Chronic Nasal Congestion. Need advice please

[karen1121]

Hello, I am hoping someone can help me. I have a 10 year old female cat, her name is Almond. I would like to share some background. I rescued Almond and her sister 10 years ago where they were being used as bait for pit bull fighting. Her and her sister were living in extreme hoarding conditions. I took her sister and my mom took Almond. Almond was treated for Feline Herpes as a kitten. My mother died suddenly from cardiac arrest. When the fire department was doing CPR the front door was wide open when I arrived I feared Almond ran away. She didn’t…. I took Almond to my home and has been with me since. At the beginning of June Almond was congested, I took her to an Urgent Care and was diagnosed with Upper Respiratory Infection placed on Azithromycin. She improved for a few days. Only abnormality was elevated WBC. I brought her to her vet, again no fever, just elevated white count. Placed on Orbax. Intranasal Cerenia, Improvement was short lived. Another visit to the vet, Convenia injection given. No improvement. Spoke with her vet, she called in compounded Doxycycline to a local pharmacy. Almond did not tolerate the Doxycycline at all, GI upset. At this point we elected for a nasal flush under anesthesia. Copious amounts of long ropey mucus were flushed. Vet reported slight resistance in left nostril. 48 hours after nasal flush congestion returned. I spoke with her vet and we gave her a Kenalog injection. Back to her old self. Improved appetite, gained a pound. Playful and loving. 14 days later the steroid is wearing off. This morning she has uninlateral congestion. Left nostril has ropey yellow mucus and her third eyelid in her left eye is covering half her eye. I am administering topical ophthalmic antibiotic ointment twice daily. I am at a loss.. I am not sleeping. I keep looking online for something I could possibly do to help her. My vet originally thought chronic sinusitis but fears it might be a mass as it is unilateral. I have read only Feline Herpes can be unilateral. I don’t know if it’s time, I don’t want her to suffer. My mom gave her a home. I couldn’t save my mom that afternoon, now I feel I can’t save Almond either. Anyone with any experience with a cat with a nasal mass? Am I causing her to suffer? Should I do a CT scan? I don’t want to put her through radiation or chemo, so I have not opted for the CT. I want to do what is best for her. I’m afraid more steroids is best for me, not her. I am so very sorry for the long post, and maybe unnecessary back story on how my mom and I found Almond. If anyone has any advice I would be so very grateful.
Karen

 

[Shawna87]

I’m so sorry about your mom. Thank you for talking Almond in. Was her congestion better on the steroids? It could be a nasal mass but there’s also a lot more options it could be too. My cat has has similar issues.

 

[karen1121]

I’m so sorry about your mom. Thank you for talking Almond in. Was her congestion better on the steroids? It could be a nasal mass but there’s also a lot more options it could be too. My cat has has similar issues.

Thank you so much for responding. Her congestion was non existent on the steroids.

 

[Shawna87]

Have you had an X-ray done on her? My cat has consistent congestion and I was told it was a respiratory infection and tried multiple antibiotics with still no success. She also has a heat murmur so we did a heart scan on her and blood work. Still nothing showed up. They did X-rays on her lungs and were able to determine she had asthma. She’s now on a low dose of steroids to help her breathe. I don’t plan to continue steroids for the rest of her life but for now it’s what’s working for her and she is a happy cat. It very well could be something else but it’s worth talking to your vet about.

 

[karen1121]

Have you had an X-ray done on her? My cat has consistent congestion and I was told it was a respiratory infection and tried multiple antibiotics with still no success. She also has a heat murmur so we did a heart scan on her and blood work. Still nothing showed up. They did X-rays on her lungs and were able to determine she had asthma. She’s now on a low dose of steroids to help her breathe. I don’t plan to continue steroids for the rest of her life but for now it’s what’s working for her and she is a happy cat. It very well could be something else but it’s worth talking to your vet about.

Yes, I had a series of X-rays when she was under anesthesia for the nasal flush. No mass was seen. I was told I need CT for more definitive results.

 

[karen1121]

I don’t think I am ready to let her go… but I can’t make her suffer for my benefit.

 

[Shawna87]

Yes, I had a series of X-rays when she was under anesthesia for the nasal flush. No mass was seen. I was told I need CT for more definitive results.

