chronic rhinotracheitis

Have any of you cared for a cat with chronic rhinotracheitis - long-term sneezing and eye-watering caused by getting the 'cat flu' at a young age? I took in a stray domestic shorthair late last year, and I think she has it.

She does have some allergies to certain foods, but her symptoms were itching - not sneezing - and they went away when I changed her food. She sneezes all the time though, and I haven't been able to find any allergen provoking it. I do, however, notice that when she gets stressed or excited (for example, after particularly rambunctious play), she has sneezing fits.

She also seems to have a chronic ear infection. Since I've gotten her, she's had gross stuff on ear swabs, and periodically showed signs of mild discomfort. I've taken her to the vet for a more severe infection recently, and several weeks, roughly $500, and a bunch of medications later, it hasn't cleared up. She doesn't show any signs of discomfort until I clean her ears, so I'm wondering if this is just a chronic thing.

I've had her since November of last year, and so far have spent roughly $1,000 on her medical care alone. I love her and want to keep her, but I can't afford to keep doing this. At this point, I'm going without medication and groceries and taking out advances to pay for her care. Aside from the sneezing and the ear stuff, she seems healthy. I don't want to have to find another home for a wonderful, otherwise healthy cat because of some special needs. Any advice on how to care for her and keep her as well as possible?

Put her on the L-lysine amino acid supplement. If she has feline herpes virus this will help control outbreaks, and will help her general overall health by strengthening her immune system.

What has your vet given her for her ears? I have a lot of faith in the prescription drops Tresaderm. Some cats who have had untreated ear problems go on too long have periodic ear trouble all their lives. My Mazy cat is like that. I have tresaderm for her when she has a flare up.

You've done well by her. I hope her problems settle down soon so the two of you can just concentrate on enjoying each other.

Have you thought of getting a second opinion from another vet. I am very surprised l-lysine has not already been recommended by your vet. It may be time for a change.

I second Otto's advice for L-Lysine. Here is the one I use - it is the most economical, 100% pure, and can be mixed on the water, or on the wet food...
It has changed my kitty's life, and made mine a whole lot easier.

Rhinotracheitis is the same as feline herpes and is unfortunately quite common in cats, especially those that come from a tough background. I'm by no means an expert on the condition but as I understand it a cat with herpes normally doesn't have constant symptoms but instead has reoccuring outbreaks that are caused by stress and other things. I may be wrong though but I would recommend taking your cat for a second opinion to make sure that it's nothing else you are dealing with. It's amazing what you can find out when you have a new vet look over the situation. I've learned through doing rescue work and dealing with a lot of sick cats that it's always helpful to get a second opinion when you're dealing with anything other than mild, temporary things. A new vet may have knowledge or ideas that your other vet doesn't have.

I also agree with the posters above to get your cat on twice daily doses of L-Lysine. It helps boost the immune system and has been shown to be very helpful for cats with herpes. It takes a while to see results but it definitely helps although it won't make the herpes go away. If money is an issue you can get L-Lysine in most vitamine sections in grocery stores, pharmacies and healthfood stores. It's in pill form made for people but works just as well on cats. Just crush the pills to a powder and mix it with a smaller amount of tasty canned food (like Fancy Feast) to make sure that she eats it all.

I've never heard of herpes causing ear infections so you may want to have that looked at by another vet too. Has your vet checked if the ear problem may be due to a fungal infection in the ear? That can cause the symptoms you describe. Cats that have or have had ear mites are more likely to have a yeast infection of the ear. I once fostered a dog that had a yeast infection in his ears and it took four vets to get it properly diagnosed and treated.

If she's not already on a good quality diet you should get her on one. Diet can make a world of difference. None of the food you can buy in a grocery store are good quality and the major pet store chains only carry very few premium brands. I'm sure people here would be happy to suggest some brands to try if you want it. There are also recipes for home made cat food that are designed for cats with herpes.

Also do what you can to reduce stress for your kitty. Stress is a major trigger of herpes outbreaks.

Chances are good that your new kitty may never be perfectly healthy and may always have some problems. There is no cure for rhinotracheitis but it can be managed well and she can still live a quality life that doesn't have to cost you a fortune. You have done great by her and have come so far so I hope you don't throw in the towel yet.
Getting an accurate diagnosis is very important but if she does have herpes it is unfortunately something she will have to live with and although you can lessen her symptoms with Lysine, diet and a calm environment she will continue to have symptoms and there is no need to go to the vet whenever she gets sick so keeping this kitty doesn't have to be very expensive. If you educate yourself and take precautions you will be a wonderful "mom" to this baby and she will have a happy life.

