Can you give a Cat benadryl or advil?

Hello, I just joined this group and am in need of some advice. I have 2 cats one is 15 months and the other is a baby. I found a baby Siamese kitten earlier this week, it was full of fleas and has feline upper resp with a goopy looking eye.. I treated it for the fleas and took them both to the vet the next day. They both got shots and treated for worms, Today my cat, the big one has some sort of issue with it's eye. Is red, swollen and has some gunk in it. He looks miserable. Tried calling the vet, they are not there today. Is there something over the counter I can give him to help? I tried wiping his eye with a cool damp cloth, he won't let me touch it.

Advil can kill a cat, do NOT use it.

Benadryl can help a cat with allergies, but this isn't allergies. Are there other vets in the area, perhaps one that is open on Saturdays?

L-lysine can help cats with the herpes virus, but it hasn't shown any efficacy against upper respiratory viruses. He most likely caught the URI from the kitty.

You can give your older kitty 1/4 o 1/2 of a 10mg loratadine (Claritin) tablet ONCE a day.  Do NOT give it to the kitten.  You can add a bit of water to a little bit of canned food, mash the pill, and mix together.  You can also serve in about a tablespoon of plain meat baby food (no onions, no garlic).  Just mash the pill, mix, and serve.
 

If they're having trouble breathing, you can get the bathroom nice and steamy and sit in their with them until the steam dissipates.  Also, try warming up canned food for a few seconds in the microwave or in a water bath to help enhance the aroma, tempting them to eat.  It's important they keep eating and drinking.  If they stop eating, you'll need to force feed them.

Thank You! I did find a vet that was open and got him in! Chan has an eye infection for sure, got him eye drops and antibiotics and an antiviral drug. The new kitten is also getting the eye drops, to young for the others. They also gave me a list of allergy meds they can both use, just in case. I am happy to say that Chan is much better today!

No trouble breathing...Just the eyes and extreme shedding. Found a vet that was open yesterday. Both are doing much better today!

Yay!  Glad you were able to find a vet and got some meds.
 

Chan is acting sick again. I don't know if I am over reacting or not. For the last week he barely eats, i have to take him to the food or hand feed him. Then he hardly eats anything, won't drink at all. He is doing nothing but sleeping! This is very strange for him. He is a very active and playfull cat normally. His eyes also seem glassy. I don't really know how to help him. Really can't afford another trip the the vet. I am an unemployed single parent. Anyone have thoughts or suggestions??

I know you don't want to hear it, but your little guy most definitely needs another visit to the vet, not only to rule out another medical issue, but likely to get him some fluids. You can check his dehydration level by pulling up the fur (scruff) on the back of his neck. In a healthy cat the skin should snap right back into place. If it is slow going back down or remains at a "tent" then he is really dehydrated. Dehydration in cats can quickly lead to kidney failure so it's very important that you don't wait on this! 

I totally understand funds being tight, especially when you just dealt with an unexpected illness so recently and have a new kitten to care for. Here is a link to a good article (and several other sites) that can help get the wheels turning on how to pay for it: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/155462/cant-afford-a-vet-please-read . Above all, start by just explaining the situation to your vet. If you are an established client many are more than willing to work with you to try and get your pet the care that they need. 

In the meantime, you could try putting a little dextrose sugar on his gums to give him a little burst of energy and try to stimulate him to eat and drink something, but this isn't going to substitute an actual dose of fluids, nor will it rule out what the underlying cause is. 

Finally, I can't help but wonder if the new kitten has brought something into the house that is making Chan sick. You mentioned earlier that Chan got medication for his illness but the kitten was too young to get the same. I'm thinking that there is a good chance that the kitten has re-infected him (though perhaps not with the same illness so don't try to self treat without talking to the vet first). So, until both are healthy I would highly recommend keeping them completely separated. Otherwise, they are just going to keep spreading germs back and forth to one another and neither is going to recover. 

 Vibes that you are able to get Chan in and that it is nothing serious. Please keep us updated! 

Thanks EB24, I took Chan back to the vet on Friday. The vet gave him a shot of a long lasting antibiotic. He is still not much better and is walking funny. Sigh at least he is walking. However, I have no discovered that both of the cats have some sort of weird pink lump on their undersides. They are both male, I have no idea what this is!!! OMG this seems to be never ending....Any ideas what these pink lumps could be??

Are you sure they aren't the cat's nipples? If they spread symmetrically down both sides they're probably just nipples. One time my mom thought my dog had an infected tick bite and took him to the vet, and it ended up being his belly button.

How big are these pink lumps? Any way you can get a pic?

I have to concur with previous posts. These "lumps" could very well be nipples. I think you are e wise to bring in you r kitty to th ed vet. Many health care providers will offer sliding scale or payments over time if as client is experiencing trouble. Vet's and doctors do not enter that area to see anyone,2 feet or 4. Speed,suffer!

Pls as was noted do NOT administer certain human analgesics to cats since the writer is utterly correct in that they can kill a feline. Benadryl or other Otc meds can be iffy drugs for cats. Benadryl and gravel for example can make most humans very sleepy- which is why the exact same ingredient is used in such drugs as Sleep aids etc otc. In kitties, they can sometimes have the opposite impact so that what you e expected would be a sleepy kitty becomes a hyperactive very upset even growling and hissing cat so your best option is to find out what meds for felines best help your cat, if you absolutely want to try these meds,very similar in chemical composition, give a cat a tiny amt and stay with her so she is OK. A Sept cat on drugs can also have other problems so it really is best to know what works for your kitty. And,before giving ANY med,check with your vet and be certain what the medical issue is!! Good luck!!

I'm sorry that it seems there is even more going on. And, unfortunately, I have to concur that a trip back to the vet's is your best option at this point. Again, my thought is that the kitten has brought something into the home and it is not yet cleared out. A lump to me (other than being a nipple of course) is oftentimes indicative of an insect bite, especially when it's occurring on two cats of varying ages (versus something like a cancerous tumor). Are chiggers common in your area (they are a type of mite)? I know their bites can cause red, swollen lumps on animals. Some viruses and bacterias can too. 

The list is just too long to try and narrow. Please do talk to your vet about a payment plan- at this point they know you have your cat's best interests' at heart and will probably be willing to work with you. The silver lining is that hopefully something like these lumps will be tangible enough for the vet to really figure out what is going on.