Help, kitten stops breathing and has chronic URIs

silmarien · Nov 17, 2014

I got a kitten in KS (I live in VA) and since he came to me, he has been sick. I got Balerion at 5weeks (TOO young, but he was found wandering a parking lot and the lady advertised he was 8 weeks; by the time I realized he was too young my heart had melted).

He breathes with great effort and it sounds like a wet sucking sound with every breath. He has stopped breathing twice and I've rescussitated him both times using mouth to mouth. Worst 30 seconds of my life, both times. Hearing him breathe like he's underwater makes me sooooo nervous and I'm helpless to do anything about it.

I took him to the vet a few days ago, and he was put on Clavamox for the URI and also Revolution and Dewormers. He has a distended belly and difficulty pooping (constipation) AND then liquid poo ever since starting the Clavamox. Since the Clavamox his eye boogers have gone away, but his lungs have not improved in 3 days of the treatment. Bad sign?

Also recently he started holding all his pee in, and will go once or twice a day and it's a puddle larger than he is. I feed wet and dry so I doubt it's a UTI and anyway, the Clavamox would be treating that if it is.

He's 8w today and I'm freaking out that he will die. Has anyone heard of this constellation of symptoms before? Both times he stopped breathing I was either feeding him water from a syringe (to keep hydrated due to the liquid poo from Clavamox) or spoon feeding him. He just all the sudden goes floppy with fully dilated eyes and no struggle, then I clear his airway as per pet first aid, and do mouth to mouth, and he has revived. I feel lucky so far, but what if this happens when I'm not able to follow him around all day? :-/

Do you think he has congenital deformities? I cannot afford more than just a regular visit and bloodwork and stool samples/urine samples - my vet wanted to charge me $1500 to do an ultrasound and x-ray and I realized if he DOES have congenital problems what could I do about it anyway? Since I couldn't afford treatment for such a disease. I am poor but I save money always to be able to use a vet for routine procedures - but catastrophic stuff like x-rays and ultrasounds and stuff, it's just impossible for me, as I live on disability. I know, I know, I'm a horrid person. But my kitties make me sane, like cat therapy and I am able to care for them at home without trouble, and provide basic vet care and spay/neuter.

I feed wet and dry food. Blue Buffalo for dry and Whiskers for wet (not top quality but it's the best I can afford). Wet food is 2x a day, the dry is there for snacking. Both my cats are kittens so this seems like a viable way to feed them on my budget.

Any suggestions or thoughts would really help, and I'd welcome prayers for my baby kitty. He's my little baby boy and I love him so much, so does Arya my 16 week old kitten.

Thanks everyone!

jdollprincess · Nov 18, 2014

Is he eating and drinking on his own? If he's having trouble breathing through his nose and your giving food and water through a syringe you may be causing him to not be able to take a breath which would cause him to pass out. If you have to give him water this way I would go very very slowly, giving him time to take a few breaths between each squirt. I can't say much about the urinating but I have a female cat who only pees once per day so maybe that'll just be normal for him. Clavamox is known to cause vomiting and diarrhea and since he's so young I would call the vet, he may want to switch antibiotics. You may want to ask the vet about starting a lysine supplement also since chances are he's infected with feline herpes virus. Another thing that's really helped my herpes kitty is steaming up the bathroom with really hot water and letting him sit in the steam for like 15-20 mins to clear his sinuses. I def wouldn't give up on him yet, URI's are very common in kittens and with good vet care and nursing care he has a good chance of coming around. Please keep us updated on his progress. Good luck[emoji]128151[/emoji]

catpack · Nov 18, 2014

You could also talk to your vet about using Famciclovir. It would have to be compounded as the pills do not come in small enough doses.

Also, if this is viral and bacterial, you could use Idoxuridine. This is an antiviral eye drop; but, it coats the nasal passages as well.