Thank you for taking such good care of a kitty in need. She's lucky to have found you.

Rhinotracheitis can be caused by the Feline Herpes Virus, but it's not the same. I have a cat with herpes and it manifests itself as an upper respiratory infection, itchy eyes, and runny eyes. When we first adopted her she was sick with an URI, calci virus, and we almost lost her. She spent the first week of her life with us at the vet's getting IV antibiotics and liquids to keep her hydrated. Then 2 years ago, she had chronic and recurring URIs with projectile nasal discharge. She went to 3 different vets and was given multiple antibiotics, which would only help for a short while. The prolonged sneezing, drainage, congestion would always come back. The 3rd vet finally did diagnostic testing and found out she had a secondary pseudomas infection which can be deadly.

If your cat hasn't been tested for Feline Herpes, I strongly urge you to have the IDEXX Feline Real PCR URD test, which will test for herpes as well as a number of other upper respiratory diseases (URD). Secondly, have the vet do a culture and sensitivity test on the nasal discharge. The sensitivity test will tell the vet exactly what kind of infection you're dealing with (viral, fungal, bacterial) and the sensitivity test will tell you exactly which medication will most effectively treat the infection. Third, have the vet do a culture of the ear goop to test for a yeast infection in the ear. Also, talk to your vet about doing a thorough ear flush and cleaning (while anesthetized because it's painful and can be traumatic for your cat) to get all the gunk out of the ears. Since your kitty has allergies, sometimes, like with humans, the ear canal will swell from the allergic reaction and not allow the skin and wax to flush out of the canal naturally. This junk gets stuck down in the canal and can become infected. (Been there, done that with my older cat.)

Adding Lysine to the diet will help, but it takes about a month for the lysine to thoroughly take effect. Changing to a grain-free diet will help as well, if you're able to find something that won't set off the allergies. There are other holistic/natural things you can do to help, but you need to get an accurate diagnosis first. Send me a PM if you want to talk or want more info.

I don't have the names of the meds she was put on at hand, but she has been treated for both fungal and bacterial ear infections. The first ear swab found fungus and they treated for that, but on a follow-up, they found bacteria and treated for that. They treated her again for the bacterial infection, then had to give her a deep ear cleaning, an antibiotic shot, and I believe something else.

I've wanted to have her tested for allergies and this virus, but unfortunately, I've spent around $500 on her ears alone since Feb. 18. She's on prescription hypoallergenic cat food which is in my budget, but several hundred a month for an ear infection isn't. I can't really afford any extra tests while her other medical expenses are this high.

At this point I am planning to find another vet.

What's your kitty's name?

She doesn't need tests to start on L-lysine. It's an amino acid supplement, very good for her.

But I agree a second opinion is in order now.

Originally Posted by otto

What's your kitty's name?

She doesn't need tests to start on L-lysine. It's an amino acid supplement, very good for her.

But I agree a second opinion is in order now.

Click to expand...

If you are so pressed for money, and she seems to be healthy otherwise, I would put her on Lysine immediately, and see what happens. Is her snot/mucus clear? If so, she is probably ok. Yellow or Green mucus grants a trip to the vet. If it is herpes, which the great majority of cases are, then chances are your cat will be as good as new, as far as the cold/flu symptoms go.

If that doesn't work, then I would go back to the another vet for a complete URI PRC and culture panel.

My cat Bugsy was like that, and once he was put on Lysine, his problems went away. He never again had another flare up. Yes, it took about a month for FULL results, but we saw results way before that. Because he responded so well to Lysine, there was never the need to get him tested. I am glad I went that route. Bugsy is on 500mg/day for life, and 1,000mg/day during flare ups.
If you had tried Lysine already, I would tell you to test him now, but since that is not the case, IMO it is worth a try.

If it is not herpes, it is good for your kitty regardless, to build his immune system.

I like the powder form I gave you the link before, as it is 100%, and I just mix it in their water (all my cats are in it). I tried the pills, but they are not pure, and my cats would not eat it on the food, or in the water, so for me it was a no go.

As far as the ear infection, there is medicine called Tresaderm, that is good for both Bacterial and fungal infections... As a matter of fact, it is good for other things too, cuts, scrapes, etc., so it is a good thing for you to have home anyways...

I hope your kitty feels better soon!