I see, man that’s tuff. Maybe it would be a good idea to get her into a feline only vet. They have a lot of good experience with just cats. They are more expensive but definitely worth it. I’m not an expert on this but I hope you’re able to find her help and make the best decision for her. Hopefully someone here with more experience can help you. Thank you for caring for this sweet girl

 

[karen1121]

I see, man that’s tuff. Maybe it would be a good idea to get her into a feline only vet. They have a lot of good experience with just cats. They are more expensive but definitely worth it. I’m not an expert on this but I hope you’re able to find her help and make the best decision for her. Hopefully someone here with more experience can help you. Thank you for caring for this sweet girl

Thank you so much for replying to me and for your kind words. There is a cat specialty vet close by. I will call tomorrow.

 

[IndyJones]

Congestion isn't a death sentance, Indy has had chronic congestion since I got her and other than being bit gross when she sneezes in my face is not suffering.

Do you know the cause? Feline herpes is a chronic lifelong condition that often flares up in times of stress. This is what causes it in Indy's case.

So after reading a bit more your vet suspects nasal mass. Not all tumers are cancer. Many can be benine and if she doesnt seem to be suffering and it seems to be helping her why was the steroid discontinued?

 

[silent meowlook]

Hi. I didn’t read replies.
I am so sorry for the loss of your Mom.I am glad you found her cat inside and she didn’t run away.
First off, you have to do what you are capable of doing when it comes to vet bills, and treatments. If you think you are in over your head, nobody could fault you for whatever decision you make.
I have had a cat with chronic rhinitis and the only thing that helped him was steroids. That was a long time ago.
More recently a cat with chronic rhinitis was anesthetized and during the nasal flush we got a biopsy and it came back as nasal lymphoma. The owner didn’t want to do radiation or major chemo.
The cat lived very happily for over a year with daily nebulizing treatments of saline, dexamethasone ans Acetylstine. He also got Chlorambucil by mouth every other day. He was great during the time he had with his owner. Sadly he went out of remission and the owner didn’t want to pursue further treatments, and she made the right choice.
All of that was preformed at a cat only hospital.
If this was my cat, I would look for a referral to either a specialist or a feline only hospital. It is always best to get second opinions from specialists when it comes to more complex problems.

 

[heatherwillard0614]

First wanna say I'm so sorry your mom passed away. Im so glad Almond didnt run away, thank you so much for taking her in.
I am with the previous recommendations on taking her to a feline only vet.
You have done a lot for her and I know that the vet bills can be taxing. With that being said keep doing what you can. If it gets to the point where you literally have no options and can't continue at least you know you literally tried everything you could. No one can ever say you didn't. I hope you can get this figured out for Almond and whatever it winds up being is something that was stupidly over looked and a simple fix. Good luck and please update us when you know more.

 

[BeccaCat]

Hi there,
My Tessa has feline herpes and asthma. Definitely a great idea to try a cat only vet. Also ask about this (this is from an article on VCAhospitals.com):

“A cat that is a carrier of FVR may benefit from periodic boosters with the intranasal herpes and calicivirus vaccine (up to two to three times per year), which may prevent reactivation of the virus, thus decreasing the likelihood of recurrent infection and of viral shedding.”

I asked my vet about this and she felt it was a great option for Tessa. Since she’s been getting the boosters her congestion has improved a great deal. Not 100%, but probably 85% better? She sneezes much much less and her sneezes are now just wet, not goopy. I think it’s definitely worth a mention to your vet.

 

[karen1121]

Hi. I didn’t read replies.
I am so sorry for the loss of your Mom.I am glad you found her cat inside and she didn’t run away.
First off, you have to do what you are capable of doing when it comes to vet bills, and treatments. If you think you are in over your head, nobody could fault you for whatever decision you make.
I have had a cat with chronic rhinitis and the only thing that helped him was steroids. That was a long time ago.
More recently a cat with chronic rhinitis was anesthetized and during the nasal flush we got a biopsy and it came back as nasal lymphoma. The owner didn’t want to do radiation or major chemo.
The cat lived very happily for over a year with daily nebulizing treatments of saline, dexamethasone ans Acetylstine. He also got Chlorambucil by mouth every other day. He was great during the time he had with his owner. Sadly he went out of remission and the owner didn’t want to pursue further treatments, and she made the right choice.
All of that was preformed at a cat only hospital.
If this was my cat, I would look for a referral to either a specialist or a feline only hospital. It is always best to get second opinions from specialists when it comes to more complex problems.

