Please Help!! Cat Can't Breathe!!!

[Emeraldgreen]

I have a 12 year old Maine Coon cat who started making deep rumbly sounds while purring about 6 weeks ago. I took him to the vet and they prescribed 2 weeks of Clavamox drops. He got worse and had begun wheezing and struggling for air. I brought him back and they did xrays, put him under anesthesia and looked at his larynx but couldn't see a mass or anything. They thought it might be his teeth so I had them cleaned and two teeth removed. He got worse. Then I took him to a different vet who had endoscopy equipment and they put him under anesthesia and looked at his esophogus, larynx, trachea and couldn't find anything. They prescribed a 10 day treatment of antibiotics (zithromyocin) for a bacterial infection in case that was it. After 10 more days he was even worse. I brought him back and they put him under again and examined his soft palette carefully and did more xrays and found nothing. They ran a fungal blood panel and sent it off to the lab and we are awaiting results. They sent blood off for a heartworm test too which came back negative. He has been on a high dose of prednisone for about a month now because without it he cannot breathe. I give him a 5mg tab in the a.m. and a 5mg tab at night.
Even though the fungal panel results are not back yet we are desperate and he is running out of time so the vet prescribed an anti-fungal medication called Fluconazole (about 180.00 for 15 days). I started him on it a few days ago. He is also now on Furosamide to alleviate any edema around his heart I think? It seemed to help yesterday but today he is doing terribly.
I know that the prednisone can make a mass shrink and hard to find if there is one but it's a catch 22 because I think he'll die without it. Of all 4 doctors from the 2 hospitals that have seen him, none have them have seen any evidence of a mass and all have looked.
Does anyone out there have any ideas of what else my cat could be dealing with? I'm open to any and all ideas at this point. Thanks.

[moosmom]

I have a 14 year old cat, Mollie Rose, who had years of breathing problems, sneezing, watery eyes and congestion. I put her on Chlortrimeton every other day. It worked for a while but she became immune to it.

I took her to the vet and she was diagnosed with kitty asthma. They put her on Zythromax and Prednisone. I told the vet I was concerned about the long term side effects, i.e.,liver problems, etc. She told me that at her age, it's more important to keep her comfortable and happy. I gave her the Prednisone and Zythromax and she's been fine.

I was going to have her sinuses x-rayed to see if she had any polyps but she was way too stressed out at the time. Since her problem has cleared up, I'll take the wait and see attitude.

Did your vet put her in a nebulizer to help clear up her breathing? Just curious.

Good luck with your kitty. Please keep us posted on her progress.

[Catty1]

That is something you could try - some Vicks-type stuff and a vaporizer.

CT scans will give a much clearer picture than x-rays, but they are expensive. Did they xray the lungs also?

If you can find something to just treat the symptoms, that might be the best, until a cause is found.

BTW - zithromax is an anti-viral.

[Emeraldgreen]

Thanks for you responses. None of the vets have used a nebulizer so far. I might try a vaporizer but it's not so much a stuffed up sound but more gasping and struggling to swallow and get air into his throat. He has no discharge from his eyes or nose and has never had a fever for this whole ordeal.
I've spoken to the vets about the possibility of laryngeal paralysis but they say it is very rare in cats and nothing was picked up during the endoscopy that would have shown that.
That's strange about the zithromax. I was sure he told me it was for a bacterial infection. If it wasn't, then we haven't tried to treat him for a bacterial infection yet though I thought we had. I'm starting to get dizzy with everything we've tried.
Does anyone know if symptoms worsen while treating for a fungal infection before they get better? Maybe he is worse because he is on day 3 of fungal meds?!?
All I know is I have to figure something out soon or I'm going to lose him.
Our house that we moved into a year a few months ago does have some moisture issues and we're trying to find someone to replace our leaking roof but all the roofers are too busy until late fall. I'm wondering if my cat can't breathe because of our house. It's raining today and he is dramatically worse today as well.
I'm even thinking of renting an RV or something to put him in so he's close by but not in our house. I just called a few places and they rent for 200.00 per day. Yikes.

[Freedom]

I don't have any ideas which have not already been posted. Welcome to Pet Talk. I am sorry you had to join us in a crisis, but glad you found us. There are lots of folks here with experience to offer and share. I hope you find a solution for your kitty soon.

[Catlady711]

Any possibilities I can think of, it already sounds like both vets have considered: collapsed trachea, asthma, tumors, heartworm, etc.

Some info on feline heartworms. They are a bit different than in dogs, including the testing for them.

