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pawpaw

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I have my cat Pawpaw for about 6 years...He lived in my apts with another owner who moved, took him with them, and he walked back to the apts. Two years ago i took him to the vet cause he was sneezing alot and coughing, runny nose with a lil bit of blood in it. The first Dr I took him too didnt really do much but said he had a URI and gave me Clavamox, so he took it and it went away. But since then it has come back a few times and goes away. I keep him inside so he isnt coming into any contact with other cats or outside germs. The last vet I took him too was pretty much the same way...didnt show much concern and gave me some Clavamox. Can cats die from URI? He still plays and eats alot...he still talks alot and yells atme when hes mad....hes actin the same pretty much ....I just want him to get better and be happy...not stuffed up and drippy nosed


 
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coaster

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This coming back and going away might be because what he has is the rhinotracheitis, or feline herpes virus. This virus remains latent and can flare up periodically. Some people have success using l-Lysine, an amino acid dietary supplement sold at health food stores. If you buy the kind that comes powdered in a capsule, it's easy to open the capsule and pour on food. You can try 500 mg twice a day. Give for five days. If there's any signs of digestive upset, then discontinue. Lysine does not cure the cat of herpes, it just suppresses it. And of course, it does nothing if it's a different virus or if it's a bacterial infection.
 
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oscarsmum

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yes cats "can" die from it, my kitten did anyhow, but your cat may have a stronger immune system and be able to fight it, however i would reccomend vet visit, maybe they'll prescribe antibiotics...and watch out for appetite loss...bad sign...
 
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Its extremely rare to die of a URI unless it doesn't get treated. So long as your cat is eating, and it doesn't get in his lungs (rare, symptom is coughing or trouble breathing through mouth) he should be fine. Re: l-lysine, i've read that you need to give it to the cat for the rest of its life (in small doses) and that its effects may not be seen for the first month of use.
 
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coaster

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Originally Posted by stephenq

Re: l-lysine, i've read that you need to give it to the cat for the rest of its life (in small doses) and that its effects may not be seen for the first month of use.
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Hmmmm....I've never read that. Could you provide the citation, please? Interested in researching that. So far, it's worked for me and others as I described.
 
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pawpaw

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Originally Posted by OscarsMum

yes cats "can" die from it, my kitten did anyhow, but your cat may have a stronger immune system and be able to fight it, however i would reccomend vet visit, maybe they'll prescribe antibiotics...and watch out for appetite loss...bad sign...
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he has seen TWO vets and he doesnt have appetite loss....I stated that in the original post....thank you thoughh
 
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pawpaw

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Originally Posted by coaster

This coming back and going away might be because what he has is the rhinotracheitis, or feline herpes virus. This virus remains latent and can flare up periodically. Some people have success using l-Lysine, an amino acid dietary supplement sold at health food stores. If you buy the kind that comes powdered in a capsule, it's easy to open the capsule and pour on food. You can try 500 mg twice a day. Give for five days. If there's any signs of digestive upset, then discontinue. Lysine does not cure the cat of herpes, it just suppresses it. And of course, it does nothing if it's a different virus or if it's a bacterial infection.
Click to expand...
very good info, im definately going to look into this
he had a pretty rough life before i came...hes very much a street cat, used to fight alot and catch nasty mice...so he could be the carrier of anything although I know he has had his shots..I guess this is why I watch him so carefully
 
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I agree try L-lysine. My Jordan was a stray & has a runny eye with lots of mucus from time to time. The mucus is clear & when I asked the vet she said he might have a herpes virus in his eye & that as long as it doesn't develop into a bacterial infection he'd be fine. She also said that it flares up in times of stress. It's gotten better than when he was a kitten, but when it flares up I give the L-lysine for a couple weeks & it seems to help.
 
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pawpaw

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Thank you alot..Ive been surfing the net and looking at cat herpes..and it seems he may have that (except alot of the sites say the eyes are the most common symptoms..and pawpaw's eyes are fine..not runny at all) So Im going to try this stuff and see if it helps or doesnt..and in the meantime, im going to try and find a BETTER vet..im not having good luck in finding ones that arent desensitzed...they all seem very uncaring and aloof...thank you though for all your info...very very helpful
 
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