Thank you for your response. While doing the nasal flush she told me there was copious amounts of ropey snot but there was resistance in the left nostril. They did X-rays while she was under anesthesia and nothing was seen. Almond’s congestion returned quickly after the nasal flush. The PCR from the nasal flush showed normal bacterial and antibiotics were not recommended at that time. Her discharge is unilateral only in the nostril the vet met resistance during the nasal flush, which is why the vet suspects a mass. She was given a Kenalog shot a couple weeks ago. I am guessing it is wearing off as the clinical symptoms are returning. I wasn’t aware that steroids could be given long term. I wish I had a definitive diagnosis, but I don’t think I would take her for a CT scan. She has been through so much already. I would be happy to medicate her to keep her comfortable if that is an option. Thank you again for responding to my post.

 

[karen1121]

First wanna say I'm so sorry your mom passed away. Im so glad Almond didnt run away, thank you so much for taking her in.
I am with the previous recommendations on taking her to a feline only vet.
You have done a lot for her and I know that the vet bills can be taxing. With that being said keep doing what you can. If it gets to the point where you literally have no options and can't continue at least you know you literally tried everything you could. No one can ever say you didn't. I hope you can get this figured out for Almond and whatever it winds up being is something that was stupidly over looked and a simple fix. Good luck and please update us when you know more.

Thank you for your response. I am going to make an appointment at a feline only veterinarian.

 

[karen1121]

Congestion isn't a death sentance, Indy has had chronic congestion since I got her and other than being bit gross when she sneezes in my face is not suffering.

Do you know the cause? Feline herpes is a chronic lifelong condition that often flares up in times of stress. This is what causes it in Indy's case.

So after reading a bit more your vet suspects nasal mass. Not all tumers are cancer. Many can be benine and if she doesnt seem to be suffering and it seems to be helping her why was the steroid discontinued?

Thank you for responding to my post. Almond has been congested unilaterally since the end of May. I took her to the Urgent care as it was a Sunday. The vet diagnosed upper respiratory infection as her only abnormality was increased WBC. I gave her Azithromycin but the congestion quickly returned. After several antibiotics, my vet suggested a nasal flush. As the congestion is unilateral in her left nostril and that is the nostril she met resistance she is afraid it is a mass. During the nasal flush they did X-rays and nothing abnormal was seen. I have never dealt with a cat with chronic congestion. When I brought Almond home she was treated for a Herpes infection. Almond has always had clear drainage from her eyes. This started so suddenly a couple months ago. I really thought it was an upper respiratory infection that antibiotics would treat. She was given Kenalog a couple weeks ago, so steroids weren’t discontinued, I think they are just wearing off as the clinical symptoms are returning. I appreciate any advice. Are continuous steroids an option? I asked my vet if this could be chronic sinusitis. She said it could be, but fears it’s a mass as it is unilateral. Thank you again for responding to my post.

 

[karen1121]

I want to say thank you to everyone. I don’t have any experience with chronic congestion in a cat. Has anyone had experience with unilateral nasal discharge? Are X-rays typically not diagnostic for a nasal mass? I am going to take her to a feline only vet, hopefully will have a more definitive diagnosis.

 

[silent meowlook]

Hi. Skull films on a cat are usually not helpful in seeing a mass. That is why a CT scan is the gold standard. That being said, I didn’t do a CT scan on my own cat who had chronic rhinitis. I didn’t want to put him through it.

Yes, steroids can be given long term.

 

[karen1121]

clear drainage from her eyes. This started so suddenly a couple months ago. I really thought it was an upper respiratory infection

Hi. Skull films on a cat are usually not helpful in seeing a mass. That is why a CT scan is the gold standard. That being said, I didn’t do a CT scan on my own cat who had chronic rhinitis. I didn’t want to put him through it.

Yes, steroids can be given long term.

Can chronic rhinitis be unilateral? Or is this typically bilateral nasal discharge?

 

[karen1121]

Sorry for all the questions. This has been going on for 8 weeks with no improvement from antibiotics. The only thing that gives her any relief is steroids. Is this typical with chronic rhinitis?

 

[silent meowlook]

Unilateral can be a as foreign body, but it should have been seen during the scope. It can also be fungal. Cryptococcus. Ask your vet if they think testing for that would be a good idea. There are many things it can be. Cats can also get polyps in the nasal cavity. Sometimes an infected tooth can cause unilateral nasal discharge.