URI not getting better

We recently had to put to sleep a kitten we had rescued from the shelter who had a URI. Now my resident cat has one as well and had injectable antibiotics Thursday. Today he woke up stuffier than before and he won't eat or drink (we are syringe feeding him). He's 8 and otherwise healthy. I am panicking that he won't pull through even though I've read URI's are generally only a nuisance. Please tell me what more I can do (I have a humidifier going in the room where he is) and he's receiving additional antibiotics as of today (doxycycline). I'm terrified he won't recover.

The problem is caused by a virus, and the antibiotics will prevent secondary infection but they cannot cure the virus.  Just like with human colds and flu, it has to run its course.  You can do a lot of supportive treatment, and depending on which virus it is, you may be able to use some antivirals.  You can treat him just like we treat human babies, using warm mist to help break up the mucus, making sure he gets plenty of fluids (use a syringe and give him extra water), if he won't eat, boil a chicken and use the thick stock remaining to give him liquid protein, keep his nose and eyes cleaned, put vaseline on his nose if it is getting raw.  If he has herpes, lysine will help (search "lysine" in the search bar just below the top brown bar above to read other threads that mention it) and no matter what it is, Lactoferrin will help because it stimulates the immune system (you can order it on Amazon).  It doesn't dissolve well in water but I mix it in coconut oil which is warmed until it is liquid. 

Also, if the injectable antibiotic that was given is Convenia, you need to put him on probiotics right away because that kills all the intestinal bacteria and he won't be able to digest well.  All cats that get that antibiotic should go on probiotics for at least 65 days.  The doxycycline probably does the same thing, although it goes out of the system within a day of stopping the antibiotic, unlike the Convenia. For probiotics, you can use Benebac, a probiotic given to kittens who are orphans and not getting their mother's milk, or you can get a "colostrum" substitute (Multispecies Colostrum Gel by Producer's Pride) at Tractor Supply. 

Adult cats usually have enough substance and a better developed immune system and can weather even a severe URI with proper treatment, although with some viruses they may be carriers and shed the virus occasionally, which might pass it to a healthy new kitten.  Make sure any new kitten you might adopt has had ALL of its shots, not just the first series, and you might be wise to adopt an older kitten or young adult who has already weathered the storm.  Unfortunately, this is a common problem in rescue, but most of them make it through.  I had a group we pulled from animal control two years ago, 2 mothers with 6 kittens each, and they all came down with it.  Oe of the mothers stopped nursing her kittens she was so sick, and I had to bottle feed them for a week.  As she got better, she accepted them again, and everyone made it through just fine.  They are all still alive two years later, with no after effects except one who has a slightly runny eye, and as long as she gets lactoferrin, her eye doesn't run.

Keep the vaporizer running and try steaming him in the bathroom throughout the day.  Get the bathroom good and steamy and then sit in there with him until the steam dissipates.  You can also try saline drops in his nose.  I use Little Noses drops twice a day, one drop in each nostril.  Try warming up his food to see if that entices him to eat. 

It was Convenia. Will any probiotic work or should I specifically order the benebac? I ask because he also has IBD and I was considering adding a probiotic anyway to his diet. I am so relieved to hear that it just has to run its course-I was waiting for a miracle from the Convenia and didn't stop to think about the URI being viral. Thank you so much!

stephanietx said:

Keep the vaporizer running and try steaming him in the bathroom throughout the day.  Get the bathroom good and steamy and then sit in there with him until the steam dissipates.  You can also try saline drops in his nose.  I use Little Noses drops twice a day, one drop in each nostril.  Try warming up his food to see if that entices him to eat. 

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I feel like I've tried it all with his food. I've tried several kinds, plus baby food which is what we're syringe feeding him. I've tried warming it. He meows at me like he always does when I'm preparing his food but once I put it down he tries to sniff it and can't smell so he won't eat it. The appetite stimulant I assume is making him hungry, just not hungry enough to try and eat what he can't smell.

Try putting his bowl on a stack of books so that he's not having to bend over to the floor to eat.  I have found Fancy Feast is stinky enough and when warmed up works better than what I normally feed them.  Try adding some tuna juice or bonito flakes, if you have them.

I had a lot of luck warming the salmon and shrimp pate FF recently.

I mentioned the Benebac because it's usually pretty easy to get and it's specific for the probiotics that animals need to digest food.  The colostrum gel is also focused on that, and those are the ones you need since it is the destruction of these that causes problems.  He needs to have those replaced daily, especially for the first two weeks after the Convenia shot since its antibiotic effect lasts two weeks.  It still stays in the body for 65 days so we always advise people to keep them on the probiotics for the full 65 days, although you don't need to give as much after the first two weeks unless he is still on antibiotics of any type.  Google "colostrum probiotics cat" and you will find a list of many good products.    I mentioned the multi-species one I got from Tractor Supply because you can probably get that or something like it faster there than ordering on line -- although if you are an Amazon Prime member, you can get fast shipping.

I'll go ahead and get the benebac. I do have Amazon prime so it'll get here fast. I have a question about feeding-I read somewhere the guidelines are 2 cans of baby food per day but it didn't specify for what age/size cat. Do you know about how much I should be giving him via syringe both in baby and cat food?

Red Top Rescue said:

I mentioned the Benebac because it's usually pretty easy to get and it's specific for the probiotics that animals need to digest food.  The colostrum gel is also focused on that, and those are the ones you need since it is the destruction of these that causes problems.  He needs to have those replaced daily, especially for the first two weeks after the Convenia shot since its antibiotic effect lasts two weeks.  It still stays in the body for 65 days so we always advise people to keep them on the probiotics for the full 65 days, although you don't need to give as much after the first two weeks unless he is still on antibiotics of any type.  Google "colostrum probiotics cat" and you will find a list of many good products.    I mentioned the multi-species one I got from Tractor Supply because you can probably get that or something like it faster there than ordering on line -- although if you are an Amazon Prime member, you can get fast shipping.

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I'm giving him 2 jars of baby food per day but I'm concerned that's not enough substance. We tried syringe feeding cat food and that didn't go nearly as well as the baby food. Do you know if that is an adequate amount?

If you could mix in some regular canned wet food, that would be better.  Also, add a touch of plain baby pedialyte to help his electrolytes stay where they need to be.  If he'll tolerate it, you could use a baby nose bulb and see if you can get any of the congestion out.  If he's not on an appetite stimulant, I'd call the vet in the morning and ask for one.  He really needs to be eating regular cat food.  You could also ask them for a can of Science Diet a/d.  That stuff is like kitty crack and great for sick kitties.

stephanietx said:

If you could mix in some regular canned wet food, that would be better.  Also, add a touch of plain baby pedialyte to help his electrolytes stay where they need to be.  If he'll tolerate it, you could use a baby nose bulb and see if you can get any of the congestion out.  If he's not on an appetite stimulant, I'd call the vet in the morning and ask for one.  He really needs to be eating regular cat food.  You could also ask them for a can of Science Diet a/d.  That stuff is like kitty crack and great for sick kitties.

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He actually is on an appetite stimulant. I'll ask about the a/d when I call tomorrow. I was thinking about trying nose drops, the children's kind?

Yes, Little Noses brand works well.  You could also ask the vet for eye/nose drops such as Tobramycin or Gentamicin.

stephanietx said:

Yes, Little Noses brand works well.  You could also ask the vet for eye/nose drops such as Tobramycin or Gentamicin.

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The best I could find was little remedies for babies, not anything called little noses. Hopefully it'll work, the poor guy is so stuffed and the steam and humidifier don't seem to be making a bit of difference.

Sorry, that's the right product.  Make sure it's the saline spray/drops.

2 of my cats just got over uri's and they didn't start getting better until i added l-lysine to their food. i was really surprised at how fast it worked. i'm still adding it to their morning meal. my vet thinks my kitten may have the feline herpes virus so i'll be keeping her on the lysine. i also added colllodial silver for a few days so it could have been that or the combo..

ellag said:

2 of my cats just got over uri's and they didn't start getting better until i added l-lysine to their food. i was really surprised at how fast it worked. i'm still adding it to their morning meal. my vet thinks my kitten may have the feline herpes virus so i'll be keeping her on the lysine. i also added colllodial silver for a few days so it could have been that or the combo..

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Enzo isn't eating so I wouldn't be able to add it to anything other than the baby food we're giving him in the syringe.

Ty3535 said:

Enzo isn't eating so I wouldn't be able to add it to anything other than the baby food we're giving him in the syringe.

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you can get the l-lysine in a paste, gel or powder. i mix the powder in with their food. you can get pills too but they are really big.

Lysine works well if the virus is herpes.  I get Twin Labs L-lysine (in Kroger health department) which comes in 500 mg. capsules, which is powder inside.  That makes it easy to dose them.  I give 250 mg. (contents of 1/2 capsule) twice daily.

Red Top Rescue said:

Lysine works well if the virus is herpes.  I get Twin Labs L-lysine (in Kroger health department) which comes in 500 mg. capsules, which is powder inside.  That makes it easy to dose them.  I give 250 mg. (contents of 1/2 capsule) twice daily.

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Would he have to undergo some sort of test to determine whether or not it is herpes?