Feline Heartworm Society (http://www.heartwormsociety.org/article.asp?id=16)

However, heartworms do not need to develop into adults to cause significant pulmonary damage in cats, and consequences can still be very serious when cats are infected by mosquitoes carrying heartworm larvae. Newly arriving worms and the subsequent death of most of these same worms can result in acute pulmonary inflammation response and lung injury. This initial phase is often misdiagnosed as asthma or allergic bronchitis but in actuality is part of a syndrome now known as Heartworm Associated Respiratory Disease (HARD).


Not that you haven't already spent a ton of money on tests, my only other suggestion would cost probably as much, but may provide some answers. Have you tried taking your cat to a specialist, someone that deals specifically with respiratory problems? One of your vets should be able to refer you to one that may be more familiar with this sort of thing.

I can understand how helpless and anguished you must feel. It's awful to see our furry friends suffering and not know how to help them feel better. I hope your kitty gets better very soon and is with you a long time to come.

[Catty1]

It might be the stuff in your house...check with your vet on TRYING an antihistamine for allergies. Just to see. If he is on Prednisone, he can't use Benadryl, but there is another Chlor Tripolon type that you can use. You can use the human stuff - just get the right dosage from your vet.

Also - do you have an ionizing air filter? Bionaire makes one, and there are others - they are not too expensive, and can clear the air in a room in a couple of hours. It would be good for humans also! If he is ok with it, put him in a bathroom or small room with this running, and see if it helps.

I understand that Clavamox was an anti-bacterial medication.

ETA: I agree with Catlady about getting a referral to a specialist. My mom did that, and it resulted in fixing the problem. Her cat had bad sinus stuff. Your kitty may not need surgery. It is amazing the things specialists pick up on! :)

[jennielynn1970]

My mom and dad had a Maine Coon previously. They also have a maine coon now that is a kitten.

We were told that the breed is susceptible to heart problems. You mentioned fluid around the heart.

Have they checked the heart for more problems??

Tiny, my dad's original Maine Coon, passed away from congestive heart failure. I know that isn't good news, but he was on the same heart medication that my father was (my dad has heart problems as well).

Can you find out whether it is a heart condition, and whether medication for congestive heart failure, or whatever the issue may be, could help???

I'm not saying that that's what your Maine Coon has, but I wanted to make you aware of what we found about the heart condition problems that is common for that breed.

[Emeraldgreen]

Thank you so much for the fresh ideas. I was starting to feel absolutely hopeless but now I have some new things to look into! I will call my vet tomorrow and ask about the Chlor Tripolon (someone else also mentioned that in a reply to my post) and give it a try providing he thinks it's okay to mix it with the 3 other drugs he's on.
I will look into the ionizing air filter tomorrow and set it up in our smaller bedroom with him in it and see if I can get any improvements. I have another cat with asthma who shares a room with him so they would both benefit from it I think.
We are finishing some repairs on this house (including the roof) and then we are moving, hopefully by October. We are going to build a small cabin that is nice and dry so we and our pets will have a healthy home. We are trying to make this one healthy too so the next people and their pets don't have to suffer.
I did just try to use a humidifier with him under a sheet but he seemed quite uncomfortable and I didn't want to force him so I stopped. I just thought that maybe his nasal passages might be stuffed on top of his throat problems and it would help but the added moisture seemed to be bothering him. It was probably a bad idea anyway.
I will also look into the possibility of a specialist. Who knows, maybe it's a sinus thing with my cat too?!? I'm desperate for a diagnosis. It's very hard grasping at straws while each day he gets worse. I've already spent 3,500 and he is worse than when I first brought him in 6 weeks ago.
I did have him tested for heartworm last week and the results came back yesterday as negative so that has been a big relief.
The vet did give me ivermectin to give to Tiger but I didn't want to give it to him until the heartworm test results came back. The vet gave me the ivermectin because he thought this all might be due to lungworm or roundworm. He also gave me a heavy duty steroid to give to him 24 hours before and 24 hours after the treatment to help him if he has a serious inflammatory respiratory response if he starts throwing up worms. I was going to try it in a few weeks if the Fluconazole (anti-fungal) wasn't having any effect but he has been doing so poorly I have to make some decisions now. Thanks again everybody. If you think of anything else, let me know! :)
p.s. Your help means a great deal. I just lost my 6 year old cat Charlie 6 days ago at the vet. He was having a lump removed and he died unexpectedly while recovering from the anesthesia. I was so devastated and wished I had just let him live with the lump. He was a happy and healthy guy with a lump. Anyway, I'm determined not to lose Tiger.

