Help, my cat is all stuffed and she cannot breathe

Hello all,
Well, this is my second message. I hope someone can help.
My poor 11 year old cat has been on antibiotics for a month now for a cold. The vet did x-rays of her chest and her face. Her chest is clear but he saw a bulging behind one of her eardrums. He could not tell me what it was so I should probably see a specialist. He thought maybe a tumor or a polyp that is blocking something. Meanwhile my poor cat cannot smell anything or breathe normally because she is stuffed up 24/7. Since she stopped eating this week he gave her fluids and tried a stronger antibiotic to see if this would clear up her cold. Well, she was feeling better yesterday and this morning. Now she is back to not eating again. I am giving her all the food I could think of people and cat food. She seems to want to eat so badly, She sits and purrs in front of her bowl. I guess since she cannot smell it then she will not eat. I feel so bad for her. Any ideas?

How do you force feed a cat? She won't even take water that I put into a medicine syringe

Have you tired steaming the bathroom up really good and "locking" her in there awhile to help relieve some of the stuffiness?

Leslie

When is the last time your cat ate? Was it a normal amount of food? If it's been more than 48 hours since she last ate or drank water, you need to get her to the vet. ( For help with assist-feeding (mistakenly called force-feeding) please see www.assistfeed.com). Not eating combined with difficulty breathing is dangerous. You don't want the breathing problem to worsen.

Your vet was right to recommend you see a specialist about the "bulging" behind the eardrum. Since you live on LI, I suggest you consider taking your cat to The Animal Medical Center in NYC. They're open 24/7.(www.amcny.org ; 212-838-8100). They're not inexpensive, but they have specialists on staff, as well as state of the art technology and treatments. AMC is one of the top hospitals in the country. They'll be able to diagnose what's going on with your kitty, and hopefully soon help her feel better. Please don't delay.

Best of luck to you both. Let us know how she's doing.

If your cat can't breathe, wouldn't it be a good idea to see an emergency vet?

I would call the er now before she gets worse.
She can get liver problems from not eating.

Unlike us humans, cats do not have a reserve of nutrients and other important chemicals in he body to help them keep going if they do not eat. And as yu mentioned, they need to smell so they know to eat. Sounds like a severe respiratory situation and if it were my cat, I would bring her to an ER vet asap and then once she gets some fluids and food - probably by IV of she is not eating - I would ask for a referral to a specialist or someone with mega experience in this area. In the meantime, try to feed her as you would a orphan kitten, with a syringe or eye dropper (cats need certain nutrients different from humans) You could also try smelly baby food or good cat food that is really smelly and see if she responds to that. Give her lot of water if you can and cat's milk with taurine added. Soft foods such as baby food paste can be placed on the cat's tongue, esp if your kitty refuses to eat! She HAS to eat!!! Keep giving her something and experiment with her fav foods and others but get to an ER first and foremost. The suggestions I made are only f you have no 24 hr ER for cats!

Good luck and I hope she feels better soon!

Hello all,
Thank you for all your advice. It has been really helpful. Well, my cat started eating one meal today. I am waiting for the results of her culture to see if it tells us anything. If not then my vet is going to recommend a specialist to look at her. The vet seems to think that there is something blocking her ability to drain her sinuses. So till the next step...

Meanwhile it is incredible that she is still purring and seems so happy to get love. She is a real trooper I feel so bad for her but she seems to still be a happy cat

That's great news! I'm very happy your kitty has improved!

I know you'll keep a close eye on her, so if unfortunately she has breathing problems again you'll get her to an ER vet (make sure you know who to go to for an emergency). And definitely take her to the specialist ASAP.

Your cat sounds like such a sweetie! Please give her a hug from all of us the next time you snuggle with her.

When my cats had stuffy noses I also found that giving them a steam bath helped SO MUCH! I know its minor compared to what you are going through but every little bit helps.

Originally Posted by fjrmjr

Meanwhile it is incredible that she is still purring and seems so happy to get love. She is a real trooper I feel so bad for her but she seems to still be a happy cat

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I am glad your cat is eating, but I need to point out her purring, cats dont just purr when they are happy, they also purr when they are in pain and/or sick.

fjrmjr,

Any updates yet?

Try letting her sniff a jar of Vic's Vap-o-Rub. My cats love the smell, and it won't hurt her if she ingests a little. That is one of things that won't hurt if it doesn't help. I hope no updates means she is ok now.

Originally Posted by krazy kat2

Try letting her sniff a jar of Vic's Vap-o-Rub. My cats love the smell, and it won't hurt her if she ingests a little. That is one of things that won't hurt if it doesn't help. I hope no updates means she is ok now.

Click to expand...

Well that sounds like a great idea. I think I might try it.

Well, my cat is eating and drinking now , but is still not able to clear her sinuses. She seems to always be stuffed up 24/7. The vet said that I need to wait until the antibiotic they gave her takes its course. It is an antibiotic that is supposed to be for 2-3 weeks. The vet said that the specialist will not even see her until this antibiotic is done. If there is no improvement after this then we go for a specialist. Does this sound right to anyone?