, it may be hard to accept that felines may come down with the sniffles just as humans do. Better known in veterinary offices as URI's, a short acronym for "Upper Respiratory Infections" cats and especially kittens are very vulnerable to this condition particularly when living cluttered together such as in shelters and catteries.
Transmission of Upper Respitary Infections in Cats
As mentioned, in order to come down with a URI cats must be living together. Just as humans are more prone to colds and the flu when working in small office spaces or traveling in airplanes, cats develop them when in close contact with other cats. The most common method of transmission is through sneezes and shared water and food bowls. Stress also plays a major role since it lowers a cat's immune response. It is not uncommon for a cat to come down with a URI a week after being spayed or neutered.
Cats are capable of transmitting the virus from several weeks to months after exhibiting symptoms depending on the type of virus. It is best therefore, to keep the affected cat isolated from other cats at this point.
Symptoms of Upper Respiratory Infection in Cats
A cat with an upper respiratory infection is not a happy camper. It will have severe bouts of sneezing for the first day or two followed by inflammed watery eyes often affected by conjunctivitis, a watery nasal discharge and a nice fever on top of that to make matters worse. Because the infection affects the nose, most cats will likely lose their sense of smell and therefore, they will lose their appetite, refusing food. As days go by, the watery nasal discharge will thicken becoming purulent and sticky. The cat may resort to opening their mouths at this point in a reasonable attempt to breathe better.
Because upper respiratory infection in cats are due to different strains of viruses accompanying symptoms may vary. Typically cats affected by the Herpes virus may develop also a cough and/or corneal ulcers and cats affected by Calicivirus may develop also several ulcers in the mouth and/or limping. Regardless of the cause, most cases seem to recover spontaneously within 7-10 days. However, cats with a lowered immune system or kittens may be prone to complications that may even turn fatal if not treated effectively.
Treatment of Upper Respiratory Infections in Cats
While most cats may recover spontaneously within 7-10 days, kittens and cats with a compromised immune system may need the assistance from a veterinarian. These are cats that are becoming malnourished from the lack of appetite and dehydrated from the substantial fluid loss resulting from the copious nasal discharge.
Cats may be helped to fight off the viral infection by administering a course of antibiotics. As odd as it may seem to fight off a virus with antibiotics, such protocol is used in order to avoid and effectively fight off potential secondary infections that may set. Regardless of treatment methods, some cats may develop chronic URI's along their lives.
At home, cats may be helped to breath better by running some hot water in the shower with the bathroom door closed. The cat should be allowed to breath some of the vapors ensuring the cat does not get wet. A home vaporizer may be helpful as well. If the cat is refusing food it should be enticed to eat by offering warmed up canned food since it releases its smell more once warm. Highly palatable foods are recommended for cats in order to encourage them to eat. Meat baby food with no garlic and onion may be offered. Nasal discharge should be promptly wiped to allow better breathing.
Prevention of Upper Respiratory Infections in Cats
Fortunately, there are vaccinations that can be started in kittens as young as 6-8 weeks old against distemper, herpes and calici virus. Kittens should finish the vaccination series and cats should receive annual vaccinations. While vaccinations may not eradicate these conditions completely, they significsntly reduce the duration and severity of these potentially fatal infections.
For further reading
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More and more pet owners are trying to treat their dogs at home using left over antibiotics or online antibiotics of questionable sources. Learn if such practice is safe and its risks.
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Upper respiratories are awful to deal with. Sorry to hear your girl went through that ordeal. Saline drops work very well in congested cats in effect. Thanks for posting!
They are just like human babies--not much you can give them. Thi happens every year. What I will do if they can't eat or won't eat is fill a srynge up with watered down can cat food and feed them that way. They have to swallow it and it does go to their bellies, It's just hard on the people who have to hold them. Oh and when you hold them in the towel in a cacoon you have to hold them upright or they drown in their mucus. They feel like they are anyway.
Cats that are off food too long (and more on the obese side) may be vulnerable to a condition called "fatty liver disease' so force feeding is a must in some cases. Thanks for your helpful tips, they will be useful for people and kitties in this situation.
You are welcome and I hope others take these tips too.
All my cats are allowed to eat whenever they want. I have their dishes up high for the dog not to get them and they can graze when hungry. I don't have any fat cats in my house--or outdoors either.
Looks like your cats are very lucky to have you! Lean is very good! Best wishes!
