Couple of questions: cat breathing a little hard, or so it seems to me & back rippling

[hypatia]

 
I don't know if anyone has suggested this yet, or if you are already doing it, but have you tried to "burrito" wrap your cat?  My cat can be difficult when I need to give her meds or even just to trim her claws and have found that it is much easier when I wrap her.  If you haven't already I think you should try it you might find it easier to administer the meds.

A few weeks after I brought Hypy home I tried this method, but he squirmed and howled so much that I couldn't get it right and he was pretty scared for a while afterwards, wouldn't come close to me. So I never tried it again. But he's been trusting me more and more lately. One time when I accidentally stepped on his tail (and it hurt quite a bit judging by his cry) he ran away but came back immediately when I called him and let him pet him and handle his tail to make sure he was okay. He gave me the angry stare all that time, sure but he wasn't scared of me. So I'll try that method again if I'm having trouble getting medicine into him. Right now, however, I'm able to get the medicine into him using a syringe and treats without too much trouble. Thanks for the advice.

 

[hypatia]

 
Thanks for the info and feedback, you're doing well!  As to the flea medication, if he's basically an indoor cat or only goes out on a balcony then its probably fine to skip it, and just watch for fleas and use it again if they come back, but generally speaking, a good spot on treatment like advantage, frontline or revolution should kill everything in 24 hours.  What is the brand you are using?

Stay in touch!

Hey. Sorry it took me a while to get back to you. I'm using Savavet Fiprofort Plus. The fleas seemed to have stayed away for now and if they return I'll try Frontline, which I'll have to order online (I can't find revolution online - heard it also protects from heartworms?). This might be me being paranoid again but one of the balconies that Hypy spends a lot of time on it directly opposite the open front stairs of the building next to ours where a stray dog (with lots of fleas) hangs out. The distance between the stairs and our balcony (which juts out a little) is about 7-8 foot. I heard fleas can fly. Is there anyway the dog's fleas can jump on to Hypy?

Update on Hypy's antibiotic medication - It's the fifth day on antibiotics today. He seems to be improving, as in the sneezing spells are gone. But he still sneezes once or twice a day and once yesterday and today yellowish snot came out. The vet initially said 4 days of using the medicine is enough (he actually said 5 at first but then I told him that the instruction on the medicine bottle was to use it in 4 days. Then he amended). I called him yesterday and told him about the snot and he said to buy a fresh medicine bottle and continue it for 7 days. I'm a bit worried it this is one of those antibiotic resistant super bacteria or something. How long is the antibiotic usually administered to cats?

I am able to get the medicine into him easily enough but he is struggling a bit more each time, almost as if he's figuring out how to escape being medicated. I'm using a lot of treats. But he's such a good cat that he never uses his claws or teeth. I'm also noticing side effects. His stools have been loose and the second day he used the litter box 3 times, the third day 2 times in the morning and then didn't use it the rest of the day (he usually goes once in the morning and once in the evening). He seems to have an upset stomach because he's chewing the plants on the balconies. He's also been skipping one or two meals a day (not enough to be worried. I'm counting his intake in grams each day and he does compensate by having a little more sometimes). He also seems to be sleeping more. When he does play he plays pretty normally, though. Otherwise he is alert and acting pretty normally. He urinates twice a day like he normally does.

Actually he seemed completely fine yesterday but today he is lethargic again. I saw that these were normal side effects of antibiotics but you know me. I worry too much. Should I be worried if he skips a meal and sleeps a lot for as long as I give him the antibiotics? I talked the vet and he told me to not worry too much and told me to give him yogurt. The first day I gave it to him he lapped it up pretty enthusiastically. The next day not so much and I added a bit of the juice from his wet food to get him interested and he ate about two spoonfuls. Yesterday I had to add treats and feed it to him by hand (not that he couldn't eat but just that he didn't want it. But I didn't force him to eat it, though. I just tricked him using treats and feeding a little at a time). I haven't given him yogurt today yet. Today he skipped a meal and later when I gave him wet food, which he usually likes, he didn't eat much. But then I gave it to him and hour later and he ate the whole thing so I wasn't too worried. 

So that's about it. What do you think?

P.S., I have a small question about heating wet food. Once a day I give him 1/4th of a can of wet food so on an average the can lasts me 4 days. I refrigerate it, of course and I read recently that the can should be covered with an air tight lid, which I'm doing. Before giving it to Hypy I heat it up a little to bring out the aroma, because he doesn't seem to like it when it's cold and also because I don't want to make his congestion worse. But I heard that heating wet food in a microwave destroys the taurine in it. What I'm doing is taking the amount I feed him into a small plate, boiling a cup of water and then putting the plate in that cup to heat it up. Does that hurt as well? How do you heat up wet food?

 

[hypatia]

 
@Hypatia  this was posted about vets in india....

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/335007/finding-good-vet-care-in-india#post_4221112

Thanks for creating the thread, Stephen. I'll check it out. 

 

[stephenq]

 

Hi

This will be short as i am short on time.  Fleas can jump but not fly, i think 7-8 feet is probably ok but not 100% on this. I don't know your flea medication.  Yes Revolution does protect against heartworm, which is generally rare in cats (its much more common in dogs, the natural host) but if a cat gets infected it can be very serious.  You are thinking about so much that i didn't want to add this to your worries.   Generally vets like to test for heartworm before starting a cat on something like revolution because if you kill heartworms that are already in the cats blood, that can be very dangerous.

Antibiotics for URI's ate typically given for 7-10 days and can be extended if the cat is still sick.  A bottle of clavamox lasts for 10 days but must be refrigerated.  Side effects are rare and mild, sometimes vomiting and best to give after a meal, not before.  Everything that you're observing may not be side effects but may be the result of the URI itself.