[Medusa]

This is so frustrating for you, I'm sure. I know you say they checked her esophagus but my Yodie breathed like that to the point where my son called her Darth. She actually rattled when she breathed and she had no discharge anywhere. Turns out she had an ear polyp that grew into the back of her throat. This sounds so much like that but you say the tests showed nothing. I don't like the sound of the possible congestive heart failure. That could also cause that type of breathing. I'm so sorry not to be of any help.

[Catty1]

Do see a specialist ASAP.

HUGS to Tiger...and I am so sorry you lost Charlie. :(

HUGS!

[Emeraldgreen]

Thanks Jenn and Medusa, I'm so glad I found this forum. You guys are giving me more to think about than 4 vets have in 6 weeks. I know they have been trying their best as well but it has been very trying.
The ear polyp thought did come up with one of the vets. They haven't been able to pick up anything on the xrays or by manually looking at the ears. He has always been very sensitive about his ears, especially in recent years and never wants them touched. They always looked very clean but when he was under for the endoscopy the vet said she pulled alot of debris out of one his ear canals from deep down. She said it looked as if the debris had been there for a long time and she was amazed at how much she found. She seemed to think that if there was a polyp, there wasn't much to be done about it, at least at their hospital. Did your pet have the polyp removed? If so, was it a very involved surgery? Was your pets prognosis good after the surgery? Any details would be very helpful. I will also look it up on the net.
Jenn, your idea of congestive heart failure is interesting. No one has suggested it so far and I had not known about it being an issue with maine coons. I didn't get him from a breeder or anything so I'm not to familiar with the breed except that I think they are wonderfully regal and beautiful. I found him living in a snowbank near Montreal living as a stray. He is a big cat and the 'boss' of the other cats.
I have a video of him having breathing difficulties on youtube that I put up there for my vets to see. Are we allowed to post links on this forum? If so, I can post the link if anyone is interested in listening to him breathing. These videos were taken last week. He is worse now though and has a 'whistling' dry sound coming out these days. It's very scary to listen to and he keeps looking at me as if he is saying "do something!!" I feel terrible. :(

[Medusa]

Yes, Yodie had laser surgery done on it and she came through it fine. By the time I rescued her, the polyp was quite visible, though. It was growing out of her ear and down into her throat and was literally strangling her because it was the size of a silver dollar. She was so thin because she couldn't eat and could barely swallow. The problem w/polyps is that they usually grow back but Yoda's surgery was over 2 years ago and she's checked regularly and so far the polyp hasn't grown back. My vet instinctively gave it a tug and he feels that he got the root of it. Polyps aren't always easy to detect but, as I said, in Yoda's case hers was because it had grown to such proportions. It can also grow into the sinus cavities and/or affect the sinuses to the point of causing breathing problems, too. I really hope your kitty doesn't have one but if she does, the sooner it's removed the better. Not all vets are qualified to do it. My vet is a specialist in that type of surgery; I lucked out there. If you have any further questions, please feel free to PM me. :)

[jennielynn1970]

So, this rumbling sound and the whistling....

Is this coming from his chest or is this coming from the head/sinus area?

My dad's one cat, who had been a stray, also had something called Lung Worm. He definitely had rumbling in his chest from that. It sounds gross to have worms in the lungs, but the vet said strays who ate rodents etc... were susceptible to it.

[Catlady711]

I have a video of him having breathing difficulties on youtube that I put up there for my vets to see. Are we allowed to post links on this forum?


Yes, people post links to websites and youtube all the time.

[kt_luvs_kitties]

First off welcome to PT!!!!

I am so sorry about your Charlie. How devastating :(

With Tiger.. Seems like all that I thought of has been mentioned already.

BUT if you do think it could be moisture within the house maybe making him worse, instead of renting the RV for 200 daily, how about calling local vets/boarding facilities, and seeing if they have ionic air filters within their rooms. And then you could board Tiger for a few days, and see how he has improved? Just a thought. Prayers are being said for Tiger and his meowmie. I hope you can get this straightened out! Katie and kitties

[kt_luvs_kitties]

Also I forgot to say yes, I would love too hear/see the video. It is allowed. :D

[Emeraldgreen]

I went upstairs to see if I could get another video of Tiger but I lost my place at the computer- my hubby jumped on and said it was 'his turn' :)
The video I just took didn't really turn out anyway but I'll post the links to the other 3 videos of Tiger taken over the last few weeks. One is really dark but you can hear the sounds in it quite well.
I was thinking a similar thought too Katie. I called the vet today and asked them if they would board him for a few days. They said they could for 23.00 a day but that they only have people there from 8:00-5:30 and with the weekend upon us, there would only be someone popping in on Sunday for a brief time. I think I will see about getting my own ionic filter and then maybe see about boarding him for a few days as well during the week and see if any improvement is made.
The rumbly whistling sounds seem to be coming from his throat, right under his chin area, maybe a bit lower.
I have to say though that I'm really hoping it's a polyp because a fungal infection could take up to 8 months to treat and the meds seem to be taking their toll on Tiger and on our pocket book! Congestive heart failure would be horrible and laryngeal paralysis involves a specialized surgery that can have complications afterward with aspirating food and water. If I can find a vet who knows how to look for polyps and how to treat it, that would be awesome. I will begin looking tomorrow.
In the meantime, here are the three links of my Tiger. There are some other videos posted of my cat George in my group of videos. He has been having respiratory problems too but the vets haven't been able to make a connection.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCxk1Gy4jsQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJKxCT1SJ48

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzDb9riUtt8

[Emeraldgreen]

I forgot to mention one more symptom which I think ties in with the polyp idea. Tiger's balance has been off. I mentioned this to the vet but it was thought that maybe that had been due to the debris build up in his ear or possibly to neurological issues in relation to fungal infection. But a polyp in an ear I think would definitely have an effect on balance.
Just now I did a bit of research on the net and found a site that mentioned that xrays have a low accuracy for the detecttion of polyps which would explain why the half dozen xrays they've taken haven't shown anything.
I'll see if I can find a vet with a ct scan. I had one done where we used to live on my cat George here in B.C. and the results are then sent to the university of Colorado (I think) and are examined by specialists there. It's expensive but I'm on a mission to save this guy. I'll just sell my car or something, he's worth it. :)
Lastly, and you guys might think I'm crazy but I was so desperate a few days ago that I contacted that famous pet psychic named Dr. Monica. You send her a picture and she picks a time to 'communicate' with your pet and then contacts you with the information she gets from 'speaking' with your pet. I know it's off the wall but 4 doctors later and no answers, I'm trying everything there is before I give up. Anyway, she said that he told her he cannot be stoic for much longer. He is feeling angry that he can't breathe and doesn't like the other cats seeing him this way because he is the 'top cat'. He said that the only way he could describe the way it feels is that he can't swallow properly and that it feels like half his throat/trachea area is working and the other half has a kink in it or isn't functioning.
I'm thinking about how you mentioned the polyp pressing on your pet Yodie's throat area Medusa and maybe that is what Tiger was trying to describe to Monica. If of course she actually communicated with him. Yikes, I've lost it. LOL

[Catty1]

There is a pet psychic that many people use here - her name is Nancy Efrusy.

Believe me, don't think you've lost it. She is amazing. No money up front, she is flexible and loves animals.

I hope you can find a vet to check on a polyp. Also - with your cat George having breathing problems...the only common tie might be the air.

That filter might be worth it - it would be nice if you could borrow one, as you don't want to spend any more money than you have to. Then, if it works, you can buy it.

BTW - if surgery seems necessary for some reason, check out www.imom.org They help raise funds for non-regular surgeries. Just info for you.

ETA: Just watched the videos...Tiger is just gorgeous! I love his sweet face - he looks like such a love!

I hope the problem gets discovered quickly...poor baby!

HUGS to him and to you!

[Emeraldgreen]

Thanks Catty1! I think he is very handsome too. I've had him for 11 years. I tried to attach his picture as my avator but it didn't work for some reason.
I'll check out that website you suggested regarding funds. Thanks for that.
I think I will go ahead and buy the filter because my other cat Jimmy who has asthma (he had asthma when I adopted him) would probably benefit from it. He is a really sweet cat and sadly was Charlie's best friend in the world. They were real pals and ate together and slept together and wrestled just about everyday. He is pretty lost right now. I've been giving him tons of affection but it's tough. Tiger is his number two guy which is another reason I've got to save him. I'm not sure Jimmy could lose two buddies in such a short time.
Glad to hear that I'm not the only one who would try using a psychic! LOL I'll google the psychic Nancy and see what I can find out. :)

[Catty1]

Here's the info!


[email protected] - Nancy Efrusy

She works from a photo, and her prices are resonable. She lives in the USA.

Lots of folks here on PT have used her, with great results.

Good luck!

[jennielynn1970]

Oh my ..... poor Tiger. Those videos really drive home the wheezing.

It really does sound like he's gagging on something. Poor guy!!

I hope you can get a CT scan or something and find out quickly what is wrong with Tiger. Listening to him just breaks my heart!

Big hugs to Tiger and to Jimmy... it's hard on animals when they lose their buddies.

[Emeraldgreen]

Thanks Jenn. :)
I'm off to bed so I can get ready for tomorrow. Lot's to do and to think about thanks to all of you. I feel so much more hope. :D
p.s. thanks for the email address Catty1.