I have 4 adult cats, 3 male one female. I took in a bottle raised feral kitten with a sore eye. A week later I took in a litter of 5 feral healthy kittens. Now 2 weeks later I have 6 sick kittens and my female is also sick. The sickest kittens are the 3 that I know are females, the others just have a little squint and drainage. The kitten that originally had the sore eye is almost healed but the other 2 female kittens eyes cake almost shut. The one is on antibiotic liquid. She was the first one that showed respiratory symtoms so I took her to the emergency vet to the tune of $114. I couldn't afford to take the rest. I have been using tetramyacin salve in their eyes and they do seem to gradually be getting better. My adult female is laying around, not eating and cuddling with me all the time. Not herself. She also seems to have a fever. Are there any meds I can get without taking all 7 cats to a vet? I can't afford that. They are all inside cats and as soon as they are old enough I will have all the kittens fixed at the shelter. I'm at my limit cat wise but I had to take the kittens in that the feral cat had under my shed...LOL She knew who to take that litter to! LOL
Bless your heart for taking care of all these feral kitties! There are several financial institutions that may help you such as care credit. These kitties really need some antibiotics in order to get better, I am afraid there may not be any way around especially since it sounds like this may be more than a mild form.
My cat has been diagnosed with URI. He is eating baby food and tuna and drinking water when I mix it with tuna water..I am worried that his nose tends to get dry. Any suggestions?
Setting up a vaporizer without meds in it is often helpful for breathing and to help his nose stay moist. It is an old wive's tale however that dry noses are indicative of bad health in cats and dogs. A dry nose therefore isn't really a problem by itself. Indeed,many healthy cats have dry noses.It is good he is eating and getting fluids. Best wishes!
i got a kitten thats 2 months old then a few weeks ago i got a 9 month old and a 2 month old the nine month old was sneezing and i was like oh no!! but after 2 weeks my newer kitten and the 9 month seem to have runny noses, thirstyness and sad eyes. i feel so bad but i cant go to the vet bcuz i dont have the money rite now becuase im not old enough to work i feel bad and they are outside kittys they live in a shed with plenty water , food and ventalasion but what else can i do for them outside?
my new kitten it 12 weeks old and got upper respetory infection took her to the vet they gave her a shot so relived that it wasnt aids!
I have 10 cats and one by one..like Dopmino effect have been getting the URI..Uggg I ma devasted.,..I had to ask the Vet to please sell some more clavamox so i could give them...he did, but I did not count on all of the getting sick and don't have enough money to buy for more... I am just praying and hoping that they will get better... a Vet tech friend brought me some anitibiotics last night..(not clavamox)and it made them throw up..No no no...devastating...:(((((((
This is a very timely article for me to have found as we just rescued 3 mothers and their kittens and several are exhibiting signs such as above. Thank you for excellent, detailed ways in which to identify and remedy this illness. I'm on my way home right now to do just that...Thank YOU!!!
My 11 year old cat has a severe upper respiratory infection. Try squirting saline drops up her nose and get canned food or a can of A/D canned food from your vet and mix it with Pedialyte (clear non-flavored) and force feed them. If your cats are dehydtated you can also give them syringes of pedialyte to. And it's a must to keep there nose and eyes clear of discharge. Also keep them warm
I also have a cat with upper resp.infection,I use boric acid in her eyes it did wonders for her eyes as one eye was almost closed,now wide open & well.She has been throwing up constantly,but again she insists on grooming her fur therefore she throws up fur balls.I heard that salt is deadly to animals? baby food is good for a cat easpcially with rice as it absorbs any impurities in the system.I just bought a warm steamer vaporizer,I need to re-start it up.My kitten has hit up four rooms with throwing up so I cornered her at the last one lol,I'm not to sure what to do with her as it seems to be such a strain on her little tummy while throwing up.As for the kitties fever I hear you can give them a small dose of baby asperin but not too often,as their kidneys are already at risk.Good luck every one...God bless us all and our precious babies in great need.
I meant to mention to every one that Paul Newman's grand daughter has made some great cat food with all vits.and natural foods.It's on the expensive side but it's really worth it.I cut down on the amounts of giving my cat so much & so often because this new Paul Newman food is richer in the long run.Smaller amounts two to three meals a day or for older one's,once a day.There is both wet & dry.There is an organization name safer.com that might help those in great need,not sure if it's nation wide or not,but you can do a web search for humane financial animal assistance or close,keep trying some one is out there for every one's needs,good luck.
