4 mo old rescue with URI, not getting better

We've had Kenzie for almost 2 weeks. We adopted her from local shelter's "adopt & shop store" (set up like a pet store but all dogs/cats are rescues).

Paperwork said she had been cleared of URI and eye still had some clear discharge. They said antibiotics had been given and finished and she's been fine. We adopted her on Sunday 7/13, brought her home and set her up in the spare, spacious bathroom to get used to her new digs. Well, by next morning clear eye discharge was greenish-yellow. Shelter gave a certificate for free check-up, so we took her in Wednesday.

Vet determined she had eye infection, gave l-Lysine (2x's day-gel) and tobromycin eye drops 3x's day. Green-yellow discharge appeared in her right eye 2 days later, so I started eye drops in both eyes. Didn't seem to be working on the left eye, but right eye started to clear up.

On Monday 7/21 she began sneezing, A LOT. I wasn't aware this was symptom of URI so I wasn't on the lookout for mucus from sneezes. I took her back to Vet on Tuesday, same practice different vet, said eye infection is either herpes or chlamydia probably contracted from birth. Changed from eye drops to chlortetracycline ointment 2x's day. Overnight she continued sneezing and by Wednesday morning was super congested (she sounded like a freight train when she started purring) and I witnessed projectile yellow mucus fly from her lil nostrils. Called vet and updated status, prescribed clavamox, 1/2 a pill 2x's /day for 12 days which I picked up on Wednesday evening after work and started that evening. Tonight, I noticed greenish goop again in her right eye, so now poor baby is getting pills shoved down her throat twice a day, stinging ointment stuck in both eyes, humidifier running 24/7 (and lots of treats, love, playtime). She is still eating, tho appetite has fluctuated and has regular urine/bowel movements and no issues with litter box. We're still keeping her in the bathroom in case she develops diarrhea from the antibiotics and because I don't want to stress her out further by having the whole home to adjust to (next step will be to move her to large spare bedroom). We do not have any other pets.

I just feel so bad for her and desperately want her to start getting better so she can some out of quarantine and explore her new home and just feel loved and at peace.

Does anyone have any idea how much longer this URI/eye infection will last, or if I, or vet, can do anything different?

Oh, and top of it all, she has a pretty strong heart murmur. First vet at practice said go to cardiologist, 2nd vet at same practice (much older) said don't waste the money, but get to know what is normal for Kenzie such as resting breathing rate and monitor her for changes as she ages. Could lead to congestive heart failure, but wasting money on cardiologist at this point will do nothing but tell us "'yes, she has a heart murmur and this is where it is specifically -valve vs chamber- but no there's nothing we can do about it'".

Based on adoption costs, vet bills, toys/food/litter/collar/brushes/pet carrier/ etc/etc/etc, I'm looking into pet insurance to help offset future expenses. Vet office had 2 month free trial of Embrace, which I signed up for. Would heart murmur now be considered a pre-existing condition and cost of cardiologist not be covered? URI preexisting too?

Sorry this is so long, sooo many questions! I grew up with a cat, when I was 12 our family got a newborn kitten from a friend. Tiger was in our family for 16 years with no issues but urinary tract blockages on occasion and had to clean his ears from time to time. Nothing like what poor lil Kenzie has already been through in her short 4 months on this planet!

One of the problems with those "free" pet insurance coverages when you adopt is that you can't just extend the policy by paying, and anything they were treated for under the "free" policy becomes a "pre-existing condition" and is not covered when you try to continue coverage, as the continuation is considered a NEW policy.  That being said, at least you have coverage for these first two months. 

Sorry about the URI, it's very common in rescued kitties and can be caused by herpes virus or some form of the calici virus, chlamydia, or all of the above.  She was probably cleared of one of these but has picked up another while in the store.  All you can do is what we do in rescue, treat the symptoms and get her through the crisis part of it and then add good probiotics to get her system healthy again.

Clavamox is always our go-to drug of choice.  I'll give you a hint about the pills -- you don't have to force them down her throat.  Clavamox is almost tasteless and it dissolves well.  Put the pill in a little liquid such as water, just a little it for a couple of minutes.  Then mash it with a spoon and dissolve it.  Then add some half and half coffee cream to it, and/or baby food chicken etc, and she should eat it right down, assuming she is eating.  If she isn't eating, then such the cream/clavamox formula into a syringe and squirt into her mouth gently.  The liquid Clavamox that vets dispense tastes awful, not sure why, but the Clavamox pills have no taste.  Trust me.  Taste the mixture.    Also, if she's in a bathroom, run the shower on warm a few minutes a couple of times a day to act as a humidifier and help clear the gunk out of her nose.  If you have a warm mist (or even cool mist) humidifier, running that is usually helpful, especially in the summer when most folks are using A/C and making the inside air very dry.

Finally, as to the heart murmur, second vet is right.  Investigating it isn't treatment and thus is a waste of money at this point.  Also, many kittens have heart murmurs that go away as they grow up!  I had one like that, one vet said it wasn't bad and would probably go away, so I adopted the kitten out, telling that to the new owner, just to watch it.  Then she went to a vet like your FIRST vet (young?  too much book learning, not enough experience yet!) who wanted her to go get an ultrasound at another place and made her very scared so she returned the kitten.  I kept taking the kitten back to the first vet for heart murmur, and the heart murmur got less and less over the next couple of months.  Also, the vet fell more in love with the kitten every visit and finally adopted her!  The kitten is now nearly 2 years old and has no heart murmur at all.  So follow the second vet's advice, and just get it checked from time to time and see if it goes away.  It might.

Also, if you search this site for "lactoferrin" and "lysine" you will find two very positive substances to help your kitten recover and see other peoples experience.  Lactoferrin is a substance taken from bovine colostrum that improves the immune system.  I've used it with rescue kittens who end up with chronic sneezing or runny eye after a URI and it does indeed healp them clear up that last leftover problem.  No more sneezing no more runny eye.  And L-lysine is an amino acid that prevents the herpes virus fromreplicating.  If your cat has herpes virus already, it won't kill the virus but will keep it from flaring up.  This works on humans too.  Google it to learn more.  The bottom line is that when there is more lysine in the body, there is less arginine, so the herpes virus, which needs arginine to grow, cannot grow.  It doesn't die, but it can't flare up.  You dont need to buy expensive lysine chews either.  It can be bought at any health food store, and in capsules in the Kroger health section (not the regular vitamin section) made by Twin Labs -- those are in capsule form so you just open the capsules and sprinkle in their wet food.  It tastes like salt. 

Thank you so much for the in-depth response and affirmations!

Supposedly with Embrace, I can continue right into a 12 month policy and anything that came up in the trial period will continue to be covered (ie 14 mos for price of 12-or so they say!).

I'll definitely do the mashing up of the clavamox. I don't want to keep stressing her out with the pills/ointments anymore than I have to. She is eating just fine, so I think I will just mix it in to a small portion, let her eat it all up, then give her the remainder of her meal! Much less drama, thanks for letting me know about that!

I remember as a kid, I would get colds a lot and my mom started having me take zinc and L-Lysine to support my immune system. Wasn't sure if the human dosage sold in drugstores would be too much for a cat, but the thought of going to that after the gel runs out did cross my mind! Glad to know I don't have to keep shelling out $25/tube -although she does seem to like the gel preparation, she'll lick it straight out the spoon(I have a plastic disposable spoon just for this purpose for her).

We've been running a cool most humidifier 12 hrs/day (mostly at night when we have the AC on), though she still sounds congested.

How long does it take a typical URI to clear up? Are there any other signs to watch out for that would indicate she needs a stronger antibiotic or anything?

Also I noticed while giving her the clavamox pill this morning, the guns around one of her back teeth are really red/inflamed looking and she seemed to have trouble keeping the treat I gave her afterwards in her mouth. It seemed like she was trying to chew on the other side of her mouth only. She does have 1 upper tooth that hasn't come in yet, but that area isn't inflamed.

The red gums go along with upper respiratory viral infection.  Hopefully they will heal well when the virus is gone. Both calici virus and herpes virus can cause mouth ulceration.

Normally, the URI will clear up in about 10 days, but if it's a more severe case, of if you're dealing with an URI and something else like calicivirus, or if your kitty is still malnourished, it can take longer.  When we adopted Hannah, she was so very sick with an URI that it took almost 6 weeks for her to be totally and completely well.  Their little bodies are often malnourished and under a lot of stress which just complicates their illness(es).  She's been in a shelter and now in your home and has seen a lot of changes in a short period of time.  That's stressful on her body.  With constant quality nutrition, love, a lot of rest, and medical attention, she'll get well, but it may take awhile.

Here's a really long and informative thread about using lactoferrin and lysine.  It might help you to read some other people's experiences over time.  This thread was started November 10, 2013 and the last post in it was today.  It is still active, and consists of FOUR pages, so be sure you start at the beginning. (You just joined so that's why I'm explaining this to you.)  The page numbers for navigation are at the top right just above the first post on any page.  You will probably come into the thread on page 4, so scroll up to the first post on that page and look just above it on the right.  You can then click on page 1 and go to the beginning.

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/267703/...oferrin-in-addition-to-lysine/90#post_3599647

I forgot to mention that if you don't see a significant improvement or if you notice her condition worsening, then she needs to get back to the vet for a re-eval or call the vet to get a different medication.  Research Convenia before the vet suggests it.  I would suggest you avoid that at all costs for the time being.  This seems to be prescribed with increasing frequency for stubborn URIs, but it's not the best option. 

i just adopted a kitty n other kitty caught a uti. after vet and clavamox and eye drops, l-lysine has work wonders! Shes still has a uri (been about 3 weeks)but much, much, more better. i highly recommend l-Lysine, and also a hot steamy shower for all the boogers. Hope everything works out for your kitty! my newly adopted cat is 3 months old and the vet said to give her 250mg twice a day.

Thank you for all of the info!!

We went on a bit if a shopping spree, got 2 bottles of the Twin Labs Lysine capsules (buy one get one 50% off!) and I think I'll keep this as a daily supplement even after the URI clears up just to support her immune system. We'll be moving in a few months and would HATE to have this crop up again because of the stress.

I've been lurking through TCS since joining last night and read about Rescue Remedy. I found that today as well, in a local independent pet supply. I think it might help her now, and again as we gear up to move.

I couldn't find lactoferrin available locally, I think I'll have to order online. I asked at a health food/nutrition store, a couple of pet supply stores and an animal feed store. No one had a clue what I was talking about. I'm very motivated by the thread you pointed me to RedTopRescue!! Thank you so much for being a fountain of information! Even when we got Kenzie from the shelter's pet store, they said she was fully recovered, but I noticed she had clear discharge in her left eye while we were processing the adoption. I get the feeling that this would otherwise be an ongoing issue, and I really hope Lysine/Lactoferrin keep it at bay!

I have been running the cool mist humidifier (that bathroom is like a rain forest!) for the past couple of days, but even today she still seemed congested and had been sneezing a lot. (20+ times). Tonight I decided to go with the hot steam from the shower. Stayed in the bathroom with her, holding and petting her, the heat seemed to make her really drowsy (heck me too!). Once the bathroom was nice and steamy I cut the water off and then continued to pet her and hold her in the steamy room. She really seemed to like it and fell asleep for a split second. I fed her right after all the steam dissipated (warmed a small portion of her food up a bit and followed the steps to dissolve her clavamox with the food) and she gobbled it up-fastest Ive seen her eat in all the time we've had her! I think she could finally truly smell it. After she licked her bowl clean, I gave her the rest of her meal and then let her eat/rest for about an hour or two with the cool most humidifier back on. Later, played with her for a bit and she seemed downright perky! She was *soooo* much more active chasing her toys, zipping around the bathroom. I haven't seen her this active ever, which makes me think she is starting to feel better (fingers crossed!). She did fizzle out pretty quickly, but it was nice to see her being a bundle of energy. I hope the trend continues! And thanks again for the info about dissolving the clavamox-Kenzie really appreciated not having a pill stuck down her throat as part of the regimen tonight!

All of the responses have been very helpful in convincing my partner to not just give up on this effort and return her to the shelter so they could deal with the URI. Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and having input from you all, who have first hand experience, has been the saving grace. I've been Kenzie's primary caretaker, and, all in all, I have a big heart and always want to help people/animals/situations. I've bonded with her already and can't bear the thought of losing her, but I can understand my partners point of view-she doesn't feel the shelter adequately disclosed the information, nor prepared pet-parents-to-be who have no experience with URI's with what to watch out for, what to expect, etc (and honestly she thinks they felt they could pass the buck for her care on to us). I get it, shelters have limited resources for the huge numbers of animals that pass through their doors, but it is frustrating to not have some idea of this upfront. Sorry, didn't mean for that to turn into rant....but again, THANK YOU all for your help!

The shelter I foster for will always help people treat cats or kittens if they get sick again after leaving.  Some of these things DO return but there is no way of knowing.  One of mine had clear discharge for many months, never got sick again, but never got well except on the lactoferrin/lysine combo.  I ran out and need to order more, and sure enough, she has some clear discharge again.  She's still not sick but for some reason the eye does still tear when she doesn't get the supplements for awhile.  I get the Jarrow lactoferrin from Amazon.  If you buy two bottles, your cost is enough to get you free shipping.  I gave one bottle to the humane society shelter and kept one for my own use.  Anyhow, the group of kittens I had were very sick because they came through Animal Control and were in the euthanasia room, where nobody is careful about cleanliness because nobody expects the cats in that room to be there more than 5 days.    The only way they can get out is if they are pulled by a rescue.  My county animal control does not do adoptions.

On the lactoferrin, be sure to get the Yarrow brand.  I got mine from Amazon.

I've ordered the Jarrow Lactoferrin, it can't get here soon enough!

As an update, she is still sneezing and yellow mucus goes flying

I've left a message for the vet to call me back when she gets in today.

Kenzie's left eye (the one that has had discharge since we got her) has finally mostly cleared up.....but it seems the problem just jumped to her right eye. I've been putting the ointment in both eyes since last Thursday, when I noticed the right was starting to have discharge. The right is not as bad as her left eye was, she doesn't constantly paw at it or squint, but it has the thick yellow discharge.

There are only 2.5 days left of the clavamox, hence the call to the vet, to see if we should try something else to clear up the sneezing/mucus/congestion. The congestion isn't as bad, her nose is whistling when she breathes though.

We put her in her cat carrier for an hour or so Sunday and sanitized every surface of the bathroom we've been keeping her in. Everything from the litter box/litter genie/mats, floors cupboard countertops got scrubbed down with straight bleach and rinsed off. All bedding and washable toys were washed in hot hot water and tide and bleach as well, then we put her back in the bathroom after it all aired out, and washed the cat carrier with bleach. We keep the carrier in the bathroom with a big fluffy liner and little blanket for her, she likes to sleep in it.

This URI sure is stubborn! Can't wait for the lactoferrin to arrive and hopefully give her immune system the kick it needs to beat this thing! Fortunately, she is eating and drinking, peeing/pooping regularly, and still wants to play, even though she tires/gets winded easily. Found out her gums were tender/irritated looking because she's teething! After feeding her on Sunday night and playing for a bit with a new toy, she hunched down and started gagging like she was going to throw up. A small little pink bit came rolling out of her mouth and nothing else. When I picked it up with a tissue, I could feel it was hard instead of soft like food would have been. Upon further inspection, it was a tiiiiiiny little tooth! I checked her mouth and sure enough you could see a tiny little point pushing up where this tooth had been! I noticed the tooth immediately adjacent was in a weird angle so I touched it to see if it was loose, and it rolled over further then popped out. Kenzie jumped out of my arms and hid behind the toilet, and I think she swallowed that tooth because I couldn't find it
This is our lil girl Kenzie!

URIs can be very persistent!  Just don't let them give her convenia.  If anything, ask for a continuation of the Clavamox.   Ask also for an eye drop such as Gentamicin that you can also drop into the nose.  That will help, too.  Are you running a humidifier or vaporizer (warm steam) in the bathroom 24/7?  That will help as well.

If it doesn't clear up on the Clavamox you may want to ask your vet to do a culture to see what you are dealing with as an infection. I had to do that with my 5 month old kitten after months of trying to treat thick eye discharge. It turned out she was infected with Chlamydia and mycoplasma, both of which respond to doxycycline. After a month on tablets and eye ointment it cleared up.

my cat was on clavamox, she got well within 9 days of the 10 days of clavamox. Within the 9th day she got a eye infection in one eye then it went to the other eye. went back to the vet n they prescribed neomycin and polymyxin b sulfates and bacitracin zinc ophthalmic ointment usp that 5 days ago, and its all cleared. im guessing it get worse before it get better. The Vet told me that l-lysine will be a forever thing for both of my cat. Cali, i just adopted she has one eye due to an infection in the eye that she was found with. I was in the same spot at you stressin n just want my baby to feel better. it will get better!

Awww poor Cali! That must have been painful for her to suffer with it to that point!

I followed up with the vet and she's going to have Kenzie finish the Clavamox, then start 1/4 of a pill (25mg) of doxycycline, and continue the oxytetracycline ointment. She hadn't heard of lactoferrin as a supplement though, and she's pretty skeptical since she hasn't seen anything about in medical journals, but I figure it couldn't if others have had success with it!

Before things make the medical journals, they have to have a huge success rate.  We're kinda grass roots here.  Why don't you send her the link to our long thread and let her read for herself -- then she can join in leading edge knowledge.  She might want to try it herself.  Those of us in rescue have LOTS of cats to try it on, and we've seen it really does help.

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/267703/...oferrin-in-addition-to-lysine/90#post_3599647

Most of the time, I'm the one educating my vet on supplements.