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Hairball?

post #1 of 8
7/22/11 at 12:15pm
Thread Starter 
Nala has been wheezing and coughing every hour or so. She's a shorthair, so I wasnt really expecting hairballs. she has been wheezing like that since this morning. I think its a hairball but I dont know the tell tale signs?

Also she has been sneezing a lot for the last couple of days. Cat allergies?

She does have a vet appointment next week, but I just was wondering what you guys have to say
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post #2 of 8
7/22/11 at 4:14pm
It could be an Upper Respiratory Infection, URI. Very common. Especially common in situations where the cat has been under stress. Similar to a cold in humans. It's a virus, but vets usually give antibiotics to fight the secondary infections. It's possible it's an allergy, but that's very uncommon. As to a hairball, once you've seen the behavior, you'll recognize it when it happens again. Short-haired cats seem to be less prone, but I've seen it vary in all sorts of ways.
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post #3 of 8
7/22/11 at 4:37pm
When these guys get hairballs, there is never sneezing involved. Usually just a bit of coughing, gagging, liquid vomit, followed by an actual hairball shortly thereafter.

I agree with mrblanche. A URI sounds a bit more likely.
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post #4 of 8
7/22/11 at 5:30pm
Thread Starter 
Ok! Thanks for the diagnosis. I have the vet lined up for next week, do you think that will be suficien or should I try to move her up or even take her to the emergency vet (thats sounds a little extreme)?
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post #5 of 8
7/22/11 at 6:02pm
I'd just watch and see how she's doing. If she stops eating, drinking, peeing, or pooping, you have an emergency. But, to a large extent, it's like a human cold. She can feel pretty bad, without being in any danger.

It could be a feline herpes infection. That, too, is pretty common. Supplementing her food with l-lysine, which you can get at any pharmacy, will help with that. Watch especially for signs of eye infections.
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post #6 of 8
7/23/11 at 10:12am
It does sound like an upper respiratory infection which is very common for kitties in new environments due to stress. If you notice her sounding congested (or even now to ward it off), put her in a nice steamy bathroom and keep her there until the steam dissipates. You can also run a vaporizer near where she's spending most of her time. Look for any yellow or green nasal discharge, squinting eyes and/or any discolored eye discharge. Also watch for any change in play habits, eating habits (not wanting to eat), and litterbox habits. If you see discharge or change in behavior, get her to the vet quickly.
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post #7 of 8
7/23/11 at 12:56pm
Thread Starter 
Well she sometimes has eye discharge (and has had that since the day she came home) so now I am very worried However she has not coughed or weezed all day and eats and uses the litter box normally.

Her breath also smells terribly bad. Now I havent brushed her teeth so that might be it, but is that any cause for concern?
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post #8 of 8
7/23/11 at 1:20pm
It may be related to the respiratory infection. Calicivirus can cause ulcers on the tongue, which could lead to smelly breath. Could you call your vet first thing Monday morning and see if you can bring her in that day?

These articles offer a lot of good information on respiratory diseases in cats:
Feline upper respiratory tract disease - cat flu
http://www.winnfelinehealth.org/Herp...ivirus_Web.pdf
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