Info request: Upper Resp. Infection in older cats?

Hi,

I've been AWOL for a while, sorry to come back with a health question. My darling Sis' new husband's cat (Mr. Whiskers) is a 14 year old Oriental cat who has chronic Upper Respiratory Infection. It can be controlled with antibiotics, but they've noticed Mr. Whiskers seems to react badly to the meds otherwise and they're worried about repeated use. They asked if there was an herbal supplement or treatment that was easier on a senior cat. I drew a blank, but thought some of the experts here might have some suggestions. Please?

Thank you!

I'm sorry to hear this.:( Are they sure that it's a URI or could it just be allergy problems? Sky gets sneezing attacks and gets very congested and this seems to happen all year. My holistic vet gave him a few acupunture treatments but I don't think that they really helped him very much. He's also still taking an herbal tea pill called Er Chen by Plumflower which you can buy online. He takes one in the morning and one in the evening. It helps him some but sometimes he'll still sound bad.:( He goes in for his annual exam in June to my regular vet so hopefully I'll learn what might be causing this. My holistic vet thinks that it might be due to over vacinating him with the FVRCP vaccine which he seemed to be very sensitive to. Maybe your sister could take Mr. Whiskers to a holistic vet. Good luck.:)

AmberLee,

Mollie Rose, who will be 15 or 16 next month, has chronic UR problems. She was diagnosed with kitty asthma. To keep the runny nose/eyes, sneezing I give her a Chlortrimeton every other day. It works and she's comfortable. For a stuffy nose, I'll use "Little Noses", a pediatric, non-medicinal nose drops. She hates it, but it works.

Not sure if you've heard of/read about the use of Apple Cider Vinegar to treat some pet maladies. I've excerpted this from a great site Earth Clinic Folk Remedies specifically the Apple Cider Vinegar for PETS section:

Marcella from Petaluma, CA writes: "ACV for Cats: Three Cheers! My seven-month-old rescue kitty came into my home with an upper respiratory infection and later developed some conjunctivitis in his left eye. Following the advice on this page, I gave him a dropperful of ACV right into the fur on the nape of his neck and massaged it down into his skin. Some of the liquid ran down the sides of his neck, where he licked it off. Within 90 minutes of his first dose, the conjunctivitis started to clear up, and his energy perked up considerably. He is now free of both the upper respiratory issue and the eye infection, with no vet visit needed. I know give him a maintenance dose every few days and yes, he's a little stinky from the vinegar, but happy and healthy nonetheless. I've also started taking the ACV myself. Good stuff."

I use ACV on the scruff of the neck for both of my cats for a couple months now and have had great success with no more weepy eyes.

Perhaps others will stop by and offer additional suggestions.