You are doing a great job with this baby. Supportive care is so important. I would phone the vet and give then an update. Were chest x-rays taken to check for pneumonia?

silmarien · Nov 19, 2014

JDollPrincess said:
Is he eating and drinking on his own? If he's having trouble breathing through his nose and your giving food and water through a syringe you may be causing him to not be able to take a breath which would cause him to pass out. If you have to give him water this way I would go very very slowly, giving him time to take a few breaths between each squirt. I can't say much about the urinating but I have a female cat who only pees once per day so maybe that'll just be normal for him. Clavamox is known to cause vomiting and diarrhea and since he's so young I would call the vet, he may want to switch antibiotics. You may want to ask the vet about starting a lysine supplement also since chances are he's infected with feline herpes virus. Another thing that's really helped my herpes kitty is steaming up the bathroom with really hot water and letting him sit in the steam for like 15-20 mins to clear his sinuses. I def wouldn't give up on him yet, URI's are very common in kittens and with good vet care and nursing care he has a good chance of coming around. Please keep us updated on his progress. Good luck[emoji]128151[/emoji]

\

Thanks everyone for your replies! I've been stressing hugely about this, worried he might stop breathing at any second.

I make sure his head is horizontal while feeding him the water now, just in case. Great suggestion there. His nose seems to be clear, it's his lungs that are clogged. I will call the vet and get a lysine supplement as soon as I get paid. I do the shower thing with him all the time, and I hope it helps - he gets scared because he thinks it's bathtime but he will learn it's okay, lol.

Thanks again for your reply! I will update as he makes progress.

silmarien · Nov 19, 2014

CatPack said:
You could also talk to your vet about using Famciclovir. It would have to be compounded as the pills do not come in small enough doses.

Also, if this is viral and bacterial, you could use Idoxuridine. This is an antiviral eye drop; but, it coats the nasal passages as well.

You are doing a great job with this baby. Supportive care is so important. I would phone the vet and give then an update. Were chest x-rays taken to check for pneumonia?

Thanks for your reply, I appreciate the help. I will ask the vet for drops. And thanks for the compliment! I am so worried for my baby. I know kittens can go downhill FAST and I am freaking myself out looking up possible diseases like congenital lung deformities and heart problems, stuff I can't fix.

Chest x-rays were not done because they quoted me the cost as $750 for the x-ray and another (shoot, this is from memory so sorry if I'm off) $700? for an ultrasound. I'm not a rich lady, so I couldn't do anything about it.

I think I'll just have to resign myself to the fact that if he's gonna die, he will, and all i can do is give him the best life while he's here, whether that's 10 weeks or 20 years. It would just kill me to lose such a young little guy, though.

Appreciate the thoughts and will keep you guys updated.

catpack · Nov 19, 2014

I know different places charge different amts, but $700 for x-rays is crazy. A set of chest films (2 views) where I live will run about $125 or so. An ultrasound is about $300. (I've had both recently on my Max...total for x-rays, u/s, full bloodwork (including a specialized blood test) was $850)

ziggy'smom · Nov 19, 2014

silmarien said:
JDollPrincess said:

Is he eating and drinking on his own? If he's having trouble breathing through his nose and your giving food and water through a syringe you may be causing him to not be able to take a breath which would cause him to pass out. If you have to give him water this way I would go very very slowly, giving him time to take a few breaths between each squirt. I can't say much about the urinating but I have a female cat who only pees once per day so maybe that'll just be normal for him. Clavamox is known to cause vomiting and diarrhea and since he's so young I would call the vet, he may want to switch antibiotics. You may want to ask the vet about starting a lysine supplement also since chances are he's infected with feline herpes virus. Another thing that's really helped my herpes kitty is steaming up the bathroom with really hot water and letting him sit in the steam for like 15-20 mins to clear his sinuses. I def wouldn't give up on him yet, URI's are very common in kittens and with good vet care and nursing care he has a good chance of coming around. Please keep us updated on his progress. Good luck[emoji]128151[/emoji]

Click to expand...

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Thanks everyone for your replies! I've been stressing hugely about this, worried he might stop breathing at any second.