Misty, I would be extra cautious on giving aspirin to cats, they do not metabolize it well and may do more damage than good. Best to consult with a vet first The boric acid must be diluted, and should not be confused with borax! Thanks for commenting!
i have a kitty diagnosed with URI and the vet said to do nothing but let his immune system do its thing, its been about two weeks
One of the kittens I have seems to have a URI, her symptoms are classic and I've seen it before in my other cats. I cannot afford a vet at this time but I do have a prescription for humans of Penicillin VK. Am I able to give her small doses of that? Is it safe?
Jeanine, I am not a vet and cannot give out information about giving medicine for cats. Vets cannot as well without visiting a pet. Sorry.
Jeanine,
I just adopted a kitten from a shelter and she previously had a URI. It was treated and she seemed healthy so I brought her home after testing for FIV and Feline Leukemia. My 8 Year old cat who stays indoors only is now sneezing. Do you think he has caught her URI? Also, he is vaccinated and up to date on shots, will this be fatal to him? The shelter did not tell me that my new kitten would possibly still be contagious and they knew I have a cat already at home...I am highly upset. If anything happens to my 8 year old cat I will see what I can do about them not disclosing that URI's are so highly contagious and for saying she was fine to be around my healthy cat.
I just got 2 Siamese kittens at 12 weeks old. I noticed symptoms of uri in the boy. I took him for antibiotic shot. I also noticed that they didn't receive their first shots till almost 12 weeks.
I am assuming this is why he got sick? I got them from a breeder.. How long will this take to go away? It's been about 1 week since he had this. I know they are still stressed about the new home thing and that brings their immune system down. I'm just annoyed that they got their shots so late!!
The breeder said he was exhibiting signs prior to me getting him but it went away
If anyone has advice it would be appreciated! Thanks.
I hate seeing him so sick.. He is still scared of me n wont let me pet him yet... Runs from me too when I try. :-/
This is a great article! I've been volunteering with a local kitten rescue for several years now and can vouch for what you wrote in your article.
We often rescue litters of kittens from shelters (so they aren't euthanized) and because they come from a shelter, they almost always come down with URI. Sometimes it clears up in a week or two, and occasionally it's stubborn and can take up to a month for the kitten to fully recover. Probably because they are so young, with an immune system that's not fully developed, and then the added stress of being placed in a shelter, and then moved again to a foster home.
Thanks for such a great article!
I really need help. We had a stray (gentle) mommy cat find out and she was pregnant. She had her kittens and we were able to find homes for most of them. However, others have found their way to our home and we are up to 14 now. I will not take them to a kill shelter and the no kill shelters require to much to get them there. They want full vaccines and at least $50.oo per cat. Can someone please help me find a way to protect these little guys and stop the reproduction. A local feral cat organization offered to lend us traps, but that is it. How can we spay or neuter 14 animals. Please help.
im not sure what to do, my cat has a cold and i can't afford to go to the vet or buy prescriptions. are there any home remedies i can use? can i give my cat some sort of human medicine?
I listed some home remedies in the article such as running the hot water in the shower and allowing the cat to breath the vapors. Another option is to feed warm meals (but not so hot to scald the cat's mouth) like feeding canned food diluted with warm water in hopes of loosening mucus. Unfortunately there are no safe over the counter medications for cats with colds.
