Blocked nose, cant smell food

So Trixie and Pixie have a cat cold, they are both on antibiotics from the vet and have perked up a bit. But they still have blocked noses and although they are clearly hungry they wont eat their food, my guess is because they cant smell it. Any idea how I can help them eat or unblock their noses so they can smell their food and eat it up?

I tried the thing you do with kittens where you put a bit on their mouth and though they eat what I give them they wont eat whats in their bowls

Have you tried taking them into the bathroom with you while you run a hot shower for about 10 minutes (do this 2 or 3 times a day if possible)? The steam can help loosen things up. Also try feeding the stinkiest food you can, like some of the seafood Fancy Feast flavours.

Sugarcatmom said:

Have you tried taking them into the bathroom with you while you run a hot shower for about 10 minutes (do this 2 or 3 times a day if possible)? The steam can help loosen things up. Also try feeding the stinkiest food you can, like some of the seafood Fancy Feast flavours.

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^^^ agree with this with one addition. Warm the food up. This brings the smell out even more. Adding a little hot water will warm it, or just put the dish in another dish of hot water for a minute or two.

Normally I am against feeding fishy foods to cats, but your kits need to eat, that is more important. Once they are well, you can take them off the fishy foods again.

Trixie and Pixie

Tried warming food but it didn't seem to help, and they have some extra smelly food the vet gave us that they also wouldn't eat (even warmed up) they are afraid of the shower and spent the entire time trying to get out of the bathroom so today I am going to try baby food in a syringe if they wont eat the heated food. They do sound a bit better so I will try the warm food again this morning.

Thank you for your advice

You can try pediatric nose drops called Little Noses it is just saline solution. Squirt some in their nose to try to loosen up some of that congestion. It may seem a bit gross but if there are visible boogers blocking their nose soften them up a bit with some Vaseline and pick their nose for them. Hopefully they feel better soon.

I don't think they would let me do that, they don't struggle too much with the syringe for their medicine in their mouth but when I get their noses they are unimpressed fussy little girls. Also the vet said that the antibiotics was for 5 days, so their last one is tomorrow for Trixie Sunday for Pixie, I will be checking with the vet but any idea if I should keep using it whilst I have it and they are still snuffly or should I stop whether they are better or not? (I have plenty left but he didn't tell me what to do if they weren't better by the end of the five days)

Ring the vets to ask about the antibiotics.

I wonder if you misunderstood. Five days is not long enough. Most antibiotics are prescribed for 10-14 days, and URIs especially need a long course to knock it out for good. Hope you are having better luck with them eating by now. Kitties need to eat!

It's possible, Trixie had just had 2 injections when he was telling us so I was a little light headed, but my bf heard 5 days too, although he could just be agreeing with me if he wasn't listening. Anyhoo I have just checked the box that the drops came in and it says 7 days and when I phoned the vet she said if she doesn't seem better by the end of the course to take them back in to be checked and get some more.

Not much luck with getting them to eat I'm afraid. I have tried warmed up baby food (Couldn't find one that was all meat so I got the one with the most meat content and mixed it with some pate) they seem to be able to smell it but still unsure as to whether they should be eating it so I am back to food on finger, finger in cats mouth as long as they are eating something and they seem to have gone through quite a bit this way, with minimal mess on my jeans (I try again every hour or so to give them time to forget what I'm about to do but to keep it little and often so at least I know they are not starving) They seem to have picked their safe spots so next move might be to get a bowl of steaming water in front of them carefully until they can breath through their noses then try some yummy smelling food. It would be much easier if they weren't afraid of the bathroom. Poor kitties

when I phoned the vet she said if she doesn't seem better by the end of the course to take them back in to be checked and get some more.

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Oh really. Give a shortened dose, then require a recheck and more antibiotics prescribed? I find that very odd. I'd be looking for a new vet.

Does sound a bit strange that they only get 7 days then go back, probably so they can get the extra consultation fee and separate prescription fees, looks like I'm looking for another vet again if there is a good vets in this town they are hiding well. 4th times a charm

cookietown said:

Does sound a bit strange that they only get 7 days then go back, probably so they can get the extra consultation fee and separate prescription fees, looks like I'm looking for another vet again if there is a good vets in this town they are hiding well. 4th times a charm

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Yes, that is what I am thinking. And then this:

Trixie had just had 2 injections when he was telling us

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The vet gave vaccines to a sick kitten???

Yep, keep looking. Take heart. It took me 7 years and four vets/clinics before I found a clinic I was happy with. And then, out of the 6 vets in the clinic, it took another year before I decided on the vet I liked best in the clinic.

The injections were her booster vaccines I was a little late getting them done, probably why she got it so much worse than the other two (Pixie and Manson are not quite a year old yet so they are due boosters soon)  and Pixie is doing worse than Manson probably because she is so small for her age and Manson goes out (probably where this came from) so he is more 'robust' and it barely affected him. The girls refuse to leave the house unless they can see me, and then they only go on the front step. Poor kitties, but they seem to be taking the pate a bit better this time so hopefully they will be eating on their own soon.

Over due or not, vaccines should not be given to a sick cat. Vaccines lower the strength of the immune system for a short while.

I recommend you get them on some l-lysine for a little while. Use the pure powder. It is slightly salty tasting so may help with appetite. L-lysine helps boost the immune system.

Thank you, any idea where I can get it in the uk?

What antibiotics are they on? They could also be part of the problem, as antibiotics very commonly cause nausea or GI issues in cats, especially when given on an empty stomach. Would be a good idea to pick up some probiotics while you're getting the L-lysine. Look for capsules (in refrigerator section) with a high potency (CFU in the billions) and multiple strains of organisms, preferably dairy-free. Mix a pinch into the wet food or baby food you're giving them a couple times a day - but preferably not within a few hours of administering the antibiotic.

Good luck! It sucks to see our kitties sick and not be able to help them much. (And I agree with otto about finding a new vet! Can't believe he vaccinated unhealthy kitties.)
 

Its something like Amoxicilin? don't have it in front of me at the moment but I will have a look and let you know. I don't think they are nausious because they are asking for food and getting excited when I get the food packets they know out but then they just look at it and continue whining for food like its not there I'm going to phone the vet tomorrow, find out when I should start getting worried about the fact that I am having to force feed them kitten style. 

Would probiotic yogurt be ok? I was told to try that before when Pixie had been poorly and they wolfed it down. 

I'm really surprised by the vet information you've given.  Giving a sick cat vaccinations?  The whole thing sounds odd and would make me uncomfortable with the vet.  I am very grateful to have the vet I do.  Take heart and keep searching.  You'll eventually find a good one.  Your kitties need to eat.  The yogurt might be okay in smaller amounts.  I dunno.  Maybe try some of the replacement milk and and moisten their food with it.  Of course if they can't smell it might not do any good.  Is there anything they absolutely can't resist?  Maybe give them some of that to stimulate the appetite.  I'd for sure mention the eating to the vet.
 

I agree a sick cat shouldn't be given vaccinations or boosters.

You can get L-Lysine online, and I think live yoghurt is the same as probiotic yoghurt.  Read the carton - it will be plain but not all plain yoghurt is live.  I'm not sure the probiotics in the refrigerator section described above are available in the UK.

They have eaten today Pixie wolfed down her food and Trixie nibbled at it but they have both eaten their usual amount   I'm so glad should I get them some kitten food to make up the neutrients they lost not eating properly or just keep them on their normal food?