[krazyaboutkatz]

Welcome to PT.:) I'm so sorry to hear about Tiger and about Charlie's passing.:( I just watched the videos and Tiger sure is a handsome boy. I hope that one of the vets will be able to find out what's causing this and that it can be easily treated. Lots of prayers and positive thoughts are being sent his way.

I've used the pet psychic Nancy Efrusy and she's a very nice caring lady. I think she's on vacation right now though. If you e-mail her be sure to include Tigers picture and also your phone number. She likes to call you and talk to you by phone if possible. Good luck.:)

[Emeraldgreen]

Hi, just wanted to post an update about my cat Tiger. Today I went and picked up a Honeywell Ionizing Air Purifier that deals with mold spores, pollen and dust and stuff. I set it up in the room that Tiger sleeps in and within 10 minutes I couldn't believe the difference in the freshness of the air. It was such a change and I'm hoping that it will make a difference in Tiger.
I also dropped off another stool sample at my vet today that she sent off to a lab to see if they could find any evidence of any parasites or anything else. I thought she would just run a fecal at her clinic but she said that she wanted a second opinion.
I also spoke with her about chlor tripolon and she said it would be fine to give him 2-4 mg twice a day along with the prednisilone. She thought benedryl would be fine too but I had tried to give him that a few weeks ago and he wouldn't touch the food I had it crushed up in. I'm trying not to 'pill' him because of his sensitive throat and stuff. Thankfully, he ate up his wet food with the chlor tripolon with no hesitation.
My vet also suggested that I try using an asthma pump in addition to the prednisilone and then start weaning him off the pred. pills because they are more taxing on the body than the inhaler. So, I'm going to start that on Monday with a child chamber dispenser that has a mask thing.
If no improvement is made by mid week or towards the end of the week, I'm going to take him to a vet a few hours away who has endoscopy equipment small enough to look into his nasal passages and hopefully he can look into his ears somehow.
I called one of the only two vets in the whole province today who has a cat scanner and it's pretty expensive. The scan alone is 800.00 and then surgery if they find something will be above and beyond that cost. The other thing is that they are a 12 hour journey away for us and we'd have to hang around for 3-4 days once there and then head back and it's tough manage with our jobs. But who knows, maybe we'll end up there. Hope to get this solved without a scanner if possible though.
My vet mentioned that sometimes you have to wait for a polyp to grow bigger for it to start showing up and become visible. If there is one, I guess it's getting bigger each day so hopefully someone will find it if it's there. Thanks again to everybody for your help and suggestions.

[Catty1]

First- glad you aren't using Benadryl, because it is not compatible with Prednisone! (ask your friendly pharmacist :) )

Those filter machines are pretty amazing, aren't they? I hope Tiger starts feeling better...and your asthmatic baby too!

Jenn's cat - was it Jenn's? - had an ear polyp. I don't think she had to resort fo CT scans, though I don't know. Please ask your vet who might be able to have a look for it! They can be kind of...not good!

Of course, if the antihistamine and air restore his balance, then you will know it is sinuses and not a polyp...but try and get that eliminated from the list of possibilities ASAP.

[Emeraldgreen]

Mary said her cat Yodie had an ear polyp but I think she mentioned that it was so big that equipment wasn't needed to see it. In Tiger's case, if he does have one, xrays aren't picking it up (he's had 7 of those so far). The endoscopy that was done was just in his throat area and esophogus because they didn't have a camera that was 2.5 mm to fit into his nasal passage for rhinoscopy where polyps sometimes grow so I might be going to see a vet who will be able to do that for Tiger if the 'fresh air' experiment doesn't improve things. :) I don't know if they can use endoscopy equipment for the ears but my vet (the first vet we went to 6 weeks ago) said that she had gone looking for a mass or a polyp when he was under but her clinic doesn't have any endoscopy equipment so she could only see what she could see with her eyes and that's when she recommended we go to the next vet we saw who did have the equipment but as it turned out, not the smaller 2.5mm camera. This sure is a learning experience!
I definitely remembered what you had said yesterday about the Benedryl and kind of shuttered at the thought that I had tried to give it to Tiger a few weeks back but thankfully he wouldn't eat it. For some reason though both the pharmacist and the vet said there was no issue with giving benedryl with prednisone when I asked about it. But, the fact that you had said that they shouldn't be combined was enough of a worry for me to not even go that route, especially since there is the option of chlor tripolon which everyone seems to agree is safe. The dosage recommended by the pharmacist didn't match what the vet suggested which I found a bit un-nerving but I'm going with the vet's prescribed dose (2-4mg twice a day).
I just checked on him and he seems a little more comfortable than yesterday. Here's hoping that this has been a reaction to pollutants in the air. That is something we can definitely solve.
Thanks again. :)

[Laura's Babies]

My gosh! I just wandered over here to see if there was anything interesting. Your POOR BABY!! I can only imagine how miserable he is and how worried you are. I hope you can get to the bottom of it soon. Please keep us posted as to how he does and what you are doing. He is so handsome!

