Update: Six and counting, Spunky's much better.

[mrspunkysmom]

See my last post.

This is more of a vent and some news.

This is the 3rd vet visit in two weeks. And I have a 4th two weeks from now to get LJ spayed and her rabies shot. This has been an expensive month.

Friday night Spunky developed what looked like allergic rhinitis. His eyes were red and runny and there was infected goop running from his eyes. So off to the vet this morning (before getting the car serviced.) He has an upper and lower respiratory infection (he could hear the wheezing) and the vet will call early in the week to see how he is doing. WOW. He got some antibiotics and a refill on the eye cream.

This is an old vet that is a new one again. About 4 weeks back, I took Spunky and Sam to a different vet (to check him out, too) to get some shots and to treat their chronic infections, congested sinus for Spunks and stomatitus for SAM. HE said they were fine, but I was worried. I could hear Spunky's lungs and smell Sam's breath.

To keep it short, I won't be going back to the vet of 4 weeks back.

It seems that most of the vets in the area follow similar pricing practices. Shots are expensive and include multiple services. You can't get around it. I thought of taking LJ to the human society for her spay but the HS requires every vacc they can think of before they will do surgery.

At least the vet today was nice.

More later

[mrspunkysmom]

Mr. Spunky is still sick and had goo in his eyes this morning. He has difficulty keeping them open. He seemed to be doing much better yesterday afternoon. I gave him some more CTM and will watch him for today. I should have insisted that he get some allergy medicine, too, while at the vet.

The vet had mentioned he might need more than one antibiotic, too. I'll probably monitor today and see whether I should take him to the e-vets or just take him in 1st thing tomorrow morning.

He just looks so miserable and he really is Spunky and happy most of the time. I worry when he is not happy, because that's unusual for him.

Keep him in your thoughts and prayers, please.

[Catty1]

Prayers for dear Spunky. :love:

Maybe you could just call the vet's office and ask about an allergy medicine. I have read here on PT of cats taking Benadryl - much smaller dose, of course.

If you have a small bathroom, you could bring Spunky in with you and run the shower really hot. Steam can be helpful too.

Even try a vaporizer in the bathroom with a bit of Vick's in it. If you don't have one, they are inexpensive...maybe a friend or neighbour has one you could borrow.

{{{{hugs}}}}

[moosmom]

Sounds like Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye) which is highly contagious. I've got some Terramiacin I can send you.

[catmandu]

:love::love:We are sorry that Spunky is having so many difficulties and has to keep on returning to his Vet , which can get to be expensive.
Juke Jopint Joseph had to go back to the Vets every year for an expensive teeth cleaning, until My Vet mentioned root canal and that solved things!
I wished he mentioned that option first , that would have saved money and some long scary rides for My Poor Old Tuxedo!!
:eek::eek::eek:
We are praying that Your Owesome Orangies all right soon!
:love::love:

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm sorry to hear that you have some sick cats.:( I hope that they'll both recover quickly. I know very well how expensive it can get with a lot of vet visits but finding a great vet is also very important. Lots of prayers and positive thoughts are being sent their way.

[mrspunkysmom]

Prayers for dear Spunky. :love:

Maybe you could just call the vet's office and ask about an allergy medicine. I have read here on PT of cats taking Benadryl - much smaller dose, of course.

If you have a small bathroom, you could bring Spunky in with you and run the shower really hot. Steam can be helpful too.

Even try a vaporizer in the bathroom with a bit of Vick's in it. If you don't have one, they are inexpensive...maybe a friend or neighbour has one you could borrow.

{{{{hugs}}}}


Sounds like Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye) which is highly contagious. I've got some Terramiacin I can send you.

Gee and I paid money to be told the same thing. It actually wasn't too much more expensive than the vets around here. I took him to the emergency vets at 6PM. He just had no energy and was breathing through the mouth. He couldn't sleep because he couldn't breathe. And I wouldn't have slept knowing he was in such distress.

So I got some extra antibiotics to give hime daily, along with a shot of metacam to help bring down his fever he was now running. I couldn't find my benadryl tonight anyway. I had to take atarax. I have been giving him chor-trimeton.

I have some terramyacin that I have been using. It sort of works which is why I took him in tonight.

I'm not throwing him in the shower as the vet suggested, but I will get out the vaporizer/humidifier to put some moisture in the air. It might help my stuffed nose too. My shower water isn't that hot anyway, but a nice cup of tea might do the trick.

[Catty1]

Good about the vaporizer...is there any Vicks or tea tree oil you can put on it? Maybe have him and the vaporizer in the bathroom, so it's more concentrated...you could sit with him.

You COULD try dabbing a bit of the stuff under his nose (not on it), though it could be pretty strong. But- it might get through the gunk.

Prayers he gets better and that stuff breaks up quick!

[columbine]

Not tea tree oil! It's very dangerous for cats.

http://www.messybeast.com/teatree.htm
http://www.veterinarywatch.com/Abstract-tea-tree-oil.htm
http://www.exoticbird.com/gillian/teatree.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_tree_oil#Safety

Love, Columbine

[Anikaca77]

Prays that Spunky starts feeling better soon.

Melissa

[Laura's Babies]

How is it today? Is he any better?

[K2QC]

Have anyone else read and/or tried using apple cider vinegar with their cats?
Neither of my cats will "drink" water with acv but when I apply it to the scruff of their necks, top of their paws, they're just fine with it.

I have also tried it in the wet food one of my cat eats without problem.

http://www.earthclinic.com/Pets/acv_for_cats.html

[phesina]

Prayers and a candle (http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/message.cfm?l=eng&cid=9257187} that Mr. Spunky will soon be feeling better and back to normal.

[moosmom]

I always gave Mollie Rose a half a tab of Chlortrimeton to help ease her runny nose, water eyes and sneezing. It kept her comfortable.

[mrspunkysmom]

Spunky is doing better. Thanks for asking. He ran the first time I tried to give him meds tonight but I snagged him during a leg rub. He actually opens his mouth to complain and in goes the eye dropper. I was able to do it twice now to give him 1.5 droppers worth.

His having the energy to run is good. I dumped him from his cubby and he took off. Last night when I did that to take him to the vet he just lay there.

Not to take the subject away from Spunky but:

However, my allergies took a turn for the worst, which is why I haven't been on the computer. I was so supposed to see an arthritis specialist today (It's not that bad but I would rather prevent now than fix later), but when I called to tell them my symptoms, the secretary opted to reschedule. I know this is allergies but the other people don't.

So instead I went to Wally World and got some real sudafed along with some benadryl. I didn't realize you had to show your driver's license and sign a form saying this wasn't for illegal acts. Darn those street pharmacists. I suppose I am now on the DEA's radar.

This is serendipity. I would have been worthless at school today with my headache, runny nose, etc.

I did get a foot and leg massage for my birthday and slept the afternoon.

Back to work tomorrow.

[mrspunkysmom]

Have anyone else read and/or tried using apple cider vinegar with their cats?
Neither of my cats will "drink" water with acv but when I apply it to the scruff of their necks, top of their paws, they're just fine with it.

I have also tried it in the wet food one of my cat eats without problem.

http://www.earthclinic.com/Pets/acv_for_cats.html

I read about this twice here on the boards. I will try it, maybe with myself, too. It certainly won't hurt me.

[Medusa]

My Pidge gets stuffy quite a bit and sneezes, too, most likely from allergies but because she has cardiomyopathy I can't give her any OTC meds or even prescribed ones now from my vet because it raises the heart rate. Be sure to ask your vet before administering any OTC meds. I sure hope that all is improving w/Spunky. :)

[mrspunkysmom]

My Pidge gets stuffy quite a bit and sneezes, too, most likely from allergies but because she has cardiomyopathy I can't give her any OTC meds or even prescribed ones now from my vet because it raises the heart rate. Be sure to ask your vet before administering any OTC meds. I sure hope that all is improving w/Spunky. :)

My vet is okay with it.

Spunky is as spunky as ever, but the eyes are still running. I've cleaned them twice this evening to the oddest sounding protest I've ever heard from a cat. He got the liquid meds and then his eyes got the teramyacin.

I am watching him for the next two days to see if the eyes dry up. I'm wondering what is causing them to keep reacting and running. The eyes are not as goopy as they were, so this is an improvement.

Even though he is digusted with me, he is sleeping at my feet on MY ottoman. :love:

LJ decided I was cool again :D this evening and spent the last 90 minutes in my arms. She clawed her way up my back using my best shirt. goota love cats.

LJ is a perpetual purrer.

late. past bedtime.

[Catty1]

Glad to hear there is some improvement. Give him some lovins for me, please! :love:

[mrspunkysmom]

It took until Thursday for the antibiotics to really do their work. He is feeling much better and the eyes are clearing up. The eye problem is probably herpes. The vet gave me some more antibiotics so I can treat him through next week. Yesterday at the vets, my vets partner said she could feel some tenderness still in the throat area.

Even so, he has a lot more energy. He changed his cubbyhole location to the duplex cubby tower in the bedroom, trying to avoid the medication. I've made an effort not to rouse him from there, so he has one 'safe' place to go. It's so good to see him energetic and feisty. He's eating like he's making up for lost time and food.

I was told I might try some L-Lysine for the herpes problem to see if it might help. I did some reading on this and some sites say the the chronic herpes condition can cause some URIs, while my vet says not. The other vet did say the stressor of a new cat could have been the trigger. That's a possibility, although I know that he was congested for a while.

Years ago, I tried to get help for his eye problems and snuffling and was told there wasn't much to be done.

Does anyone have any experience with the herpes and using L-Lysine or know anyone that does? I would like to keep this under control and not have to experience this again.

This so far is a toal of 5 vet visits in three weeks. (And 6 in 5 weeks if you count the vaccinations) One mroe to go.

[Catty1]

GREAT news! Glad he is eating and happy, and even energetic enough to hide and avoid meds! :D

There are some other folks her who use l-lysine...I am sure they will chime in.

It can't hurt Spunky, so what's the harm? I just don't know what the dose would be.

[catmandu]

I think we have all had Vet Visits which at first dont seem to be helping , Juke Joint Joseph and Michael the Dream Cat have been in for dental several tines.:D:D
Its worth though as with Spunky:love: :), that they are well again , and will be Our Companions that much longer!!!:love::love:

[phesina]

Great news that Spunky is doing so much better!