Need some advice - URI

I could use some advice on this situation.

We are about to leave to take Cindy up for her chemo treatment.  I just came home to get her, and Swanie was sneezing a bit, snuffling, and his eye is watering.  He is prone to URIs, but hasn't had one in a while.  I called the vet to see if I could get an appointment for him for after I got back with Cindy, but the vet is out of town.  They have a substitute vet who is only there until 3:00.  Cindy's appointment is 2:30, no way I can get him over there.  Tuesday and Wednesday are drop off appointments, with a vet I don't know (sub vet).  I'm reluctant to do that.  Earliest I can see my regular vet is Thusrday.

The tech has a message out to the vet for advice, but she's in classes and no telling when I might hear from her.

Any advice on what I should do, would be sincerely appreciated.  I'm worried about (1) him getting worse before I can have someone see him and (2) him giving it to Cindy.

Thanks for reading this.

On boy, that's a tough one.  Not sure I'd want to want until Thursday to get him started on antibiotics.  Since he's had this before, why are you reluctant to have a different Vet treat him.  His records are still at this Vet's office, are they not? 

If it were me, i'd probably drop him off tomorrow (I don't quite understand this drop off only appt thing, but whatever), explain that your OTHER cat is on chemo, so you don't want to wait until Thursday for treatment, and in the meantime, I'd try to keep them separated tonight, if possible, just so Cindy is safer.

I'm guessing you already know all the things to do tonight to make Swanie more comfortable, since this isn't his first time.  Do you give him L-Lysine daily, to try to cut down on this.  How about Cindy?  Does she get it too, just to boost her immune system?  How's she doing, BTW?

Thanks, mrsgreenjeans.  Yeah, no doubt that's what I will do, but I don't like dropping him off and leaving him there until a vet can see him. I don't like doing it with either of the cats, but especially since Swanie is such a difficult boy.  And one reason I'm reluctant to have the sub vet see him is I'm not sure who she is - but I know there is one my regular vet was telling us about who was wondering how they could manage deal with the difficult cats.  I like to be there with Swanie because he's calmer when I'm in the room with him. If I could take him in for a normal appointment (whichever vet) and I could be in the exam room with him, I would be fine with the other vet.  I don't kow, it's always something.  I'm hoping that I hear from my vet tonight when she gets out of her classes for some guidance. 

Actually, it's not an infection at the moment, I know what to look for and I know they won't give me antibiotics anyway, so I don't know.  Unfortunately, he's been so good for so long I slacked off the L-Lysine.  Not sure how I feel about him having it long term.  I was just thinking about it too.  So he's had a dose and he'll get another one tonight and twice a day for a whilte. 

Cindy is doing good, she's just had her 5th chemo treatment and he wants her to have one more and then discuss where we go from there.  Had a little bit of a set back where she was starting to get a some infections.  The oncologist prescribed an antibiotic - which in turn (I think) gave her a yeast infection in her ears.  The infections were healing up nicely and then she started scratching again around her head and ears.  When I saw her doing that and shaking her head, I was wondering about ear mites (althought how she would have got them I didn't know), and took her off to our regular vet.  Turned out she had yeast infection in her ears.  Of course, I freak out when she scratches like that, but the oncologist isn't too concerned as long as they're healing up.  Right now she's on the regular antibiotics she usually get (not the different kind from the oncologist), as well as ear drops (which she hates) and pred. 

Now I'm getting the full picture.  Didn't realize Swanie was such a handful at the Vet .  Always something, huh.  Well, if you don't think they'd give you an antibiotic anyway, then no point in going, I'm thinking.  But since URI's are highly contagious, you probably should keep those two separated.  "Course, you said Cindy is already on an antibiotic.  Might it possibly be one that is also used for URIs?

Dilemmas, delimmas

I called the vet hospital last night (where Cindy gets her chemo) and explained the situation.  Talked to the oncology nurse, and she said that since Cindy is already on an antibiotic, they wouldn't do anything else for her anyway, but that if she did catch it I should give them a call.  And of course, keep them separated, which we've been doing anyway.  Swanie seems a bit better today.  I stayed in the bedroom with him last night and was awake most of the night checking on him. I'm ready to fall over now at work, but I had to be sure he was okay. He's eating and drinking, DH said his eyes aren't watering as much today, and still no sign of infection.

Oh yes, he is a handful and a half, and because he weighs 25+ pounds, big cat in general, and very strong, he's not easy to deal with.  One of the vet techs at the clinic will come in with those thick gloves they wear and even the vet is very cautious around him.  The other tech, who I really like, just looks at him when he hisses and growls and says really Swanie? I'm not afraid of you!  I'm taking the approach that if it doesn't get worse, but he's still not on the road to recovery Thursday, I'll get an appointment for him then. 

I think my biggest freak out is fear of Cindy catching it, with her weakened immune system.

that all goes well.  Maybe Swanie will kick this before it fully develops .  Is it possible it might even be allergies rather than a URI? (since he's not showing actual signs of infection)  That would actually be GREAT!  

Anyway, hoping Cindy does NOT catch whatever it is.  

Vet is back today, and Swanie is going in a little bit.  He's still sneezing, snuffling, and eye running with clear discharge.  The Tech I spoke with yesterday asked (among other things) if I was giving him new food.  Turns out I did buy a bag of Canyon Creek Ranch Chicken at Petco on Sunday and have been giving them some this week (still attempting to find a replacement for California Natural).  I didn't know food could cause that kind of allergy! Anyway, he's not getting any more of it and Cindy didn't like it anyway.  I dread if we have to start  giving Swanie pills.  The last time we had to give him pills, we ended up taking him to the vets office for about the first 5 days because we just couldn't do it (sigh).