Michelle... I had a neighbor once about 2 years ago... She took care of about 20+ feral cats. I think she said she got help from the township. Also some human societies will treat them with just a donation. Wish I could be of more help! There is also an organization called "save the cats" I live in bucks county Pennsylvania not sure what you have available where you live? Good luck... You are a good person for helping them. :-)
My cat has been diagnosed with a URI we thought he was chokeing because he has a severe case it seems from what i have read he has been showing symptoms for about a week now without treatment but we didnt know what was wrong we thought he was chokeing and he vomited because of it this was witnessed by my 11 year old well i called the vet and told him wha had happened at this time was about 3 days ago now the vet said if he wasnt better by the next day to brng him he he was playing and eating the next day so we left it alone 2 days later he is lathargic again and was given a small piece of ham and found under my bed by the 11 year old seeming to gasp for air and we thought he was chokeing again so called vet right away this is how i found out about this there was no other symptoms other than gaging and lathargy now he has the open mouth breathing and drainage of the eyes i wonder if vicks would hurt to rub a little on his nose to help with breathing or something i feel so helpless and he looks so miserable to me it looks as though he is gasping for air and i fear he will die im a little more at ease once reading stuff on the net but i dont feel any more at ease as the poor thing has a feaver 6 seconds into temp reading at vet and his temp was 106 vet told us to take it to his clinic right away he needed a shot and other exam he couldnt do at home was told he might have Feline lukemia too and possibly Faids aka feline aids vet gave him a shot of steroids and a what im told is a exsperimental antibiotic that he asures me works really well in these cases i trust my fet said to bring him back wed or thursday if not better. my vet took him in and is letting us pay later as we have used him for years now
Julie, anything you rub on a cat very likely will be licked so I would not recommend doing this. You are far better turning the shower on with hot water and have your cat nearby inhale the beneficial vapor which will open the airways. Feeding warm water or broth-not hot and with no onion or garlic- with his kibble may help as well, best wishes.
I have a female kitten who is 3 month olds.Today she presented with raspy breathin,a slight temperature and runny eyes.I gave her a small dose of benadryl and penicillin.I was wondering if this is safe? I live off a monthly income n cant afford a vet bill.I do however take very good of my cats.They always have a clean box,fresh food in their bowl and fresh water... Just wanna make sure there I am doing the right thing .
I am really not too comfortable with giving meds to pets without a vet's instruction. Your vet is the best person to tell you the amount of meds to give based on the kitten's weight and the most appropriate meds. You can read more about these meds here:
I just saved a kitteh that came into my yard today...it is SO THIN and dehydrated... im worried because now he seems to have this URI... he's sneezing and eye is discharging.... I AM WORRIED ABOUT "MY" cat... i thought i might help this poor starving thirsty kitten.. .and now i might have sentenced my cat to this fate....some of these articles i have read are informative... but i just dont know what to do... i cannot afford a vet... my question would be .... does the URI go away? apparently no over the counter meds for the kitteh... should i take him to the shelter and hope they feed,water,and treat him...? UGH the URI's freak me out its not pleasant poor cats!! i heard URI is fatal in cats... im confused some have said that and others say it runs its course...
It really depends on what is causing the upper respiratory infection in the first place and if there is a secondary bacterial infection. A URI in a kitten is most likely cause by a virus, usually rhinotracheitis which is a herpes virus, or calici virus. Generally, depending on which virus your kitten has it may take 1 - 4 weeks to clear up. Feed him warmed up diluted canned food, let her breath some steam, you may need meds for the eye discharge. Lysine capsules may be helpful if herpes virus is involved. Best wishes and thank you for taking care of this tiny fellow!
i have 3 kihem in a kittens i took in from out side i have them in a kennal they are very sick and dont have any money to take them to the vet what should i do they have uri and its hard keeping my other in side cats away from them ive cleaned there noses ive wiped there eyes they are drinking but not eating no matter how stinky the food is they dont want it please what do i do
Kary thank you for the correction.
April, not much you can do at home,other than the tips I gave in the article. in some cases Terramycin may help for the eyes. Always consult with your vet before administering any over the counter medication.
I just adopted a cat from spca on Friday. The next day she was sneezing constantly. I toke her to a vet. They gave med. I feel likethe meds are making her even more sick. What do i do?
Contact your vet, she should be getting better not worse, she may need a different type of antibiotics. Best wishes!
We adopted a beautiful cat from the shelter on new years eve. Our vet says she is probably just a little over a year old. Since she had a URI the shelter did not spay her but instructed us to take her to a vet for antibiotics first which we did. She was doing great....very affectionate and playful. After four weeks we took het to the vet and had complete blood work done to ensure she was healthy and when that came back with great results we had her spayed. Now 10 days later. She is still loving but lethargic and has refused to eat or drink. Vet says she might have the calici virus cause of dark spot he sees on the back of her tongue and he gave her a shot of antibiotic. But now 24 hours later and she still won't eat. Prior to the surgery she would only eat dry food and I can understand if her tongue hurts maybe she doesn't want that but I have also tried tuna and chicken baby food and she turns away from every thing. Help she has gone from 7 pounds to 5 pounds 14 oz. and I already love her dearly.
I have a male cat (almost 3 years old - we found him on our porch when he was about 5 months old) who has been sneezing, coughing and bringing up a lot of mucus since the middle of December, 2011. We took him to the vet and he had a fever and diagnosed him with upper and lower respiratory infection. They put him on an antibiotic and we thought he was getting better. Then, he took a turn for the worse with the same symptoms and took him back to the vet and they put him on amoxicillin for 2 weeks almost and they didn't hear any problems in his lungs - so told us it was just an upper infection still. He was still sick and 2 weeks ago today we took him to the vet again and he was given a shot of a stronger antibiotic that last for 2 weeks as well as a predisone shot to help with the breathing. The vet took x-rays, no tumors, but still had some fluid in his lungs and his sinuses were blocked. I had hoped he would be better by now as we are in a tight spot financially. Anyway, we were told if he wasn't better they would have to do bloodwork. I am praying he does not have a deadly virus. He hasn't lost weight and still looks healthy. I keep wondering if he could have allergies or ashma?
Anyone, else have similar issues?
I am sorry to hear she is not eating much, having gone through this, I know how disheartening it feels when a cat turns up its nose to favorite foods. You can try nutrical which provides nutrition support for cats that are not eating much, it comes in a tube and may be at large pet stores. Another option is to ask your vet about cyproheptadine, a medication that is supposed to stimulate appetite in cats. Here is a helpful hub about cats not eating:
Bailey still won't eat or drink on her own, but the Vet gave her liquids two days in a row and my husband and I have been feeding her recovery food in a sryinge three times a day along with pedialyte and she is slowly picking up energy. The Vet also gave her an appetite stimulant. She still won't eat on her own but at least we know she is getting some nutrition and now we just need to give the antibiotics time to work. Thank you for the link to the article....it had some great tips.
Thank you for the update, I hope she recovers quickly, best wishes!
i breed persians, they are indoor cats i have 4 females and 2 males. some of my cats have contracted the herpes virus. can i give my pregnant queens enisyls to help combat this virus
I would give the manufacturing company a call, this is their website http://www.vetoquinolusa.com/CoreProducts/Anti-Inf and this is their phone number: Tel: 800-267-5707 best wishes!
I see everyone else is having the same problems... My little Jinx, who is 5, came home the other day with a little cold. It was raining out, and he never came home...so i figured that's where he got this cold? He's an outdoor cat, until he wants to come in & sleep...eat, & sleepp... He's my baby, and i feel so horrible seeing him like this. He is eating, and drinking still like he has always. I can't afford to take him to the vet. But my little guy is a solider. he has always been able to take care of himself. He got a big gash in his leg last year, and healed it up. I'm sure his immune system is great. He's never been sick. But has always been outside, and he fights with other cats. He's my little lucky charm. He has watery eyes, and seems like a clear, mucus color comes out? it's always been like that when he sleeps, just now they are a watery. He can barely breath. He catches a break every now & again. He's breathing & sleeping good now. I was just wondering if you think maybe it will clear on his own? i feel like the only time he is miserable , is when he can't breath. he's eating GREAt though, and drinking water.
I always think a vet visit is best when in doubt, best wishes!
Courtney, I agree with alexadry. Sounds like a vet visit is in order. If your kitty is having trouble breathing, it could be that the URI has moved into his lungs, which can turn into bronchitis/pneumonia. If it gets really bad, pneumonia can cause death.
I have a 2 week old kitten that has a URI. I am fostering her mother and her 3 siblings, and she is the worst. She isn't eating, so I am syringe feeding her as much as I can but she struggled to take it in :( she gets maybe 1ml per feed (which isn't enough but it is all I can get into her). Her nose it blocked and is gasping for air. The mother is useless so I have her sleeping on my chest which has calmed her. The vet has given her antibiotics to be given twice a day but I am so worried that she won't even make it through the night. I have had her in the bathroom with steam earlier today-it didn't appear to have made a difference but I will do it again soon. I am so worried about my lil kitty, and I just want her nose to unblock so I can feed her more without her nearly choking :(
I would see the vet again if the antibiotics are not working and she got so much worse. How long have you been given them? There may be other medications that may help her.
if your cat is not eating,put cat food on its paw as then the cat will lick the food off as they don,t like anything on there paws, and hopefully doing that a few times a day your cat will be getting a bit of food
hope it helps.
As a matter of fact this helps encourage eating, thank you for sharing! I remember I had to give my cat a medication she did not want to take and the vet told me to smear some on her paw and she licked it off!
Our little orange tabby is now 8 months old and was diagnosed with URI two weeks ago. I'm frustrated by how long it is taking for him to recover. In spite of vet visits for fluids and an antibiotic shot, spoon feeding warmed and watered down A/D can food, and a warm humidifier in the walk in closet he's chosen as his resting spot, he is still not interested in food, so congested, and his eyes are so runny. What I'm hearing from these comments is that it can take up to a month for a young cat to recover...so there's still hope? My little guy is normally the life of the party, a huggy cat full of spunk - it is so strange and heartbreaking to see him so sick. :( Any encouragement for us?
Joey's Mom
I'm going threw the same thing with my Ninja, he is 2 yrs old. I've only have had him for 9 days. How I got him is that I volunteer at a local rescue and am a vet tech. A lady came out to the rescue with him and be had a urinary blockage,he had very little nasal discharge. I informed the owner that she needed to take Ninja to the vet due to the fact that being blocked for a male cat is fatal and the fact that he had been blocked for 3-4 days already, she ended up leaving with Ninja. The next day I called to check on him and to see if she had took him into the vet and she said No cuz she did not have any money. I asked if she would relinquish him to me NOT to the rescue and I would do whats best for him, she agreed.
I took him to the vet right away. They got him unblocked and back to me. He started getting really bad nasal discharge, watery eyes, drooling, not eating or drinking. So I took him back to the vet and they put him on Clavamox, he is on a/d canned food and I have to syringe feed him, he has eye meds, I have to give him saline nose drop 3-4 times a day one drop eash side, stream humidifier 3-4 times a day no longer then an hour or in a bathroom with the shower running with hot water until I got one, I also give him nutra-cal, you can get it from your vet or a pet store carries product just like it but a different name,sub-q fluids, L-Lysine 500mg once a day, he is also taking perdnisone 5mg 1/2 tab once a day and Alprazolam .5mg 1/2 tab once a day(whichs makes him hungry. He got worse and started running a fever, I also just bought this homeopathic FCV protect, it helps with them being congestion, sneezing, watery eyes. I just got it in the mail today, it's $35, got it off amazon, so I still have to give it some time. But my vet said it wouldn't hurt and may help his immune system kick this cuz everything the FCV protect has in it, is good for cats of ALL AGES!!! My Ninja has sores on his nose and lips from rubbing his face due to the nasal discharge bugging him. I thought the sores were herpes so I took him to the vet again and that what he told me they were from. I'm always cleaning his nose and eyes with a warm compress. I hope this info may help. It's really all about supportive care and nursing them back to health. I know its hard and I worry just like everyone else. I'm really fighting for Ninja and get up around the clock with him. He has been thur so much already and I know the stress of the blockage and a new home didn't help any. If you have any question I'd love to help, but just to remind you, I'm not a Vet, I am ONLY a Vet Tech :)
It's 2:45am here. I'm up with my sick little man Ninja. He has finally gone to sleep and he is in my lap all comfy as I sit on the floor lol I don't wanna disturb the guy cuz he looks so cute. He did eat a really good amount of A/D today and had more energy then normal so I'm keeping my fingers n paws crossed that we are seeing the light!
Best wishes for a speedy recovery! Eating is a very good sign!
I hope Ninja does well! I'm bringing Joey back to the vet tonight for more antibiotics (a shot they gave him two weeks ago was only good for two weeks), and I'm going to try to hot shower and pedialite. Thanks for the suggestions!
Joey's Mom,
Clavamox is working very well. I also bought homeopathic FCV Protect and that is also helping. I wasn't to sure about the homeopathic stuff but it was all natural and everything in it is great for cats. It helps out their immune system. It's $35 and you can get it online. Ninja actually ate in his own without his appetite stimulate medication today, so that's a good sign. I recommend it for you guy Joey. Good luck to you and Joey
The vet was very unhappy with Joey's symptoms last night and fears a super bug of some kind. He's been sick over two weeks, and just seems to be getting worse. I have had to feed him watered down canned food (and added the pedialite last night) through a syringe the last two days and he fights me the whole time. He also has something wrong in one eye that she thinks is an infection of the vessels supplying blood to the eye.
She suggested a bunch of blood work and xrays, but after spending $1500 already, I don't see the point of spending hundreds more on tests that would only tell us what untreatable, likely fatal thing he has.
