Buddy and Nikita have a cold--I think

[Janeway]

I think Buddy came down with a cold (lots of wet sneezes, watery eyes and appetite decrease) and now I think Nikita has it too. Nikita hasn't been sneezing as much, but he's got the watery eyes, congestion and decreased appetite. I had to take his supper (wet cat food) up to his sick bed (he's spent the day inside one of those carpet covered barrels with just the hole to get in and out). He stuck his head out and ate it all, but when these guys don't come running for their wet cat food I know they're not feeling well. To say they LOVE it doesn't quite describe it! Buddy is pretty much past the sneezing, but he's so congested. Poor thing snuffles when he eats. And I noticed icky reddish stains on the sheet and quilt (he sleeps under the covers), which I think is gunk from his eyes and maybe his nasel discharge. Does anyone know if I could give them a sudaphed tablet or maybe 1/2 a Benadryl to give them some relief? BTW, Buddy was at the vet a couple of weeks ago, which makes me wonder if he picked this bug up there.

[jazzcat]

If they might be having bloody nasal discharge I think they need to see a vet. Sounds like they may need some antibiotics to help clear it up. I don't think trying to medicate them with sudaphed or over the counter human drugs is a good idea. Since Buddy was just there maybe you could call your vet and see if they would give you something for him.

Some people have tried putting their cat in a bathroom with the door shut while a steamy hot shower runs. The steam sometimes will help clear out the congestion so they can breathe better and in turn helps them smell the food and eat better.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm so sorry to hear that your cats are sick. Yes, you can put them in the bathroom and make it steamy so they can breathe easier. If you have a vaporizer you can use this too. You can also buy Little Noses Pediatric Nose drops and try to put one drop in each nostril once a day to see if this will help.

I'd take them to the vet though because they may need more help to get over this. They may also become dehydrated and may need to have sub-q fluids depending on how bad they are. I hope that they feel better soon.

[Janeway]

Thank you Jazzcat and Krazyboutkats. I'm going to call the vet in the morning and see if I can take them in. Nikita actually came down to supper and ate, but I'm worried about dehydration. I pinched his skin and it didn't seem to snap back like it should. My babies are Cornish Rex and Nikita has a really weird coat, nice and wavy on shoulders, chest and legs, but practically bald on his back. The vet called it folicular dysplasia, where the hair grows in and then breaks off and doesn't grow back. Kinsie (my female) seems to have it also. So anyway when I say I pinched Nikita's skin, it's right there, not covered in fur. I'm also worried about the discharge I found on the sheet. I think I'm going to take ithe sheet with me rather than try to describe it. Funny thing is, Kinsie who seems to not the a cold yet, sleeps on the other side of the bed and there are marks over there as well, and I don't remember Buddy being over there. Nikita's been sleeping on a dark blanket (he came out of his sick hut today), so it'll be hard to see if he's got the discharge too.