I make sure his head is horizontal while feeding him the water now, just in case. Great suggestion there. His nose seems to be clear, it's his lungs that are clogged. I will call the vet and get a lysine supplement as soon as I get paid. I do the shower thing with him all the time, and I hope it helps - he gets scared because he thinks it's bathtime but he will learn it's okay, lol.

Thanks again for your reply! I will update as he makes progress.

You don't have to get Lysine from your vet. In fact some vets don't carry it and when they do it's overprices. L-Lysine is a vitamin that you can get OTC. You can actually get it in any grocery store that sells vitamins but it's in pill form so it would have to be crushed and it can be hard to get it dosed properly for a kitten. The best kind, imo, is the gel that is made for cats and is flavored so they accept it better. There are two brands, Enisyl and Verilys that you can get online. They are pretty equal. You can also get these in powder form or in treats but I think the gel is easiest to get in them. You will need an oral syringe to get it into the kitty. You can ask your vet for a 1ml syringe or buy one online.

I'm very, very concerned about your cat's lungs, though. I highly recommend that you take your kitten back to the vet for chest x-rays. An x-ray is usually in the range of $100-$150. I think the bulk of the quote you got was for the ultrasound which is much more expensive since it has to be done by an expert. You could try to call around to see if you can get a good price for x-rays. My previous vet did one plate for just $80. I think an x-ray can give the vet a better clue what's going on. If he has fluids in his lungs that can sometimes be treated with diuretics. There may be other treatments too. With the serious stuff going on with your baby I think he needs more than just Clavamox and L-Lysine.

I'm just speculating here but I wonder if there may be something structurally wrong with your kitten's throat that makes it easy to get fluids into his lungs instead of his stomach. If that's the case he could be suffering from aspiration pneumonia. An x-ray can help diagnose that. Pneumonia in kittens can be deadly.

If you are concerned about your kitten getting enough fluids you could add water to his food instead of giving it directly to him. Since doing so seems to have caused aspiration before I would stop doing that. If dehydration is a concern you could ask your vet about giving your kitten sub-q fluids at home. A lot of people find doing that scary but it really is quite easy. Your vet should be able to teach you how and if you need extra classes there are some great videos on youtube. Some vets prefer to do this in their office but it doesn't hurt to ask to get a bag of fluids to do it at home. I pay $20 for a bag, tubing and needles from my vet so it's not that expensive and can be very, very helpful with sickly animals.

If your kitten gets diarrhea from the Clavamox probiotics can really help. The problem with antibiotics is that it kills good bacteria along with the bad bacteria and this affects the flora in the stomach causing diarrhea. Probiotics contain those good bacterias the stomach needs. There is a product called Fortiflora that works pretty well. It's a little pricey though so there are other ones you can get cheaper. You can get it online or from your vet.

I really hate to say this, but with all your kitten's symptoms, I think it sounds like it could be FIP. That's the first thing that came to mind when I read your original post. FIP can sometimes cause fluid build-up in the chest, although it's more commonly in the abdomen. That could be the cause of your kitten's distended belly. It can also cause URI symptoms and diarrhea. I would ask your vet about this possibility. Please be aware, though, that many vets are not very knowledgeable about FIP so please do your own research too. There is no test for FIP so it's hard to diagnose but there are ways to diagnose it. An x-ray can be helpful to see where the fluids are, if any. There is a great Yahoo group for FIP issues that is very educational. If you think your kitten may have this and you want the link please let me know and I'll dig it up.

If you can get your kitten to a cat specialist that would be best but either way I would hurry up and take the kitten back to the vet to get to the bottom of the breathing/lung issue. A lot of things are treatable if diagnosed early. Your kitten sounds quite sick, though, so I would treat him a bit more aggressively that is currently done.

