Chronic upper respiratory issues - any advice, tips, experiences?

[dire-wombat]

My soon-to-be 13 year old kitty Mushu has had intermittent upper respiratory issues since we adopted him at age 7. His previous owner indicated these have been an issue most of his life. It usually starts out with occasional sneezing, then turning into major congestion, constant sneezing & snuffling, discolored mucus, and much lower activity (I assume because he's fatigued & feels like crap). Sometimes he coughs, but I think that's more post-nasal drip rather than lung issues.

The issues have previously surfaced every 4-6 months. In the past when it hasn't resolved on its own we've treated them with antibiotics - some work, some don't, but usually we've been able to find one to knock out the symptoms and give him some good time in between bouts. Our vets have indicated chronic upper respiratory issues are common in cats (possibly due to chronic herpes infection or similar) and that it's probably something that just needs to be managed.

He had a really good symptom-free period last year, but around August they started up again very bad and haven't subsided beyond one quick break. At the time we had smoke from nearby wildfires so I thought it was caused by that, but it never went away. It's been over 7 months. We've tried 3-4 different antibiotics. One type we gave him in Feb (Orbax) worked in the moment, it was great to see him his normal self, but then within 3-4 weeks the symptoms returned as bad as ever. We're kind of at a loss now. We're ok with occasional periods of this, but I don't want it to be his new normal all the time.

Beyond these issues he's spry & healthy for a senior cat. Gets regular checkups, all his recent bloodwork etc came back normal.

Our vet recommended a rhinoscopy done by a specialist to check for foreign bodies, tumors, fungal infection, etc, but when I made an appointment today I asked for a ballpark estimate - at least $3500-$4000 for diagnostics alone! I just don't think we can afford that, especially considering if they find something any procedure will jack the cost up significantly. Also with my last dog we spent many thousands of $$$ on a specialist for some concerning symptoms, only for me to later figure out on my own it was just a crazy bad reaction to an OTC med the vet had suggested (Prilosec for acid reflux). I'd like to try some more detective work to see if something comes up. The fact that he has been 100% symptom-free at times makes me think a foreign body or tumor is less likely.

So.... anyone else's cat have similar upper respiratory problems? Any known triggers? Any treatments that work?

Me and Mushu thank you in advance!

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! Welcome!! Would an inhaler be an option for him?

Triggers could be an older nonstick frypan, scented laundry detergent and/or scented dryer sheets, perfume, scented candles, spray cleaners or other chemicals, a dry climate, weed killer in the yard, new furniture or carpet/flooring or home construction glues and paint, dusty litter, dust in general--think nearby construction, chlorine from a swimming pool, scented hand/body lotion, soaps and creams, incense, pollen, if you're keeping gasoline in your garage for the lawn mower fumes could be coming into the house--basically anything that would cause breathing issues for a person will possibly cause issues for Mushu.

His previous owner indicated these have been an issue most of his life.

Additionally, I'm assuming he's not itchy at all, but just in case there's something food related rather than environmental, are you feeding him the same food he'd been getting? Is it canned food, or dry?

 

[dire-wombat]

Thanks for the reply!

He has strictly upper respiratory problems, so I'm not sure an inhaler would be useful. Definitely no vet has recommended that to us over the years.

As for the rest of those factors, yeah, I mean I'm pretty familiar with the general mechanisms of allergies. In his case the docs have said it's most likely a recurring viral issue (probably the UR herpes infection common in cats), although they suggested the rhinoscopy to rule out a foreign object, tumor, or possibly to biopsy for something like a fungal infection, etc. I think it is possible that some environmental factors could trigger/exacerbate it, but he's had the condition most of his life in multiple different households & environments so it seems in large part independent of that.

I'm very interested in hearing firsthand accounts of how folks have treated & troubleshooted their cats with similar conditions.