Kitten cold just keeps getting worse - update

[Lizzie]

Elliot is just over 3 months old and I brought him home from the shelter 9 days ago. He started sneezing heavily two days after I got him and the vet put him on amoxi, and terramycin for his weepy eyes. Up until Wednesday afternoon, he continued to eat well and play strongly with his brother and sister. On Wednesday evening I found him listless and without appetite so I took him to the emergency vet. They said that since the cold was caused by a virus, the amoxi was only helping to hold off any secondary infections and that the cold virus would get worse before it got better. Well, it keeps getting worse and worse and I'm wondering if I should take him to the emergency vet and leave him with them. I've nursed kittens with colds before, and cats, but I've never seen one that has lasted this long or that keeps deepening.

I've been force feeding him since Wednesday evening which is very distressing because, as when I give him the amoxi and nose drops, he feels he is being suffocated. I do it very slowly, one cc at a time, rest, another cc, etc. I've been using Little Noses since Monday. On Thursday evening, I noticed that he had a little blood on his nose. I remembered one of my vet's techs remarking some time ago that when kittens sneeze a lot, they can get bloody noses, so I accepted it. This morning I gave him nose drops and he, of course, did a lot of sneezing and a good spray of blood came from his nose.

I talked to my vet on Thursday to check I was doing all possible. Then I stopped by my vet a short time ago, about half-an-hour before they close to ask advice. I really wanted to take him in for a check-up but knew that would be stressful for Elliot and the vet wouldn't want a highly contagious kitten in the practice if not necessary. Unfortunately, the vet was leaving early as he had no late appointment and his responses were rather brief and distracted. He just said that nose bleeds were not usually seen with colds and agreed I should stop the nose drops.

So my questions are:

Are small nose bleeds normal with kitten colds?
Are the nose drops to blame (they are non-alcohol so non-drying) or is it the sneezing?
I've had a borrowed humidifier running since yesterday evening. Should it be run all the time?

His breathing looked so odd a while ago that I nearly rushed him off to the emergency vet again. I saw his lower chest/abdomen rise and fall very slightly a few times, then he'd open his mouth and give a big breath, then nothing for several seconds, then another gasping breath. He's breathing more normally now or I'd be on the road.

When will this break? I long to see one small sign that it's starting to get better.

[Craftlady]

Personally, I would be at the ER vet with this little guy. I'd look for another vet for his regular one. Blowing you off because he is in a hurry to go somewhere is unexceptable.

[Laura's Babies]

Oh Lizzie, I would be as paniced as you are. I am sorry but I don't have any experience with kitty colds other than to say maybe run the humidifier around the clock for him... someone with experience may nix that suggestion so wait for the more experienced.

Have you researched on the internet about kitty colds and what to do?

[Lizzie]

Have you researched on the internet about kitty colds and what to do?

Laura - thanks for the concern.

Yes, I have and they all say what the vets have said - tough going and no magic bullet. I did find out that the nasal drops can have irritated the septum and that can cause small nose bleeds - so, no more nasal drops. I'm doing everything that everyone has told me to do. A few vet sites have said they administer prednisone and B12 shots, though there's always lots of controversy about the pred. The vet did give Nougat B12 several weeks ago when she had a calici virus cold but he didn't mention it for the kittens - perhaps they are just too young. Kittens are both more vulnerable because the cold is harder on them and because they can't be hit as hard with drugs.

I hardly dare say it, almost like I'm making it true, but now Ashley seems to be getting worse also.

I must remember that they are both tough cats that fight like mad when they are cocooned for treatment, so I've just got to keep up my end of the fight and hope.

It's good to be able to come here and worry everyone else as well as me. I just realized that my car is still parked on the street because when I got home from the vet all I could think of was getting on PT.

[Laura's Babies]

Keep a close eye on them (like anyone has to tell you that! ) and keep us posted. I will be watching this thread for updates and keeping my fingers crossed and praying that this passes fast.

[moosmom]

You might want to try bring the kitty in the bathroom. Close the door and turnthe shower onto hot. Let the steam build up in the bathroom. Kitty will get a little wet from the moisture, but it might help add moisture to his septum and also break up any congestion he has.

Little Noses are great. I use them whenever my cats get a URI. You might want to ask the vet about Zythromax. It's a pediatric antibiotic that really works well on cat URI's, speaking from personal experience.

I wouldn't wait too much longer before I take the kitty to the vet again. The last thing you want to do is have it turn into pneumonia.

Please keep us posted on your kitty's condition.

[smokey the elder]

There was a bad URI going around a couple of years ago. The vet put our cats on Zithromax. It worked very well. Good lick with the kitten.