Good luck!

silmarien · Nov 19, 2014

CatPack said:
I know different places charge different amts, but $700 for x-rays is crazy. A set of chest films (2 views) where I live will run about $125 or so. An ultrasound is about $300. (I've had both recently on my Max...total for x-rays, u/s, full bloodwork (including a specialized blood test) was $850)

Geez I wish I lived where you do! Near Northern VA, vets charge an arm and a leg for simple procedures. Honestly I was surprised they didn't do a urinalysis and bloodwork when I went to them. I have other vet options but they are MORE expensive or are far far away which is trouble because I do not drive and would have to bother someone to take me.

So far he seems to be doing better - he plays, eats, sleeps, and does normal kitten shenanigans. It's just the wet breathing that drives me batty because I fear every second he might stop breathing. How long should I give the antibiotic to work? I have another kind at home that they rarely use for cats, and could use shavings from it. I've done this before and I know it's best to get a vet and a script but it works for my limited budget.

I won't have money for a vet until the end of the month when I get paid (which also coincidentally is when I'm getting my older kitten Arya spayed, for $150, another huge expense). I'll bring them both in and do a follow up if he still has the lung problem. Other than a distended belly, he's in good health.

He;s been dewormed and gotten Revolution, so I am stumped as to why he has such a pot belly. I'd post pics but don;t know how!

Hopefully when I give him his next dose of dewormer and Revolution his belly will be back to normal. Had my older kitten since 5 weeks and her belly NEVER was like his. I was fearing it could be FIP, but he would've gone downhill pretty fast from the extensive research I did if that were so (with wet form, he doesn't really show any signs of the dry form).

Also - his poop is liquid - probably the antibiotic, but should I be concerned about this? That was why I was giving him water from the dropper, to ensure he didn't get a UTI or get dehydrated too quickly. Is this a sign I should quit the antibiotic? Or is a little diarrhea okay? It's not explosive, his poo is just like the consistency of a paste (sorry for the gross imagery there, lol).

silmarien · Nov 19, 2014

Ziggy'smom said:
You don't have to get Lysine from your vet. In fact some vets don't carry it and when they do it's overprices. L-Lysine is a vitamin that you can get OTC. You can actually get it in any grocery store that sells vitamins but it's in pill form so it would have to be crushed and it can be hard to get it dosed properly for a kitten. The best kind, imo, is the gel that is made for cats and is flavored so they accept it better. There are two brands, Enisyl and Verilys that you can get online. They are pretty equal. You can also get these in powder form or in treats but I think the gel is easiest to get in them. You will need an oral syringe to get it into the kitty. You can ask your vet for a 1ml syringe or buy one online.

I'm very, very concerned about your cat's lungs, though. I highly recommend that you take your kitten back to the vet for chest x-rays. An x-ray is usually in the range of $100-$150. I think the bulk of the quote you got was for the ultrasound which is much more expensive since it has to be done by an expert. You could try to call around to see if you can get a good price for x-rays. My previous vet did one plate for just $80. I think an x-ray can give the vet a better clue what's going on. If he has fluids in his lungs that can sometimes be treated with diuretics. There may be other treatments too. With the serious stuff going on with your baby I think he needs more than just Clavamox and L-Lysine.

I'm just speculating here but I wonder if there may be something structurally wrong with your kitten's throat that makes it easy to get fluids into his lungs instead of his stomach. If that's the case he could be suffering from aspiration pneumonia. An x-ray can help diagnose that. Pneumonia in kittens can be deadly.

If you are concerned about your kitten getting enough fluids you could add water to his food instead of giving it directly to him. Since doing so seems to have caused aspiration before I would stop doing that. If dehydration is a concern you could ask your vet about giving your kitten sub-q fluids at home. A lot of people find doing that scary but it really is quite easy. Your vet should be able to teach you how and if you need extra classes there are some great videos on youtube. Some vets prefer to do this in their office but it doesn't hurt to ask to get a bag of fluids to do it at home. I pay $20 for a bag, tubing and needles from my vet so it's not that expensive and can be very, very helpful with sickly animals.

If your kitten gets diarrhea from the Clavamox probiotics can really help. The problem with antibiotics is that it kills good bacteria along with the bad bacteria and this affects the flora in the stomach causing diarrhea. Probiotics contain those good bacterias the stomach needs. There is a product called Fortiflora that works pretty well. It's a little pricey though so there are other ones you can get cheaper. You can get it online or from your vet.

I really hate to say this, but with all your kitten's symptoms, I think it sounds like it could be FIP. That's the first thing that came to mind when I read your original post. FIP can sometimes cause fluid build-up in the chest, although it's more commonly in the abdomen. That could be the cause of your kitten's distended belly. It can also cause URI symptoms and diarrhea. I would ask your vet about this possibility. Please be aware, though, that many vets are not very knowledgeable about FIP so please do your own research too. There is no test for FIP so it's hard to diagnose but there are ways to diagnose it. An x-ray can be helpful to see where the fluids are, if any. There is a great Yahoo group for FIP issues that is very educational. If you think your kitten may have this and you want the link please let me know and I'll dig it up.

If you can get your kitten to a cat specialist that would be best but either way I would hurry up and take the kitten back to the vet to get to the bottom of the breathing/lung issue. A lot of things are treatable if diagnosed early. Your kitten sounds quite sick, though, so I would treat him a bit more aggressively that is currently done.

Good luck!

Sorry! Just saw your post. I initially thought FIP too, but it's been over a month he's had these symptoms and with wet FIP he should be on death's door. But he's fine other than the labored breathing.

I had the same thought about the congenital defect making his lungs easier to aspirate water and food. That, or he has no gag reflex. I figured with chest fluid he should be coughing it up, but he doesn;t cough, ever. I will save the money to get him x-rays. If it's pneumonia, what could they do for him? Just different antibiotics?

I'd love to try diuretics but also worry he will dehydrate. I've fixed the feeding with a dropper to make sure his head is horizontal and that seems to help him swallow it right. I have syringes so no problem with that. Also I will buy the L-Lysine as soon as possible.

This kitten came to me sick. The antibiotics did fix his eye boogers, but I hope it's still working in his lungs. If they have to drain the fluid off the lungs I would consent to that procedure. He isn't all that nervous at the vet, thank goodness. I will also look into probiotics.

He just stopped eating his wet food for some reason. He usually scarfs it down like I never feed him (silly boy), but turned his nose up at it this evening. The vet gave me valium as a stress reducer/appetite stimulator so maybe I'll try that.

Wet FIP usually kills within 2-3 weeks from what I've read. He hasn't gone downhill like FIP kittens do. I honestly thought he had it for a bit because he went downhill for a couple days after I brought him back from Kansas but I think that was just the URI flaring from the stress. But I will discuss this with my vet as well - I read the whole website at dr. addie.com about FIP so I even can provide her diagnosis flowcharts if she doesn;t know what it is.

Thanks so much everyone for helping my baby! I am so grateful. I would just die if anything happened to him. Wish I'd asked for diuretics when I was there the first time.

jdollprincess · Nov 20, 2014

I'm pretty sure a vet wouldn't prescribe diuretics unless they really felt they were needed esp in a kitten with diarrhea. I assume the vet listened to his lungs at his visit. Did he mention hearing anything abnormal? Normally with pneumonia they can hear crackly lung sounds. I highly recommend the chest rads if you can afford it, lung abnormalities usually show up quite clearly on X-rays. Another thing you should do if you feel comfortable is monitor his temperature, animals with pneumonia usually have a pretty high fever and FIP usually causes a fever too. It's a good sign that he's eating and playing, also that he's not coughing. In the clinic I work at about 90% of new kittens come in with bloated bellies due too intestinal parasites so hopefully that will clear up after a couple doses of dewormer. If I were you, I would call the vet today, give them an update and discuss his diarrhea as well as any other concerns you have. Kittens can go down hill pretty fast and under no circumstances should you give him any antibiotics or other meds without the vets ok. I hope he keeps improving and please keep us updated.

Help, kitten stops breathing and has chronic URIs

silmarien

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catpack

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