I think my cat has a cold - sneezing constantly

Okay, I know everyone is going to say 'Take your cat to the Vet' .... Unfortunately I am completely new and alone in the city as I have no family or friends yet, and cannot afford to take her until the first week of December when I receive my pay. I have called my vet and asked if he will do it on an emergency basis and take a post dated cheque, but now a days? no such luck.

Someone take a second to let me know if there is a home remedy that I can try until I can take him in?  I will of course confirm with my vet on the phone, but any suggestions would help.

He is eating his hard kibble and drinking.

Desperately seeking an answer, please!

One thing you can try is a l-lysine supplement.  Most cat colds are caused by either the calici virus or the feline herpes virus.  L-lysine is very helpful at battling the herpes virus.  Lots of fluids is something my vet always recommends for a cold too. 

Some people use l-lysine sold for humans and just break the capsules open over the cat's food.  We order one over the internet that is a powder for cats...also sprinkled over food.  We use 500 mg twice daily during an outbreak and 250 twice a day when they are healthy, to prevent outbreaks.

I have read that on a few postings, thank you so much.  I really appreciate your response.

I am assuming I can find this L-lysine at the pharmacy.  I hope it works until I can bring him in I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything happened to him.

On a good note, he ate a bowl of hard kibble this morning so I hope that this is a sign of 'on the road to recovery'

The l-lysine is not a short-term remedy.  It works by boosting their immune systems to help fight off secondary infections.  Herpes is a virus and presently there is no cure for it.  They are working on something that is promising, but my understanding is that several more years are needed to fully test the effectiveness.

All that said, the l-lysine is probably a good idea for your cat. 

At the present, Silly is having a flare-up and is getting 500mg twice a day, along with Clindamycin for the URI that she is having.

Hello Catspaw66

Thank you, if my vet states the same in a couple of weeks I will definitely follow the same course.

You mentioned you are giving your cat Clindamycin, is this an antibiotic for cats specifically?  Also, you had not mentioned anything in your previous message; can I purchase the L-lysine at my local pharmacy?

Thank you again

You should be able to purchase the l-lysine at a pharmacy or health food store.  I've seen discussions on here about making sure they don't have added ingredients that aren't good for cats.  I'm not sure what those added ingredients are (since we buy one made for cats), but read the labels and if there are added ingredients you could google them or ask your vet.  I know there are plenty of folks who use the one sold for humans.

txcatmom said:

You should be able to purchase the l-lysine at a pharmacy or health food store.  I've seen discussions on here about making sure they don't have added ingredients that aren't good for cats.  I'm not sure what those added ingredients are (since we buy one made for cats), but read the labels and if there are added ingredients you could google them or ask your vet.  I know there are plenty of folks who use the one sold for humans.

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Most of them are talking about propylene glycol, which is the stuff in antifreeze and is used as a preservative in human pills sometimes.  It is extremely poisonous to cats and dogs.  Also, some l-lysine pills for humans have cellulose in them, which isn't as bad.  I use the ones I get at Walmart.

catspaw66 said:

The l-lysine is not a short-term remedy.  It works by boosting their immune systems to help fight off secondary infections. 

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No, it helps with FHV by preventing the virus replicating or reducing the rate of replication.

OrientalSlave said:

No, it helps with FHV by preventing the virus replicating or reducing the rate of replication.

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You are absolutely right, I was doing two things at once and wasn't paying attention to what I was writing.  Thank you for catching that.  I wouldn't want anyone to be mis-informed by me.