Claudia sees the Vets today *Tomorrow Vet's Again* I'm really worried now

[Catty1]

I know some cat people here use Arginine to boost their kitty's immune system. Hopefully one of them will post here on dosages, etc.

Feline Omega-3 is good too, an excellent anti-oxident.

{{{hugs}}}

Vent away!

[kimlovescats]

Technically your vet is doing the correct thing. Your kitty most likely has Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis (a kitty cold) and therefore like a human cold it has to "run its coarse". It is a virus, so an antibiotic will not help. Like your vet explained, if there is drainage, not clear, but dark yellow or brown like mucus, then that suggests an infection. At that point, an antibiotic will clear the infection and the virus itself will still pass on its own. As long as your kitty is sneezing clear fluids and has clear secretions from her nose and eyes, there is no infection for an antibiotic. HOWEVER, you can ask for some L-Lysine to use as an immune booster / supplement. It is usually sold in tubes! If your regular vet doesn't sell it, you might be able to find it at another local vet or Co-Op.

Good luck and try not to worry!

Kim

[Medusa]

When all 7 of my cats recently had colds, my vet told me to buy some plain saline solution at the pharmacy and squirt it up their noses. The trick, of course, is getting them to sit still for it. It did give them relief, though. Pidge sneezed so hard and her mucous membranes were so dry that she got a nose bleed and sprayed blood on my sliding glass door. Freaked me out! The saline solution is inexpensive and it might help.

[Anikaca77]

I know I need to wait to see if this is just a cold that could run it's course but it's so hard listening to her being all stuffy and last night she was sleeping by my head and let's just say I don't think her or I got enough sleep. She was sneezing mostly on me.

Hopefully it will pass soon. Sometimes I do jump the gun too quickly on my guys but I hate seeing them sick and there's nothing I can do but give them love.

[Catlady711]

I can sympathize with you so much on that.

Dusty had a weak immune system and always seemed to be sick several times a year requiring me to give her antibiotic injections at home for a week (she wouldn't take anything by mouth). All they really did was keep any secondary infections down since she had to 'run her course' with it. If we didn't get her on antibiotics she would end up with a staph infection in her throat. ewww

Jack has a basically decent immune system however has been sneezing for the last 2 years. Never has any discharge and it never progresses or goes totally away. We've tried several times with several antibiotics and it's never impacted his sneezing in any way. He's healthy otherwise (other than his unrelated mega colon problem) so we all just live with the sneezing and keep watch for any discharges or other indicators that he needs antibiotics. He doesn't seem like a cat suffering or unhappy about it, eats normally, plays, and is very affectionate.

[Anikaca77]

Well Claudia has stopped sneezing now which is good but her cough is still there.

Last night again she woke me up with coughing and she threw up 3 times not much but the first time it was liquid the second time it was food which I thought might have been a hairball but after looking at it better and feeling it (sorry to be gross) there was just food....then the third time it was white foamy stuff.

I'm going to be calling a different vet today and see if I can get her in. I was really hoping that if I let her go a little longer she would be good but I didn't get any sleep really last night because I was up with her 4 times and man I'm tired.

Money is such an issue but I'm hoping this vet will work with me on it.

[sandragonfly]

poor claudia! hope someone will be able to figure out what's wrong with heer this time.

hoping for a good update next!