[Catty1]

I am glad to hear Tiger is more comfortable...the more comfy he is, the less 'stoic' he has to be. :)

It'll be interesting to hear what the antihistamine and clearer air is doing for him.

It the filter helping your asthmatic baby as well?

hugs and prayers!

[Emeraldgreen]

Hi Laura, thanks for your kind words about Tiger.
Well, I gave him half a pill of pred last night instead of his usual full 5mg dose along with 2mg of Chlor Tripolon and he slept all night in the room with the air filter. But by 7:00a.m. this morning when I went to check on him he was wheezing as he has been for the past few weeks so I gave him his full dose of pred and the wheezing quieted down but he doesn't have much energy to move more than a few feet and then lie down again. He's hungry alot as usual but the vets think that is due to the high dose of pred he is on.
My asthmatic cat Jimmy seems to be benefiting from the filter though and wouldn't come out of the room last night which is not the norm for him. He is usually the first to race out of there to tear around the rest of the house but last night when we opened the door and called and called him, he just lay in his bed staring at us and wouldn't budge. I think the fresh air felt good. He is in very good spirits today as well, more so than usual so I'm glad we got the filter.
I just wish it would make a change in Tiger but it is looking like I will have to take him to the other vet a few hours away who has the smaller endoscopy equipment. If he finds something, I'll ask him to do the surgery. I'll be putting all my hope in this vet as I don't think we can afford a 6th one after him so if anyone has time to pray for Tiger, we'd sure appreciate it. Thanks again for caring and for helping with your many suggestions.

[Medusa]

Big time prayers headed Tiger's way and yours, too. To not be able to breathe is the worst!

[Emeraldgreen]

Thank you so much Mary and thank you Candace too! I think I might be taking a float plane to get to the vet. I'm hoping that it's not going to freak Tiger out too much but it's cheaper and fast than taking the ferries and using our truck with all the gas it needs. I'll make sure to cover his cage with a blanket to keep him calm.
I might wait until Tuesday to see what if any results come back from the fungal panel and/or the fecal test.
I'll definitely keep you posted. Thanks.

[Catty1]

Hoping the best for Tiger! :)

[Emeraldgreen]

Thanks Candace! :)
Well, the fungal panel results came back today from the vet and everything was negative so I'm glad I followed my instincts and stopped giving him the anti-fungal meds two days into his treatment. It was making him worse and now it turns out he didn't need it anyway. I have heard that a fungal infection can show up as negative but the odds are that the results are correct. The panel covered things like aspergilllus, blasto, crypto-coccous and things.
So, on with the plan to see the new vet on Thursday morning. Picked up an asthma inhaler today and will see if he'll 'let me' use it on him. I'm sure I could force it but I'm trying to be extra gentle with him because I can only imagine what it must feel like trying to get enough air and you can't and then your 'mom' is coming at you with this crazy aparatus covering your face. I wish he could understand that I'm trying to help him. He's such a sweetie, I hope we make it through this.

[jennielynn1970]

Poor Tiger... I hope you can find what is wrong and get him to start feeling better. Poor boy.

Thoughts and prayers for Tiger and your family.

[kimlovescats]

Bless your poor baby and you for having to listen to and watch him struggle for air! :( I watched his first video and it broke my heart. He sounds like he has something hung in his throat and it is choking him! Surely all of the endoscopies would have shown that though. Gosh, I know you must be so very frustrated!!!

BIG HUGS and prayers that a vet is soon able to get this figured out!

Kim

[mars]

So sorry to hear about your little guy.

My sister's cat recently died from something that sounds fairly like what you describe. He developed a kind of gasping breathing, not because something was in his airways, but because his chest cavity had filled with fluid and his lungs could not fill with air. He was treated initially for hairballs, and then allergy. By the time they figured out it was congestive heart failure, it was too late to put him on any kind of treatment. :(

I am not trying to freak you out, and I apologize for sounding this distressing note, but if this is what your cat suffers from, and you catch it soon enough, perhaps it can be treated.

Best wishes to you.

[Angelkitty]

I have a 12 year old Maine Coon cat who started making deep rumbly sounds while purring about 6 weeks ago. I took him to the vet and they prescribed 2 weeks of Clavamox drops. He got worse and had begun wheezing and struggling for air. I brought him back and they did xrays, put him under anesthesia and looked at his larynx but couldn't see a mass or anything. They thought it might be his teeth so I had them cleaned and two teeth removed. He got worse. Then I took him to a different vet who had endoscopy equipment and they put him under anesthesia and looked at his esophogus, larynx, trachea and couldn't find anything. They prescribed a 10 day treatment of antibiotics (zithromyocin) for a bacterial infection in case that was it. After 10 more days he was even worse. I brought him back and they put him under again and examined his soft palette carefully and did more xrays and found nothing. They ran a fungal blood panel and sent it off to the lab and we are awaiting results. They sent blood off for a heartworm test too which came back negative. He has been on a high dose of prednisone for about a month now because without it he cannot breathe. I give him a 5mg tab in the a.m. and a 5mg tab at night.
Even though the fungal panel results are not back yet we are desperate and he is running out of time so the vet prescribed an anti-fungal medication called Fluconazole (about 180.00 for 15 days). I started him on it a few days ago. He is also now on Furosamide to alleviate any edema around his heart I think? It seemed to help yesterday but today he is doing terribly.
I know that the prednisone can make a mass shrink and hard to find if there is one but it's a catch 22 because I think he'll die without it. Of all 4 doctors from the 2 hospitals that have seen him, none have them have seen any evidence of a mass and all have looked.
Does anyone out there have any ideas of what else my cat could be dealing with? I'm open to any and all ideas at this point. Thanks.

Hi, I am here reading and I thought I would tell you that my kitty "Lorraine" has the same problem. Here is a like that I think can be helpful in understanding the possible problem.

http://www.holisticvetpetcare.com/congestive-heart-failure-lung.htm

As you have, I tried everything for Lorraine with very minimal results. At our local health food store the woman who owns it is an avid pet lover and is very much against vaccinations for pets because of the long term effects. I told her how everything else the vet has done has NOT worked and she said to start Lorraine on a diet of wet cat food that is completely "Grain free" and give Lorraine as much green raw vegetables as she will eat. The funny thing when she said this to me was that every time I would put Lorraine out on my bedroom deck, Lorraine would reach to eat the leaves on the trees. She explained that Lorraine knew her body was lacking chlorophyll. It just so happened that I grew a herb garden this year so I started putting lots of cut up parsley in here food. To my amazement she eats every bit of it!!! I also give her fresh basil, broccoli and green beans (RAW) in her grain free cat food.

I must tell you that this isn't an over night fix but slowly she has shown improvement and I can say she has shown more improvement then she did with all the vet's treatment. This link also hit me with the fact that pets teeth decay have a lot to do with their heart and lung health. The first thing the vet said when I brought Lorraine in was how awful her teeth are.

I hope this helps. I am also going to try the sauna method I read online. Putting the pet in a carrier and leaving a pan of boiling water in front of the cage with a towel over the cage and pan of water for 20 minutes. I wonder if some herbs in the water would help as well. It's worth trying at least once.

Good luck ....

[Catlady711]

Hi, I am here reading and I thought I would tell you that my kitty "Lorraine" has the same problem. Here is a like that I think can be helpful in understanding the possible problem.

http://www.holisticvetpetcare.com/congestive-heart-failure-lung.htm

As you have, I tried everything for Lorraine with very minimal results. At our local health food store the woman who owns it is an avid pet lover and is very much against vaccinations for pets because of the long term effects. I told her how everything else the vet has done has NOT worked and she said to start Lorraine on a diet of wet cat food that is completely "Grain free" and give Lorraine as much green raw vegetables as she will eat. The funny thing when she said this to me was that every time I would put Lorraine out on my bedroom deck, Lorraine would reach to eat the leaves on the trees. She explained that Lorraine knew her body was lacking chlorophyll. It just so happened that I grew a herb garden this year so I started putting lots of cut up parsley in here food. To my amazement she eats every bit of it!!! I also give her fresh basil, broccoli and green beans (RAW) in her grain free cat food.

I must tell you that this isn't an over night fix but slowly she has shown improvement and I can say she has shown more improvement then she did with all the vet's treatment. This link also hit me with the fact that pets teeth decay have a lot to do with their heart and lung health. The first thing the vet said when I brought Lorraine in was how awful her teeth are.

I hope this helps. I am also going to try the sauna method I read online. Putting the pet in a carrier and leaving a pan of boiling water in front of the cage with a towel over the cage and pan of water for 20 minutes. I wonder if some herbs in the water would help as well. It's worth trying at least once.

Good luck ....

Welcome to PetTalk.

Just wanted to let you know that this thread is over a year old, and Tiger has since passed away.

[Catty1]

Thanks, Catlady.

I PM'd her yesterday as well, and gave her a couple of links to look up if she wanted.

[Emeraldgreen]

I must say, I was sure surprised when I saw this thread with a new post! Thank you very much Angelkitty for your suggestions but as mentioned by Catlady and Catty1, Tiger has since passed away (August 1st, 2008).
It turned out in the end that he was battling Squamous Cell Carcinoma and had a tumour removed. It was actually removed 4 times but grew back very aggressively each time. I did have a whole year with him which Iam very grateful for.
I do appreciate your post and I'm going to use some of your suggestions for my dog Finnigan! He is a real nut for vegetables and doesn't like meat very much. I'm now wondering if he might be 'low' in chlorophyll. I will add some parsley and other veggies to his diet and how he does. Thanks. :)

p.s. I hope that your cat Lorraine will continue to improve and do well. Take care.

p.p.s. I found this picture of Tiger recently and I didn't want to start a new thread just to post it so maybe I'll just include it with this one. I had mentioned in my very last thread about Tiger that my favourite memory of him was of him racing from apple tree to apple tree at our old house. I couldn't believe my eyes when I found a picture of him in mid-air after bolting from from one of the trees. I'll include it here if anyone wants to see it. I hope he is having as much fun at Rainbow Bridge as he was the day this pic was taken back in 2004. :)

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd102/emeraldcreek/Tigerandhisappletrees-1.jpg

[Moesha]

I'm so glad to see more pictures and posts about Tiger. I sure miss that little big guy!

[tkocianic]

Hi everybody,

Looking for some good advice.

I have a kitty, 13 years old and otherwise in good health, who is having trouble breathing through her nose (vet thinks it's polyps). She can mouth breathe, but sounds raspy. I don't think she is really eating or drinking and I think maybe she is having trouble because she can't eat/drink and breathe at the same time.

Vet has given injections of a steroid and a long acting antibiotic and she is on Sub-Q fluids for dehydration and B12 to stimulate appetite. This has been a seasonal issue for her for years, but now it is more severe, constant, and the steroids don't seem to be working (it used to be that she got her shots every 3-6months when she sounded snuffley and was 100% fine and had no breathing troubles in between).

Anyone know of a specialist in Ohio. My vet says the only surgical option is to open her skull, but it sounds from this old post like there might be some other way to remove the polyps.

Does anybody have any bright ideas at all of anything else we can do?

[Medusa]

Hi everybody,

Looking for some good advice.

I have a kitty, 13 years old and otherwise in good health, who is having trouble breathing through her nose (vet thinks it's polyps). She can mouth breathe, but sounds raspy. I don't think she is really eating or drinking and I think maybe she is having trouble because she can't eat/drink and breathe at the same time.

Vet has given injections of a steroid and a long acting antibiotic and she is on Sub-Q fluids for dehydration and B12 to stimulate appetite. This has been a seasonal issue for her for years, but now it is more severe, constant, and the steroids don't seem to be working (it used to be that she got her shots every 3-6months when she sounded snuffley and was 100% fine and had no breathing troubles in between).

Anyone know of a specialist in Ohio. My vet says the only surgical option is to open her skull, but it sounds from this old post like there might be some other way to remove the polyps.

Does anybody have any bright ideas at all of anything else we can do?

I'm not sure why this is posted here. I'd suggest moving it by starting your own thread so that more people see it. That said...

My cat Yoda has had a polyp removed twice. Both started in her ear; the first one grew down into her throat and the other grew down into her ear canal. The first one my vet was able to laser out. For the second one, he had to open her up a bit. The problem w/polyps is that unless you get the "head", ie., the root, it will grow back and even then, there's no guarantee that another one won't develop. Yoda has had 5 five years between polyps so I opt for surgery.

In what part of Ohio are you located? I live in Ohio as well and my vet is the absolute best. I told him that I forbid him to retire. ;) Many vets have neither the experience nor the surgical instruments to do such surgery but my vet does. So if it isn't too far for you to go, you can PM me and I'll be happy to pass on his name, address and phone number and answer any questions you may have. I'd at least see him for a second opinion. Whatever the case, that polyp MUST come out b/c it will only continue to grow and, God forbid, if it grows upward into her brain, then there won't be too much you can do for her. Time is of the essence b/c they grow quickly.

I hope I didn't frighten you but I want to stress how important it is for you to move as quickly as possible on this. I do hope you'll PM me. And above all, keep the faythe. :love: