Is this normal? Help, please - URI treatment in newly adopted shelter cat.

Hi! I have a sick kitten - 6 months old - who just came home from the shelter on Saturday 10/25, five days ago. When I picked him up, the woman at the shelter said that he'd had some discharge in his eye that morning, though he looked just fine currently. Our first stop was at my vet, who also agreed that he looked completely healthy.

That afternoon, he started tearing in his left eye - clear discharge, no other symptoms. I figured it was a herpes flareup due to the stress and kept an eye on it. On Sunday, he was tearing in both eyes, no other symptoms, and I decided to bring him back in the next morning if it hadn't resolved. On Monday morning, both were teary and the discharge was whitish. I called the vet, and he prescribed Clavamox pills and Tobramycin eye drops twice daily, and said I didn't need to bring my kitten in as he had just been seen in the last 48 hours.

By 1 pm, when I got home with the medicine, Gus's eyes had progressed to horrifying Google image search results status, with greenish yellow discharge, eyelids half a centimeter thick, and pus droplets scattering when he bathed his face. Called the vet back and he confirmed the medications he'd prescribed were the way to go.

On the first day, Monday, I gave him the meds at 1pm and 9pm, to get him started at quickly as possible. Since then, it's been 5:30 am and pm for both. I've also added Lysine to his food (250 mg 3 times daily). I bring him into the bathroom twice daily for about 25 minutes of steam.

- By Tuesday morning, the pus was gone and the swelling lessened.
- As of this morning (Thursday), he's still got some puffiness and his 3rd eyelids are still visible and visibly irritated.
- He still has plenty of discharge, but it's mainly clear, a little thick and sometimes whitish, not quite back to just teariness.
- Appetite is great, energy level a little low, but seems in good spirits for all that he's ill, in a new place, and confined.

Here's the worry: in the past 24 hours, he has developed clear nasal discharge and sneezing. When he exhales, it's kind of a harsh puff that seems aimed at clearing out the fluid in his nostrils. Is this just a side effect of his eyes reestablishing proper drainage into his nose, or is this a sign of the URI taking hold in a new place? Vet says just continue the antibiotics and come back for a refill if symptoms aren't totally cleared by the time they run out (Sunday), but he hasn't seen my kitty, and I am worried. Any insight would be welcome.

Thanks so much!

I don't see any problem with taking your kitten back to the vet for a recheck (in fact, that is what I would do.) If your current vet seems disconcerned, I'd be looking for another vet.

I'd have the vet do an eye stain to see if there are any visible ulcerations. I'd also look at adding Famciclovir and Idoxuridine (both are antivirals...Fam is a pill, Idox is an eye drop.)

Aside from medication, you could look at adding some Feliway diffusers to help alleviate any stress he has due to change in environment, etc.

And good for you for being so proactive in getting this baby well! He's very lucky to have you.

Aw bless you for rescuing this little beauty, the one in your avatar? Yes - the URI is very, very common in kittens especially from a shelter. And, yes, it can start in the eyes and progress further down to the exhibit other URI symptoms. Very typical. Everything you describe is completely normal and yes, very distressing to see our new little one suffering. I would definitely keep up with the antibiotics for at the very least 15 days and reassess then. Keep up with the Lysine 250 mg. twice daily. Three times is not necessary. If he were older, then I would suggest 500 mg. twice daily but he is tiny and a kitten so you are dosing correctly IMO. The vet should be on board with Lysine as well. It is extremely safe to use. Keep up with the eye drops for the 15 days as well.

Monitor eating/drinking/playing and acting normal. IF you see the kitten becoming extremely lethargic then fever may have taken hold. That is the time to get the kitten to the vet asap. You did mention earlier in your post that the vet initially saw your kitten when he was just adopted but later in your post you say that the vet has not seen your kitten. I assume you mean that the vet has not seen the kitten after being sick. SO - again, good for you to keep the calls going to the vet with updates. And, absolutely, if you would be reassured to bring the kitten back for a recheck then by all means do so. Your vet will probably only charge you a "recheck" visit charge.

Keep us posted !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :cross:

CatPack said:

I'd have the vet do an eye stain to see if there are any visible ulcerations. I'd also look at adding Famciclovir and Idoxuridine (both are antivirals...Fam is a pill, Idox is an eye drop.)

.

Click to expand...

I would not go that route at this time but understand you saying so. :nod: Since the eyes were fine to start with then this would not be necessary right now. The left eye started running first, then the other, etc. It was the start of the URI.


Antivirals are only usually necessary for a consistent herpetic condition. If the cat/kitten continually displays herpes symptoms over time then the antivirals are a good choice. This may very well just be the typical kitten cold. :cross:

Thank you both for your replies!

Feralvr, yes, you assumed correctly.  My vet hasn't seen him since he started showing symptoms.  He's not the kitten in my avatar - that's his co-cat, Claude - but he looks a lot like her, all black but for the tiniest white bit at the tip of his tail.  It's another reason I'd like to see him healthy as quickly as possible - I'd hate for her to get sick, too, and he's stuck in his room until he gets better.  I feel like I have the Ebola protocol in place for when I go between kittens, lol!  He's such an incredible cuddler, so greedy for attention and contact, and I want him to be able to join the rest of the family as soon as he can.

Your answer was very reassuring!  This infection seemed to take hold so fast that if it's starting to progress again, I want to get on top of it as soon as I can, rather than waiting for it to develop into something obviously awful and then having to fight it that much longer and harder.  As long as he seems to be moving in the right direction, I'm happy.  One question, though - he's 6 months old and about 6 1/2 pounds; do you think the 250 mg Lysine is adequate?

CatPack - Thanks so much for the tips.  I've had cats all my life but never a symptomatic herpes cat before.  Hopefully that continues with Gus and this is just a one-time deal with the stress of the move, but I'd like to be prepared if it doesn't turn out to be.  It is very helpful for me to know what to expect and do in advance, and what to ask the vet for if he doesn't improve.

I'll keep you updated on how he does.  Thanks again for your replies.

flowerdew said:

One question, though - he's 6 months old and about 6 1/2 pounds; do you think the 250 mg Lysine is adequate?

Click to expand...

Yes - that is what I would give a kitten of that weight. Adult cat's can be bumped to the 500 mg. twice daily for a flare-up and 250 mg. for maintenance. Although, my cat's eye specialist says that for an adult cat 500 mg. IS maintenance. Always check with your own veterinarian though when adding any supplement.

Keeping the vibes for your little one to quickly recover. I know it is hard when they first come home with an illness. Been there many a time. You could add in the Lysine for your other kitty too as a precaution but again, ask the vet on that one too.

Just wanted to give an update on Gus He's doing much better. It progressed like this:

By day 4 (Thursday) on the Clavamox/Tobramycin, the discharge from his eyes was clear to white, but still thick and sticky, and the infection had moved from his eyes into his nose. On Saturday, his eyes were still a little runny, mainly clear, but he was still congested, sneezing and blowing snot all over the place. Green and white snot would come out of his nose and eyes in ropes when he sneezed. He was still hungry, but every time he tried to eat, his nose would fill up with snot and he would rear back and sneeze

I took him back to the (new) vet Saturday since the infection hadn't totally cleared yet and his Clavamox prescription was going to run out on Sunday. She listened to his lungs to make sure the infection hadn't settled there - it hadn't - and verified that I thought he was improving on the Clavamox. She felt that he was the classic herpes infection compounded by a secondary bacterial infection, and that the bacterial infection was on the way out but the herpes flareup was still going strong.

She prescribed three more days of Clavamox and Tobramycin to make sure the bacterial infection was gone, and told me to keep up with the Lysine (250 mg per meal) and to continue to take him into the bathroom when I showered for steaming. Also it turned out that even with the new home and being sick, he had managed to put on 9 oz in the week he had been with me :lol3:

By the 10th day, the last day on antibiotics, he was just a little sniffly and a little sneezy. By the next Saturday, the results of the Lysine became apparent. He's had clear eyes and a clear nose for three or four days now. He also seems confident that the food will keep coming and that he doesn't need to compete with the entire kitten room at the shelter at dinnertime. He's even feeling settled enough to let me know that trout and chicken chunks are fine but salmon paté is disgusting.

Next step: the painstakingly slow process of getting to know his high-strung, persnickety co-cat, Claude. Wish us luck!


Thanks again for the advice and reassurance. It was so helpful :heart4::heart4::heart4: