Chronic Sneezing

Hi,

I'm hoping that someone can help me. For the past year, my 8 year old female Abby has had a persistent sniffle and sneezes constantly.

I've taken her to the vet several times, and been told it's an upper respiratory disease, most likely cat flu; I know that we can't cure that, but is there anything I CAN do for her?

I've tried putting her in a steamy room but that didn't seem to do anything except make her more uncomfortable. The vet did give her some long lasting decongestants, which worked at first, but not anymore; now I've read that changing her diet might give her immune system a boost, but I'm not sure what to give her. She's already on a mix of mince and high quality cat food, but is there anything else?

I'm really worried for her; so far she's still bright eyed and active, despite the sneezing, but, as much as I don't want to admit it, she's getting older and cat flu is a killer. If nothing else, I want to improve her quality of life.

Thank you for your time.

I may be out of line here, but it seems like she shouldn't have an upper respiratory thing for a year. At least one would think it would come and go if she was really susceptible. Sounds more like an allergy to me. Sneezing can also indicate a bad tooth in cats. With respect, I might consult another vet. Even among the four vets at the practice we go to we've gotten different answers, and with one kitty it was the third vet who got it right.

Thank you very much.

You aren't out of line; to be honest, I've been thinking the same thing for a while now. 

My cat, Mellisani, did have allergies when she was younger, but only in the summer, and nothing's really changed. Of course, allergies can pop up unexpectedly, but these sniffles started after I was forced to put her in a kennel for a few days while I was away. However neither of my other cats has caught it, but I assumed that was because they were seven month old kittens (now year and a half old) and still had strong immune systems...

She has also had to have some teeth removed because they were bad, but I've asked the Vet to check them and she said aside from slight gingivitis, they were healthy and there's no bad smell or trouble eating.

Our vet has always been very good in the past, and I trusted her judgement, but maybe I should get a second opinion.

Thank you.

Tarot said:

 
Thank you.

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With respect for the poster above, I have to disagree with the allergy idea.  Cat allergies almost always express themselves as either skin issues or digestive issues. Feline herpes is a very likely cause but there is no reason for us or your vet to guess.  A PCR test will be definitive, its sent out, not that much money and results in about 2 days.

L-Lysine (you cat get it at vitamin shops) a pinch added to her food once a day for life can help reduce the symptoms by interfering with the virus replication.

The PCR test is a DNA test that looks for the DNA of the virus, if its there it will be found.  Before i got a 2nd opinion I'd get the test done.

Thanks; I did consider feline herpes but I thought that that usually presented with ulcers and, thankfully, she hasn't had any; it's just been the sniffling and sneezing.

I'll definitely get her tested; thanks!

@tarot

Ulcers on the tongue is Calici Virus. Chronic sneezing is feline herpes. Feline herpes has no connection to human herpes.

I volunteer at a huge municipal shelter and can tell you that some cats are just chronically sneezy or have a persistent cough.  I have one here at home that coughs several times a day and one that has been sneezing for 3 years since we adopted her - usually in the middle of the night when she has her face near my face.  Could be allergies, I just don't know.

You can try putting L-lysine into her food - 500mg two times a day for a week, then 250mg two times a day from then on.  It will help boost her immune system but it must remain in her system so a daily regimen is necessary.  I buy the human powdered form from Amazon and just add it to the wet food.  It is odorless and tasteless.  Feline herpes is in 85% of domestic cats but some cats are affected differently than others and some are more able to keep it suppressed.  Factors such as genes play a big roll as to immune system.

StephenQ said:

With respect for the poster above, I have to disagree with the allergy idea.  Cat allergies almost always express themselves as either skin issues or digestive issues. Feline herpes is a very likely cause but there is no reason for us or your vet to guess.  A PCR test will be definitive, its sent out, not that much money and results in about 2 days.

L-Lysine (you cat get it at vitamin shops) a pinch added to her food once a day for life can help reduce the symptoms by interfering with the virus replication.

The PCR test is a DNA test that looks for the DNA of the virus, if its there it will be found.  Before i got a 2nd opinion I'd get the test done.

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Thank you Stephen, that's good to know!

Tarot said:

Thank you very much.
You aren't out of line; to be honest, I've been thinking the same thing for a while now. 
My cat, Mellisani, did have allergies when she was younger, but only in the summer, and nothing's really changed. Of course, allergies can pop up unexpectedly, but these sniffles started after I was forced to put her in a kennel for a few days while I was away. However neither of my other cats has caught it, but I assumed that was because they were seven month old kittens (now year and a half old) and still had strong immune systems...

She has also had to have some teeth removed because they were bad, but I've asked the Vet to check them and she said aside from slight gingivitis, they were healthy and there's no bad smell or trouble eating.

Our vet has always been very good in the past, and I trusted her judgement, but maybe I should get a second opinion.

Thank you.

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I appreciate your loyalty to your vet, I adore my vets and have been with them for years (hubby thinks I should have a wing of the hospital named after me). One thing I like so much is that I have the choice of four different vets to consult because different people may have encountered different things or have another way of treating a problem or explaining it, this has proven very valuable.
I'm thankful for Stephen who obviously has great knowledge.

Thanks to everyone for their help; I've ordered some L-lysine which should arrive tomorrow and I'll have the vet do the test this weekend.

Thank you again.

Ok... well I've spoken to my vet and she says she doesn't think it is herpes because the injections she's given my cat are supposed to work on it.
She thinks it's feline coronavirus... which is a death sentence; she wants to do a battery of tests to make sure.
I don't know why she didn't suggest this before.

Tarot said:

Ok... well I've spoken to my vet and she says she doesn't think it is herpes because the injections she's given my cat are supposed to work on it.
She thinks it's feline coronavirus... which is a death sentence; she wants to do a battery of tests to make sure.
I don't know why she didn't suggest this before.

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Wow, if you're vet called that a death sentence than there is a big problem, if its you're own research then allow me to help.

First though - chronic URI's are not associated with coronavirus, herpes is - just saying.  See this link that talks about chronic and recurring cold symptoms in cats with feline herpes.  http://www.vcahospitals.com/main/pe...nfection-or-feline-viral-rhinotracheitis/4107

As to CoronaVirus and a death sentence, this comes up a lot here and couldn't be more untrue.  A link will follow.  Yes, in an extremely rare cases, a cat who has exposure to the very common corona virus will have it mutate into FIP, aka feline infectious peritonitis, a fatal illness.  Corona virus is NOT a test for FIP, nor is it a predictor that any cat will develop FIP.  True, a cat needs exposure to Corona to get FIP, but again, most cats with the very mild corona virus never get FIP.

Your vet seems to be still guessing, as there is also a test for corona virus exposure.

Now, and i realize this is serious - if you're vet called corona virus a test for FIP, or said that your cat was exposed to it then FIP is going to kill your cat, then that is in no way the view of standard and accepted veterinary practice.  I work with vets all the time, and i have read a LOT of literature on the subject.  I have known some cats who did get FIP, but again its been very rare.   The link i'm sharing is on both corona and FIP as they are linked, but try please not to let the FIP part of it scare you.  And most cats who get FIP, the wet or effusive kind being the most common, they get deathly sick very fast in a way that makes most people rush their cat to the vet, and sadly for good reason.  But it is not a subtle disease, and diagnosis - while aided by a corona virus titer, is mostly done by exam and symptoms.

Also this battery of tests your vet wants to do......again really the only test is a simple coronavirus test and that again isn't a test for FIP.   If you're cats only symptoms are sneezing and discharge, then your cat has a cold.  Your vet concerns me.  Has your vet had any real experience with FIP?  More concerning than experience though is the idea of the death sentence/test, if that actually came from the vet.

https://www.vetinfo.com/feline-coronavirus-symptoms.html

Hi.
Sorry; I guess i panicked. To be clear, my vet didn't say, or imply, that coronavirus is fatal; I did my own research and FiP came up a lot, which worried me, to put it mildly.

Your links did put my mind a little at ease, but I don't know what to think any more; looking back, the first time i took my cat to her about the sneezing, she had diarrhea, which a dose of antibiotics cleared up almost immediately, and maybe that set the vet thinking about coronavirus, but this is the first time she's mentioned it.

The only symptoms my cat has shown are the sneezing and sniffling, but she's had them for litterally been a few weeks short of a year. The only real reprieve were two months following the first injections (a steroid and a decongestant), but subsequent shots were far less effective.

The vet did say she wanted a battery of blood work tests done though, but she can't do any until after Christmas so I'm going to start the l-lysine tomorrow; if that reduces the symptoms, great, if not, then I'll see what the tests reveal in January.

Again, sorry for the scaremongering; I wrote that post immediately after reading a few websites about how FiP is fatal; such are the dangers of ignorance.

Thank you.

I have a chronic sneezer and she has herpes. Her herpes has always manifested as upper respiratory infection type symptoms.  I am going to go a different direction than the vet and others and suggest that she probably has herpes that was triggered by the stress of boarding her and she might have a secondary infection that is going undetected. I'd ask the vet to do a culture & sensitivity test of any drainage or discharge and see if something else is going on and presenting as sneezing and sniffling.  Also, my girl is always worse when the weather changes.  She is on a daily antihistamine to help control the sneezing. Since you mentioned that she also has gingivitis, I'm thinking along the lines of auto-immune.

In addition to giving her Lysine, I'd also try her on a grain-free diet and you might also add some bovine lactoferrin to see if that helps.

 The only symptoms my cat has shown are the sneezing and sniffling, but she's had them for litterally been a few weeks short of a year. The only real reprieve were two months following the first injections (a steroid and a decongestant), but subsequent shots were far less effective.
 

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The steroid helped because it helps control and decrease inflammation. Sneezing happens when your sinus passages are irritated and inflamed.  I would further recommend that you hold off on any vaccinations until you figure out what's going on.  If she does have herpes, then giving her the FVRCP shot should be discontinued for life since the "R" part of that is the herpes virus.  Your vet can order the other components of the shot individually and give them that way if that's what you choose to do. 

Thank you.
The boarding was stressful for her, and wasn't my first choice, but I didn't have another option.
I tried changing her diet after the sneezing didn't stop, but while the food I switched her too was for senstive stomachs, I can't remember if it was grain free.
Sadly, antihistamines were one of the first things I tried, but it can't hurt to try again, though my cat may think differently; she hates them.

Thanks.

Mellisani had her most recent vaccinations in august... which was the time that the steroid and decongestant stopped working.
Not much I can do about it now, but it's interesting to know.

Thank you.

Tarot said:

Ok... well I've spoken to my vet and she says she doesn't think it is herpes because the injections she's given my cat are supposed to work on it.
She thinks it's feline coronavirus... which is a death sentence; she wants to do a battery of tests to make sure.
I don't know why she didn't suggest this before.

Click to expand...

Oh boy! I hope the tests show negative. Give your kitty loves.

Tarot said:

Hi.
Sorry; I guess i panicked. To be clear, my vet didn't say, or imply, that coronavirus is fatal; I did my own research and FiP came up a lot, which worried me, to put it mildly.

Your links did put my mind a little at ease, but I don't know what to think any more; looking back, the first time i took my cat to her about the sneezing, she had diarrhea, which a dose of antibiotics cleared up almost immediately, and maybe that set the vet thinking about coronavirus, but this is the first time she's mentioned it.

The only symptoms my cat has shown are the sneezing and sniffling, but she's had them for litterally been a few weeks short of a year. The only real reprieve were two months following the first injections (a steroid and a decongestant), but subsequent shots were far less effective.

The vet did say she wanted a battery of blood work tests done though, but she can't do any until after Christmas so I'm going to start the l-lysine tomorrow; if that reduces the symptoms, great, if not, then I'll see what the tests reveal in January.

Again, sorry for the scaremongering; I wrote that post immediately after reading a few websites about how FiP is fatal; such are the dangers of ignorance.

Thank you.

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Ah well i'm glad it wasn't your vet!  It's true corona virus can be associated with some diarrhea as it normally lives in the gut, again a single PCR test can tell you which virus(s) she's been exposed to.  I really wouldn't worry about FIP, misplaced anxiety.  The dangers of the web. One can always find a disease online with symptoms that match you or your animal's symptoms.  Much better to use the web after a diagnosis has been made, instead of trying to get to a diagnosis, that just doesn't work well.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymerase_chain_reaction

StephenQ said:

@tarot

Ulcers on the tongue is Calici Virus. Chronic sneezing is feline herpes. Feline herpes has no connection to human herpes.

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I actually have a question for you.
I'm going to shorten my story a lot.
I brought in two male kittens back in August. Both seemed sickly when we found them. Diarrhea and sneezing every so often. No other real concerns.
Anyway, a week or so after getting them and a couple vet visits and antibiotics, my other 13 cats all developed sores on their tongues and mouths and one on her nose. A couple had very excessive, smelly drool. They couldn't eat, even though they wanted to. Had 103+ temps. All were put on antibiotics and an oral rinse for a week. All recovered. Month or so later, two cats began to cough and had raspy meows and purrs. Had fevers of 103.5 or so. One had diarrhea. Could not eat without gagging. Put on antibiotics for a week and recovered. I assume maybe they had sores in their throats that caused the coughing and gagging. Vet said their throats weren't red, but that doesn't mean something further down wasn't the problem.
Kittens still were sneezing at this point, and still do to this day. One has had a couple ear infections, but since we changed to a grain-free food, his ears have looked alright. His brother now has a swollen-looking eye, no discharge really, just swollen and pink around the edge. He rubs it occasionally. The two boys have very odd-smelling feces and occasional diarrhea. It's hard to pinpoint which cat has loose stools, but I know theirs change from loose to semi-loose quite often. Some of the stools in the litter boxes look great, others sort of loose.
With the two kittens sneezing and the one with his swollen-looking, irritated eye, and with all my cats having a strange outbreak after introducing the two new ones, is it safe to assume herpes? Or Calici? If I bought Lysine treats, could I give all my cats a treat or two a day, even the ones who don't show symptoms of anything, just to be safe? Or would it negatively affect the ones who seem okay? I have not noticed any eye discharge or nasal discharge from the other cats. One of the two who were sick after the initial herd infection, she seems to have a clear discharge run from her nose every so often. Other than that, I have noticed very infrequent sneezing from the lot, and a bit more from the two youngest ones.
Side note, I have not gotten a fecal on the boys yet; I was told to wait until they were having diarrhea to get a sample, and right now their stools look semi-decent. Not perfect, but I've seen it worse.
I also have not gotten them tested or screened for herpes. The vet never suggested it, honestly, and I have spent way too much on vet bills of late, so if Lysine might help them regardless, I am willing to try that.
Any opinion is welcome.