Poor Pyka - better update post 15

[Catty1]

Today was vet day...the vet is reluctant to use antihistamines, as the steroids do the job... in fact, Mom said when Pyka does sneeze now, it is much fainter and losing pinkness.

I'll have her ask the vet about the Dextromethasone. Is that a steroid as well?

Thanks, Jenn.

[emily_the_spoiled]

Dextramethasone is another type of steroid, so if the vet gives it to Pyka make sure that he only takes one type of medicine.

Has your mother tried to increase the humidity in the house? I used to live in Calgary so I know how dry it gets there But Connor got the sneezes earlier this year and he was sneezing up blood. I couldn't get into the vet right away but I bought a couple of humidifiers and increased the humidity in the house. That REALLY helped with both the sneezes and the bloody sneezes. (Besides it is healthier than the steriods...)

[Laura's Babies]

I have heard that you can give a cat 1/4 a Benaydril (is that how it is spelled) I even asked my vet and he said yes. Call several vets and ask about that and see what they say.

That would be to simple a cure and they wouldn't be making the money they are if it worked...

Also, I had a neighbor who had a small dog with symptoms just like that, sneezing and the stuff<nicer word) flying all over the house.. The vet told them it was caused by the dogs teeth... They couldn't afford to have his teeth cleaned after all the other money they had spent on it so someone offered to take the dog and have the teeth cleaned if they could keep the dog so they let them have their dog.. They got the dogs teeth cleaned and the dog was cured! How's Pyka's teeth?

[Catty1]

Laura - most of Pyka's teeth are GONE. He and his brother are oriental shorthairs, and got the congenital tooth problem that so many do. My mom is VERY conscientious about cat care...but after a point, the teeth were just going to be re-absorbed into the gums.

They still got their fangs, though!

But I am SOOO mad at my mom's vet. She asked about antihistamines, and the vet said they don't use them at their clinic (more than one vet there) because they don't help cats with allergies.

WHAT????????????????

I called my clinic, and the tech checked with my vet and the co-owner of the clinic, and while they don't have cat/dog antihistamines per se, they did suggest 10mg of Benadryl am and pm.

I told mom that.

Pyka is back on Clavamox because he is getting congestion in his chest again. Easing off the prednisone, the so-called Magic Bullet. So why are they easing off it then?

And no matter what they do, Pyka still sneezes the pink/pinker "stuff".

AAAAAAAAAAGHHHHH! What do I do?????

Mom says her vet knows best and she trusts her vet.....

[Catlady711]

Easing off the prednisone, the so-called Magic Bullet. So why are they easing off it then?

When an someone is on Prednisolone/Dexmethosone/Steroids it causes the body to cease making it's own cortisone. If you abruptly take them off the meds it causes their body to 'crash' from lack of cortisone. A gradual reduction is always called for with this medication to give the body time to go back to making it's own cortisone.

[Catty1]

Pyka started on Clavamox again yesterday evening - the vet even suggested a double dose.

This morning, Pyka did something he hasn't done for over a week - he came down from the closet shelf where he has been sleeping since he got sick, and snuggled up with Mom on her bed as usual, and just PURRED. His breathing sounds better.

She says he hasn't sneezed yet.

This is good news - his brother Shiney missed him and even got up on the closet shelf a few times to snuggle with him, even though there was hardly room!

So....back to drug #1.

Thanks to everyone who posted with feedback...we'll see how this goes.