Newly adopted kitty has been coughing.....

Hi Everyone,

I am new here and looking for some thoughts, advice, anything anyone could share would be very much appreciated.

I adopted Francis Xavier, a beautiful two year old boy, from a rescue org a little over ten weeks ago.  He had an upper respiratory infection and I brought him home with the antibiotic they'd been giving him.  He was sneezing, coughing, etc.

He never shook the infection so I brought him to a new vet that I selected when I adopted another kitty, Beau Edward, ten months ago.  Well, Francis seemed to shake off the URI after this round of antibiotics.  Then, after a week and a half, it returned.  I took him back to the vet and came home with another antibiotic.  It went away again, then returned again.  His cough remained the whole time, though, even when the sneezing went away on the antibiotics.

I took him in today to have diagnostics done to find out what the cough may be from, as it never goes away from the antibiotics.

It is a dry cough, almost like he is trying to expel a hairball.  He can cough at any time, not just a certain time, or after play, etc.

He is eating, playing, cuddling, being his usual self.  The last few days he has been coughing a little more.  

I kept taking him in to the vets and everyone was hoping the coughing was from a lingering URI and it would go away.  It didn't and his last antibiotic round ended yesterday.  That is why I took him in today to run some diagnostic tests.

An xray showed that his heart was a little enlarged.  The way the vet put it was "a little long."  Now, the same vet had scared me with a story of one of her cats who died from Cardiomyopathy........then she looked at Francis' xray and I asked her if her cat's heart had been a little long.  She said yes.  I am scared.

She is sending the xray out for a radiology consultation. 

I did not ask the right questions while at the vet.  I lost a kitty less than three months ago and her brother only ten months before that.  Both were eldery kitties whom I had given chronic care to for a year and a half combined.  I think I am so sensitive right now that I didn't behave as I normally would and ask the right questions, not jump to the worse conclusions, etc.

My question is.........does Francis has to have a heart condition, or could there be a chance that his heart looked enlarged due to some fluid build up from the lengthy/repeated URI? 

I had originally gone in there thinking he may have asthma and the doctor did say that she was thinking the bloodwork may point to that.  But, I didn't ask her if it looked at all like he had asthma from the xrays.  I was told a doctor should be able to tell that, but I didn't ask,  I just assumed the worse and thought Fran had a heart issue--even though she is not confirming that just yet, just saying that it 'looks' a little enlarged and wants another to take a look at it.  I have to wait a couple of days for this second opinion.

This is a new vet.  My two kitties who passed went to a veterinary specialist hospital as they had cancer, kidney disease, diabetes, etc. (Well, my Eddie had diabetes for over ten years......so he went there a long time).  

Any thoughts?  Would everyone just wait before they started freaking out here?  Anyone with a similiar experience?  Or, anyone that feels like talking about Cardiomyopathy, any type of heart disease, asthma, URI's, oh, anything anybody would like to share. 

Thank you so much,

Eddysmom

I don't have any experiece with heart issues, but wanted to send good wishes for your kitty. Have you tried L-lysine for the URI?  I know it's easier said than done, but try not to worry. Francis might be just fine.

They are adorable cats !

Thank you so much for replying.  It was very nice to hear from you.  Lysine was mentioned to me yesterday by a few other friends, too.  I will have to buy some. 

The kitties in the pic are Francis X and Beau Edward. They are both around two years old. I adopted Beau around ten months ago and Francis just over ten weeks ago.  They're good boys and just love eachother.

Thanks for the well wishes.  Gonna be a hard day today sitting and waiting to hear about Francis.  Lost my Eddie and Sarah and Sarah only left three months ago (just shy of).........didn't think I'd be sitting and waiting to hear about a possibly serious health issue so soon...

Once again,  thank you for your kindness. 

Linda

Eddie & Sarah Ann's Mom, My 2 Bridge Babies & Earth Mom to Francis & Beau

After reading so much about   L-lysine here l always have some in. It's marvellous for their sniffles

Since he continues to get sick and doesn't seem to totally kick the infection, talk to the vet about doing a culture and sensitivity test.  He could have a secondary infection that sorta clears up with the antibiotics, but something else might help it totally clear up.  The sensitivity test will tell the vet which drug will most effectively clear up the infection.  Most likely, the coughing is from nasal drainage, but talk to your vet about the possibility of feline asthma.

Depending on where he's from, you might ask if there are any signs of heartworm.  Not common, but it can happen, and I've heard coughing is one symptom.
 

I am so sorry everyone, I didn't realize I had any more replies after my last post on this thread.  I want to thank you all for reading this thread and responding.  I appreciate it very much.

Turns out Francis' heart was just fine.  The vet (now switched to another one) held him wrong while taking the xray.  I actually took Francis to a cardiologist because of this and, thankfully, his heart is fine.

He does have asthma and he has bad allergies.  He takes an antihistamine for the allergies and was getting prednilisone for the asthma, but we are weaning him off that and onto an inhaler.  I've been giving him the inhaler for a week now.  Once we get him off the prednilisone we will see if it is working.  FIngers crossed.    

On another note, I did purchase the L-lysine..........believe it or not, Fran is of the rare percentage of cats that can not tolerate it.       He will vomit if given it.   I am glad it works for so many kitties, though!

Once again, thanks for your kindness.

Eddysmom1