Upper Respiratory Infection

This forum is for cat lovers seeking everyday advice and suggestions on health-related issues. Remember, however, that advice on a public forum simply can't be a substitute for proper medical attention. Only your vet can say assuredly what is best for your cat.

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Tiki

Wonder Tiki

Purred: Wed Feb 13, '13 8:38am PST


	So I took Tiki to the vet yesterday, and the vet thinks she might have an upper respiratory infection. A little back story: We adopted Tiki on February 7th from Petco through the Dumb Friends League. She was at Petco for less than a day when I adopted her and was at the shelter prior for less than a week after being given up by her previous owners. So, high stress levels=weakened immune system+chance for flare ups if she has FHP which 80% of all cats have etc. On her records and from what I've been told by Petco and DDFL, she doesn't have FLV or FHV or anything but you never know. Anyways, 2 days at our home she started sneezing and it progressively got worse, she became extremely lethargic and wasn't eating (the eating was due to her food though, she didn't like it so we switched her to our other cat's food and she loves it) so we took her to the vet and she said she may have an upper respiratory infection. The vet gave her an antibiotic injection. I am a little worried though because I've read that URIs are usually viral... and antibiotics treat bacterial infections, not viral infections. So I'm wondering if that's even going to help? I guess we'll see by tomorrow. She's still having an extremely runny nose though, she's not sneezing quite as much, but I can hear the runny discharge blocking her nostrils and being all bubbly sounding when she breathes. Are there any nasal decongestions for cats? What have you guys done for this?

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Finnegan- (Finney)

I am a- CARNIVORE! Not a- Cornivore!

Purred: Wed Feb 13, '13 10:01am PST


	When my Finney and Lacey had one when I adopted them, I gave them L-lysine and it works so great! You can get that at any holistic store and put it in her food. Get the Twinlab product, it's the only one that's a capsule I think. You can give half the capsule in the morning and the other half at night. Good luck!

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Tiki

Wonder Tiki

Purred: Wed Feb 13, '13 11:04am PST


	I've read in multiple places about people using L-lysine on their cats for upper respiratory infections. So, although it's intended use (in cats) is for treating and preventing herpes and herpes symptoms... it can be used to treat upper respiratory infection symptoms as well?

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QGM- Harlequin- (Striped- Seven)

I am a show- champion!

Purred: Wed Feb 13, '13 11:24am PST


	My vet recommended Lysine when my cats had a URI they were passing between them. Theirs got more severe though so we had to do other medications. Another thing you can do is steaming, turn on the shower in the bathroom to create steam, then sit with her in the steamy bathroom for around 5-10 minutes at a time.

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Ambassador at- the Kitty U.N.

Purred: Wed Feb 13, '13 12:58pm PST


	The antibiotic should do the trick and the Lysine will help build a strong immune system. And please don't be alarmed. URI's spread like wildfire in shelter situations and stress probably makes the cats more susceptible. Hang in there and she should be fine in no time!

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Ashlynne

Silly girl

Purred: Wed Feb 13, '13 1:59pm PST


	Along with the Lysine and sitting with the cat in a steamy bathroom, our vet has also suggested using a warm-mist or cool-mist humidifier near where the cat sleeps and using the Vick's plug-ins in the room. Also, infant saline nose drops -- those are kind of tricky to put in, though (and she said to put it in only one nostril, then wait an hour or two before doing the other nostril). Edited by author Wed Feb 13, '13 2:01pm PST

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Tiki

Wonder Tiki

Purred: Fri Feb 15, '13 5:56pm PST


	Thank you all for the wonderful advice! I ordered an L-Lysine product from 1800-PetMeds the other day, so hopefully that will be coming in soon. My husband and I sat in the bathroom with her last night with the shower running (so steamy!), and we're hoping that helped her a little bit, we'll do it again tonight. We also put in an eye Neosporin-type product that the vet gave us when we first got Wally in July (disinfected it first), that helps irritated eyes and whatnot. It seemed to help a little bit. We have a vet appointment in the morning at the Dumb Friends League where we got Tiki, apparently they offer free healthcare up to a month after you adopt an animal from there (Petco didn't tell us that when we adopted her, she was put up for adoption at Petco through the Dumb Friends League), and I had forgotten that this was the case, we adopted Wally from DFL also and I just totally spaced it. So praying for good news and a healthy cat tomorrow!

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Tiki

Wonder Tiki

Purred: Sat Feb 16, '13 2:15pm PST


	Update 2/16/2013: We took Tiki to a different vet today, (to the Dumb Friends League where we got her from, they offer free healthcare for up to 30 days after you adopt from them) and this veterinarian seemed much more knowledgeable than the one we previously saw. He was very informational and let us know EVERYTHING that was going on. Apparently right now there's been a "cat cold" (virus) going around. The previous vet had given her a Convenia antibiotic injection on the 12th, so we're not giving her another one. This vet said that it 10-15 days for the virus to shed and disappear, but her runny eyes and congestion could last up to a month after the virus disappears. She was running a fever of 104.2 today and her eyes were a little swollen, her discharge in her eyes has turned green also. So he gave us Erythromycin Ophthalmic ointment for her eyes, and we simply have to wait to see if she gets better. He recommended we steam the crap out of the bathroom for 10 minutes a day, twice a day, with her in a crate right by the shower. Also giving her calorie liquids like chicken broth. I feel more confident in this vet. So praying for a healthy cat!

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QGM- Harlequin- (Striped- Seven)

I am a show- champion!

Purred: Sat Feb 16, '13 8:44pm PST


	Please be careful with the chicken broth, if you don't make it yourself! A lot of the types of chicken broth or stock you can buy is made with onions, and onions in all forms (powdered, dried, fresh, in liquid) are very dangerous for cats. So check the ingredients list. Edited by author Sat Feb 16, '13 8:45pm PST

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Laila

Queen Bee

Purred: Sun Feb 17, '13 10:48am PST


	Most feline URIs are caused by the herpes virus, so the Lysine will work wonders. I have a kitten with herpes, and she gets a little bit of Lysine gel once a day as suppressive therapy, twice a day if her eyes get really runny or she starts to sound really snotty. Doesn't affect her too much. She eats, runs, plays, tortures her brother, unspools toilet paper from the roll. All in a day's work for Laila girl.

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