I'll contact a veterinary clinic today that specializes in the homeopathic stuff and fight another few days, if Joey will fight with me, and then I'll just have to let him tell me if he can't fight anymore.
I'm so sad...
I'm sorry Joey's mom. I've been at this for 2 weeks now with Ninja! Please keep me updated. Do they have him on oral meds?
I'm so sad to say that my little Joey had more than just a common URI, he was fighting Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), a terrible virus that cannot be beat. Apparently it most often occurs as a mutation of a common FECV virus, which I now realize he had from the time I adopted him from the local shelter. We had to let him go to kitty heaven on Friday. It has been hard, but we are so grateful to have been Joey's family for his short but sweet life.
I hope Ninja is doing well! Thanks for the support here.
So sorry to hear that..He had lots of love from you on his brief visit on earth, you really took great care of him. FIP is a mean disease, I hope they find a cure for it one day.
Joeys Mom,
Im so sorry to hear that :( At least he knew what a loving home was and that not all human are bad, it is hard to deal with but now he is an angel who will bring you another cat when the time is right and you have saved 2 lives
Alexadry,
that would be nice, just had one today with FIP also :( sweet lil thing
my cat is having cold and i think she cant see anything. Im from maldives, and here we dont have any vet. Can anyone help me.
If she can't see this is something that would need vet attention, where is the closest vet? this website offers some home remedies until she can see a vet which sounds like she really needs to see:
My heart is broken. I got two kittens a week ago (sisters). They are 10 weeks old. The night after I brought them home, one of them started sneezing. No other symptoms. Acted fine, so I watched her. Two days later the smaller sister began having problems with her one eye. It was swollen, and leaking. I took them to the Vet the next day. Their lungs were clear, but the Vet put them both on an antibiotic. The little sister's eye was so swollen that the Vet couldn't look into well. I was given eye drops to put in her eye. Over the next three days things did not improve, and the little sister began sneezing also, the day after I took them to the Vet. So, today I took them to the Vet again. They gave me a different antibiotic to give both of them. The little sister is more stuffed up, and doing some mouth breathing. Her eye is still so swollen they can't make a full assessment, but they think that her eye may be gone, or she will be blind in that eye. I am suppose to give them both the medicine, and keep up the eye drops for the little sister, then check back in with the Vet on Monday. Maybe sent to a special eye clinic. I just can't believe that I brought home two kittens that looked healthy and fine, and a couple of days later, they are both sick, and one may end up with only one eye. I love them, and will do whatever I can for them, and will keep them no matter what. I've beat myself up, but I know I didn't do anything wrong. I just feel so bad for them, and it certainly hasn't gone the way I thought it would owning these kittens for a week.
It may help top ask the breeder (if that is where you got them from) and see if the rest of the litter is doing fine. I have a feeling this is something that started before you got them. It could be the stress of going to a new home exacerbated the symptoms, but keep in mind that cold and respiratory problems have n an incubation period and therefore if they would have gotten sick at your home it would have taken longer than just one night for the symptoms to develop. You are doing all you can and actually doing much more than many owners would do. Best wishes for a speedy recovery~!
I have taken in my neighbors cat bc they left it when moved. I took to vet one time already bc she was very raspy and sounded awful. They gave her antibiotics and she was good after that. She has now had 5 kittens and her raspy lungs are back. She keeps opening her mouth trying to breathe and I don't have money fir another vet bill is there anything I can do. ( was pregnancy) when took her in. :/
Opening the hot water faucet in the shower and closing the door allowing her to breath the vapors without getting her wet may give relief but she really needs to see a vet if she has to keep her mouth open to breath.
Lady Guinevere Level 6 Commenter 3 years ago
I have two that are infected and are isolated. I talked with the Vet and he sujjexted on drop per nasla passage of Psuedonepherin. I did that with one of my other cats and she was very allergic to that and I almost lost her. She was foaming at the mouth and screaming. I gave her some charcoal nad within minutes she was better and by morning she was without the virus! Since she was an outdoor cat, I let her back outside ad she has been fine since and that was a month ago.
Now I just use a drop of salt water. It is non-toxic and breaks up the mucus --for a shorter period of time, but it allows the cat to eat and drink while it can breath easier.
For some reason only the girl cats got it much worse then the boys who only had it about a week and just the sniffles. They weren't as stopped up as the girls.