Help!!! Kitty question....

[clarice]

Our older cat has terrible stuffy nose /allergy symptoms...can barely breathe...been to the vet...allergy shots
but still VERY congested. I tried one of those booger suckers that you use on babies, but he won't stay still for it.
Can you give a large cat flo-naise(sp?)

[onehandle]

1. I would not give a cat a human drug without input from the Doctor.

What do you mean by barely breathe? Just through his/her nose, or does all breathing alarmingly labored?

Are they moving around and eating normally?

[clarice]

2. Yes...his nose is very stuffy... he's not in distress...just nose congestion. nt

[onehandle]

5. We've had a couple of cats who got very stuffy once in a while.

Sounds like the doctor has done everything they can do at this point.

Unless he is in distress, I'm afraid you'll just have to wait it out.

[Donkees]

3. Severe Congestion in Cats

Viral Causes of Severe Congestion
The most common reason that your cat may have a severely stuffy nose is a viral infection. Up to 90 percent of upper respiratory infections in cats are caused by one of two common viruses: feline herpesvirus (also called rhinovirus) and calicivirus. These two nasty bugs are easily transmitted from cat to cat, so most cats have been exposed to them. The most common annual cat vaccine, the FVRCP vaccine, includes a vaccination for both herpes and calici, but most cats already have the virus even before they have their first vaccines. In times of stress, the viruses will take over and cause your cat to develop a horrible cold, which often includes severe congestion. Unfortunately, antibiotics don't really help a viral infection, so you'll have to provide good supportive care while the virus runs its course, usually seven to 14 days.

Bacterial Causes of Severe Congestion
While viruses cause most kitty colds, some severe congestion is caused by bacterial infections. The most common bacterial agent is chlamydia, which is very easy to spread from cat to cat. These persistent bacteria generally affect cats' eyes, making them painful and irritated. But chlamydia can also cause severe congestion and even pneumonia. Unlike viruses, which just have to run their course, chlamydia can be treated with antibiotics. If you suspect that your feline friend may have been exposed to chlamydia at some point in her life, have her tested at your veterinarian if she develops any symptoms of severe congestion or conjunctivitis.

Care for Severe Congestion
Regardless of the cause of the congestion, your cat will need your help to get through a kitty cold. The most important thing you need to do is to encourage her to eat and drink. If your cat isn't eating well, try feeding her canned tuna or mackerel packed in water or bits of fresh rotisserie chicken. If she isn't drinking enough water, try adding a few drops of tuna juice or chicken stock to her water dish to make it tastier. You might also try a cat water fountain or leave a faucet dripping, as most cats prefer to drink from a moving water source. If she is really stuffy and having trouble breathing, have her hang out in the bathroom with you when you take a hot shower or keep her in a room with a humidifier for 10 to 15 minutes a few times a day. If your cat has chronic congestion as a result of feline herpes, ask your vet about adding L-lysine to her diet. L-lysine is an amino acid which makes the virus reproduce slower. L-lysine is safe to use on an ongoing basis and can help keep outbreaks under control. While L-lysine isn't as effective in managing calicivirus, it is still a good supplement to give your cat.

http://pets.thenest.com/severe-congestion-cats-7310.html

[clarice]

7. Very useful...thanks.nt

[unc70]

4. Are they eating?

If so, probably do little or nothing.

Since you went to the vet, if there had been a fever, he would have treated for that.

Are they using the litter box normally? If eating and using the litter box normally, then probably nothing serious. Might just be a bad cold. Cats feel miserable, look even worse, just like we do with a cold.

[clarice]

6. Yes...everything else with him is just fine.nt Thanks

[TexasBushwhacker]

8. You can give pets Robitussin

Just the plain Robitussin that only has guafenisin in it. NO ACETOMENIPHEN. It will help thin the mucous. Info here:

http://mobile.dudamobile.com/site/cat-health-guide?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cat-health-guide.org%2Ffelinecold.html&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F#2744

Dosage is 1/2 teaspoon per 10 pounds of body weight.

[clarice]

9. Thanks TB....gonna try it.nt

[hamsterjill]

10. Use a vaporizer or humidifier

I've used both depending on the severity of the congestion. For general, just stuffy symptoms, put the cat in a bathroom and run a humidifier. If you don't have a humidifier, you can run the shower until the room steams up.

For bad stuffiness, put the cat in the bathroom and run a vaporizer with some of the Vick's vaporizer stuff.

For really, really, need-a-jackhammer-to-break-through-the-stuffiness, put the cat in a carrier, cover with a towel and use a vaporizer under the towel (creating a literal sauna) for a few minutes. I do this for five minute intervals, removing the towel for a couple of minutes in between.

[clarice]

11. Thanks Jill...that's just what I did. nt

[Mosby]

16. FYI

Dr. ERWIN GELFAND (Chairman, Department of Pediatrics, National Jewish Health): There's a lot of old wives' tales about humidified air and how beneficial it is, because I think everybody thinks that if you have humidified air, it's easier to breathe.

SHUTE: Instead, Gelfand says there are lots of reasons to not use a humidifier. Those old-fashioned steam vaporizers can be dangerous.

Dr. GELFAND: A big risk, but the hot ones are burns. And, you know, for kids, many kids got burned with the old hot steam humidifiers.

SHUTE: The newer ultrasonic humidifiers can spread germs, mold and toxic metals.

Dr. GELFAND: So you can imagine in a humidifier that those bacteria, those molds may be growing as well, and what you're doing is you're dispersing them into the air.

http://www.npr.org/2011/01/07/132743646/Humidifiers-Dont-Do-Lick-Of-Good-Helping-Colds

[unc70]

12. How is he doing?

[Skittles]

13. always run that kind of stuff by your vet, clarice

(regarding medicine meant for humans)...probably not a good idea

I've gone through some weeks of wheezing with my cat - vet gave him a long lasting steroid shot

[MH1]

14. I have a cat with chronic congestion.

Vet says he has feline herpes, give him lysine to help prevent attacks, but also gave him antibiotics. This last time he prescribed the usual course plus an additional 2 x per week for 2 months. I'm about to the last week of it. He's been clear of congestion since about week 1 of the normal course. We'll see if he stays clear after he comes off the protracted dosage.

My vet says that even though herpes is viral and not treated directly by antibiotics, cats with herpes can be more vulnerable to bacterial infections as well, that's why the antibiotics work.

The odd thing is that I have another cat who rarely expresses symptoms now, but was very sick shortly after we got her. The vet says there's no doubt she has the herpes too. It's just a mystery why she doesn't suffer as much as the other kitty from the recurring bouts of congestion.

The other thing is to become a maniac about keeping the food and water dishes clean, to reduce any exposure to bacteria.

[Mosby]

15. Did your vet say anything about acyclovir?

There was an elephant at the Phx zoo (I think Ruby) that got some sort of Herpes, they treated it with massive doses of acyclovir.

[MH1]

17. No, last few times they've prescribed Zithromax.

I remember in the past it used to be Clavamox. But they said most cats tolerate Zithromax better so now they prefer to use that.

I haven't heard of acyclovir.

[Mosby]

18. I think some human antivirals can help

http://icatcare.org/advice/cat-health/feline-herpes-virus-fhv-infection