does this sound like calicivirus?

balibabies

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I have a 14 week old kitten that I just got from a breeder. I isolated her for 14 days as I have other cats in the house. She has always had some minor issues that I am not sure are related but wanted to get some opinions about. When I got her she had a very raspy meow. Although since she is isolated she meows constantly. I expected her to have nasal drainage or eye discharge or sneezing but nothing showed up. I have since let her out of her room. Then she had a lot of yellow crusty drainage from her ear which the vet says is a bacterial infection. That was diagnosed 3 days ago. She is getting ear drops. Then yesterday I heard her sneeze a handful of times and when she was playing and running around she had to stop for a coughing fit. I put her back in isolation. She has no drainage anywhere, except a little from her ear, no discharge from her eyes or nose, lots of energy and is eating well. She has been vaccinated once, the vet held off for the second round due to her ear infection, she has had a negative stool culture, has received revolution once and I am baffled. Do ear infections and URI's go hand in hand? I have never heard of these symptoms together but the virus' are mutating so quickly these days. Asthma? But I only just heard her coughing and sneezing one day. Calicivirus but without drainage? The vet has listened to her heart and lungs and says she is a healthy kitten.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
 
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feralvr

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It could possibly be a yeast infection in the ear and not related to the URI. http://howtocureyeastinfection.zedicate.com/feline-yeast-infection-ear/ These infections in the ear are extremely painful and it is good to know you are seeing the vet and the kitten is getting treatment. I have heard of these ear infections and the other symptoms you mention being caused by allergies. Those would go hand in hand. But, it is also possible that your kitten has an URI (viral which could be the Calici) Poor little thing. I would continue the isolation until she is feeling better. I am sure it is hard on your and on her. :hugs: I would stay in contact closely with the vet and it is possible she may need oral antibiotics as well. :vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes: for your kitten.
 

catwoman707

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I'm a bit confused, what would make you think it may be calici? If the kitten showed signs of a uri, the most common is of course rhinotracheitis (herpevirus) 2nd being calici.

Is it possibly thinking the herpevirus has eye discharge, etc and your kitten doesn't?

Sorry, just trying to figure out where you are coming from on this, we are all here to help and advise.

Feralvr has a point about it may be yeast inf.

I think you are a good kitty owner by noting the sneezing, and honestly, if you hear any more random sneezing I would say it's at least a decent chance that this kitten may have had a uri while at the breeder/s and recovered.

Once a kitten has been exposed to and came down with either uri virus, despite vaccinating it will live on in the cat for life, although you may not see this for several years, or it may pop it's head quite often, depending on how sick the kitten got before recovering, as well as the kittens immune responses and stress level/how he deals with stress.

Calici is quite distinct, it has all the same symptoms as herpevirus but you will see sores/ulcers in the mouth/tongue/on lips/and even feet.

They start out looking like bubbles.

Calici can be deadly to kittens, because secondary pneummonia is common with this virus in a kitten.
 
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balibabies

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Thanks for your responses. I thought Calicivirus because we have another kitten in the house named Figaro who one week after he received his second vaccination and was neutered (at 10 weeks) he developed limping kitten syndrome which is a strain of the calicivirus. He had lost his appetite for three days, could barely move, just hobbled around, had a high fever was so dehydrated I had to syringe feed him round the clock and finally got better after 4 days.This little girl named Luna was also in the house at the time but had only been in contact with him briefly as she has been in isolation since getting her. She never developed the limping syndrome and has only had infrequent sneezing, no drainage, no loss of appetite, the ear infection and the one bout of coughing. She came to me with no symptoms but a raspy meow. Neither one of them have ever had blisters or sores anywhere. I didn't know if somehow she was a carrier of the strain of calici that causes the limping and passed it to him or he developed it after his time at the vets, but at the time that Figaro got the limping she had only been with us one week and they hadnt even been around each other. Figaro and her have been separated because I know he can shed for some time. This is all a bit upsetting because I have not had sick cats before. I would like to get them together as soon as I can.
Luna now has been started on oral antibiotics and animax for her ears. I just don't want to keep her in isolation for longer than necessary. My plan was to keep her and Figaro separated till mid July with the hope that Figaro will be done shedding, I already know he could shed for years or forever, bleach is all that will kill it. At least I could getbLuna out of her room and with the rest of my family. She cries incessantly. But if this is a chronic situation than it will just have to be dealt with as it comes around (the viral symptoms). I already have her on Lysine. I wanted to know if anyone had heard of an ear infection with a URI as I had not. My breeder said she did have a very brief cold for which she recovered very quickly. She said she never had signs of limping. She is on grain free food, Taste of the Wild and Before grain. The coughing worried me more than anything. The more research I do it seems like these virus' are common in the breeders world.
 

catwoman707

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I see.

In my opinion I would get the 2nd vaccination asap, which covers calici. FVRCP=Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis/Calicivirus/Panleukopenia.

I too dealt with an entire litter of limping kittens, one by one, for 3 days and then pow, all better. It was my first time with that strain, and so strange I thought...

I don't believe the ear infection or meds for it will have any effect with the vaccine. Unless you think there is a uri coming on, in which case it's best to wait until that is cleared.
 

catwoman707

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I also meant to add, her crying is from lonliness, which you probably knew, and if the breeder said she had a cold, that would be a uri, and it surely couldn't have been gone that fast since it would have to run it's course in her system. She probably didnt want to discourage you.

I don't relate the ear infection with a uri, I would say separate issues.
 
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balibabies

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Did you know that there is no vaccination for the strain of calicivirus that causes the limping syndrome. Pretty sad. Although a patent was granted for a vaccination that covers the two strains but I am not sure why it is not available to the public. My question is ... can the kittens who once got the limping strain get it again like the other strains of calici. Is. They are carriers and can shed this particular strain and reinfect? I have read a lot and still have no definitive answer to this question. Not even the three vets ive talked to can answer this. I was wondering if others who have had cats with this could answer this from experience.
 
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