Sick New kitten - Coccidiosis and Feline Herpes

Hello everyone!

So thank you to everyone who responded to my thread.

If you're just joining us, I have been giving my kitten, Hobbes:hobbes:

Albon for his Coccidiosis and eye cream for his feline herpes.

After weeks of this we went back to the vet and he is totally coccidiosis free! Isn't it wonderful?

They eye infection is gone too, but now it seems his herpes has moved to the side of his face where it now resides.

So. How do I keep this sort of thing from coming back? But it's a huge relief to know my little man is all parasite free. I'm so happy about that.

Thank you all again so much for your help.

~Misty.

Here are my questions:

What's the best way to administer oral and eye medication?

(Right now I just hold good him, apply a thin strip of the eye stuff to his eye lid like the vet did, then place the oral medicine syringe ((no needle in it of course)) to the side of his mouth and when he begins to lick I put the medicine in)

The process of doing this stresses me out more than it seems to matter to him, he only whines about the Albon goo but licks up the clavamox and only backs up slightly with the eye creme.

Are you supposed to grab him by the back of his neck? Because I feel scared to hurt him or pick him up like that. Problem is he fidgets around when giving the medicine and it drops out of his mouth. (Understandably, I wouldn't want someone force feeding me gross liquids either!)

Second question, is his eye supposed to still be a bit red / inflamed after 4 days?

Third, is it true that all of his life he might get reoccurring eye infections?

Fourth, does this mean I shouldn't give him the cat herpes vaccine if he definitely has it?

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You're doing the medication right.  If you're concerned about hurting him, you can wrap him up in towel like a burrito and administer the meds that way.  I always sit on the floor, put them between my legs so they can't back up and give meds that way.  Give treats before, during, and after meds to help entice him to stay around and to encourage positive reinforcement.

It can take awhile for the eye to clear up depending on how severe the infection.  I'd give it another day and if it's not better, call the vet and ask what they think.  You might need to try a different eye med.  I've used Tobramycin and Gentamycin for stubborn eye infections with good results.

If he has herpes, he might indeed have recurring eye and/or upper respiratory infections, but there's a lot you can do to prevent the outbreaks and help decrease the occurrences of the outbreaks.

I would get his kitten shots in him, but wait until this infection has cleared up and he's on the road to health.

I used to foster kittens, by the dozens! So I'm all too familiar with both herpes and coccidia.

1. Cats are challenging to medicate. It sounds like you are doing a good job. What I do is, with liquids, hold the cat's jaw, so that you reach both cheekbones. If you can hold that area well enough, he won't be able to shake his head and wrestle it away. The body is a different story - I've actually seen a wild/stray cat injure himself by wrestling when getting medicated (pulled muscle, I think). What helps me, if there is not a second person to help, is to sit behind the cat and hold him in place between my knees.

Albon is especially gross to cats! I fostered a four week old kitten with the worst coccidia I have ever seen - she had to be on Albon for a month and it was a tough time. 

2. As long as you are seeing improvement, then I would say it is okay that the eye is still a little red. One of my own cats had eye herpes and it takes longer to go away than just a generic, non-herpes eye infection. 

3. It can recur, just like herpes in people. I gave my cat Lysine powder in her food everyday which drastically helps prevent any kind of herpes. Three years later, and she never got another eye infection.

4. I would think that since she has herpes, there is no point in vaccinating against it. But, the kitten vaccine (FVRCP) gives a combination of protection against FVR (feline viral rhinotrachitis) (a respiratory infection caused by herpes) C (calicivirus) (a really nasty thing for cats to get involving the mucus membranes) and P (panleuk) (the feline distemper). 

I'm not sure how to approach this, since you said she already had distemper. I'd check to see if her "distemper" was actually a combo FVRCP. Then, she's good. 

PS: I would suggest waiting until her infection is all clear before vaccinating.

I have a cat rescue group, and originally I was getting Albon for coccidia as well, then a couple years ago discovered something that cures it super fast.

Albon inhibits growth of coccidia cysts and allows the cat's own immune system to get it in check, but it can take literally months sometimes. Weeks at LEAST.

Only about half of vets carry this, but it is Ponazuril, which is the diluted form of Marquis paste, intended for horses.

Vets will dilute it for you.

Given once a day for 3-7 days, and it literally kills all cysts, so it is gone for good, and fast!

The clavamox, sit cat in front of you, scruff and pull head back, work the syringe into the side of mouth and squirt, the further back it is, the less he will taste it.

Scruffing does NOT hurt them, it is natural feeling as their moms cared for them this way.

Eye ointment, just as you described, twice a day too. I use Terramycin though.

For bad herpe eye, some vets carry Idoxuridine, (Idox) this kicks butt and works amazingly fast.

Tiny bottle, $35.00 but worth it's weight.