Don't worry about the taurine.  Many people heat cat food in the microwave, the key is to do it gently so it doesn't vet hot spots.

 

[hypatia]

Antibiotics for URI's ate typically given for 7-10 days and can be extended if the cat is still sick.  A bottle of clavamox lasts for 10 days but must be refrigerated.  Side effects are rare and mild, sometimes vomiting and best to give after a meal, not before.  Everything that you're observing may not be side effects but may be the result of the URI itself.

Hi Stephen. Kinda need your advice again. So you know I was giving Hypy antibiotics and that he had loose stools about 4 times a day (as opposed to his usual 2 times) and generally had an upset stomach, but the vet and a few internet articles assured me this was a side effect of the antibiotic (https://www.petcarerx.com/article/antibiotics-for-cats/741). Which seems to be true because his stools returned to normal after I stopped giving him the antibiotics.

I gave him the antibiotic for 7 days - 1ml morning and evening - and on the 8th day I administered the morning dose before calling my vet. He said that 8 days was too much and to stop giving him the medicine. I told him that the symptoms weren't still completely gone. The frequency of his sneezing had gone done a lot and he was now sneezing maybe once a day, the snot was gone and the eye discharge was also almost nonexistent. I honestly think he would have been completely fine if administered the medicine a couple more days. But the vet said that cats were "too sensitive" and that 8 days was too much. Even my parents agreed and I reluctantly stopped. The vet said that the problem would go away on its own, now that the antibiotic course had been administered. 

But its been over a week since I stopped the medicine and he is still sneezing. The frequency of his sneezes during his spells seems to be increasing (with 3 sneezes a day now). He might have had a little snot once, but I'm not sure because he licked himself before I could examine him. I talked to the vet today when asking about vaccinations and the vet said to leave it be and not give him any more antibiotics. He said that we could try anti-allergens if need be (again, he hasn't physically examined my cat or taken blood samples or anything. I'll maybe ask him to visit this Sunday to discuss antibiotics and Hypy's cold in detail).

Now, I'm not sure what to do - if I should go with the vet or what. What do you think? I want to be prepared to talk all the details out with him (and find a new vet if he is uncooperative) so any ideas you have about Hypy's situation would be appreciated. 

I created a new thread with a question about vaccinations and the cold here: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/335889/vaccinations-questions-and-cat-sneezing-adopted-adult-cat/ Would be great if you could answer there and give me some advice. 

Thanks.

 

[stephenq]

Thanks.

Hey there,

Your antibiotic is a copy of Clavamox, amoxicillin trihydrate/clavulanate potassium

A reason to stop clavamox treatment is of the diarrhea side effect is severe, but loose stool is not generally considered a reason to stop treatment.  My best advice is to print out these official website links on how to administer Clavamox and for how long and show them to your vet.  the company that makes clavamox, Zoetis, and the US FDA say that dosage length can be 5-7 days, 10-14 days, at least 48 hours after symptoms end and no longer than 30 days.  Note if you are using the liquid form, it goes bad after 10 days under refrigeration.  Please see these links:

https://www.zoetisus.com/_locale-as...ibing-info-or-package-inserts/clavamox_pi.pdf

https://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinar...lDrugProducts/FOIADrugSummaries/ucm064728.htm

and

https://www.drugs.com/vet/clavamox-drops.html

It sounds to me like you stopped treatment too early, but you need to be mindful of the diarrhea, and may want to take corrective action for that side effect.

Your vet's discussion about anti-allergy drugs sounds non-sensical, your cat doesn't have allergies, he has a cold.

Cats with colds should not as a rule be vaccinated, too much stress on the immune system.  Good news, most cats with colds will have it resolve in time, but some won't and some progress to pneumonia or a deeper infection in the lungs (coughing).

Print at least the first two links out, show to your vet and discuss.  I have to admit i'm not a fan of your vet.

Stephen

 

[Brian007]

I've only just seen and read through this thread now, sorry about that.  I recommend a more Ayurvedic approach to EVERYTHING.  

Organic Apple Cider Vinegar with MOTHER would be your best all-round treatment for everything mentioned:  from fleas, to URI, to ear mites, feline acne, healthy coat, the list goes on and on......

Here is a brief article about ACV for cats.  But, I advise that you look into it in detail to garner all its potential benefits, for you and your home  as well as for Hypy.

http://www.petnet.io/pet_health_blogs/holistic-healing-for-cats-apple-cider-vinegar#.WMlwqXecbVo

I checked Amazon India, and you can buy ACV with Mother.  

I think Hypy sounds allergic to me.  Your city is very dusty, he's likely allergic to dust mites.  The scabs will most likely have been from flea bite allergy, to which many cats are prone.  To keep fleas at bay and to treat his skin topically, use equal parts ACV to water.  You can spray this around your home also.  Cats actually quite like the taste of ACV, so adding it to food or water is not usually a problem.  You need to try to clean your apartment of as much dust and possible fleas/eggs/larvae/pupae as you can on a regular basis.  90% of fleas live in rugs and in all the nooks & crannies & cracks on floors and in walls.  Dried nettles or nettle teabags made into a tea, then allowed to cool can be safely given to your cat each and every day, as an antihistamine.  It can be added to food and also applied topically.  These two natural ingredients should completely treat his sneezing and itchiness issues....

Do you feed him whole eggs?  If so, don't.  Only feed him the yolk. 

I recommend that you smear a teaspoon of vaseline onto a paw, for him to lick off, at least once a week to ease any hairball build up, which he is bound to suffer, being long haired.  Again, I've found it on Amazon India.  But, other shops are available, teehee.  

Umm, there was something else, oh yeah, valerian for calming his stress.  Giving him medicine is stressful.  I've found you can buy Beaphar cat-calming spot-on drops on Amazon India, so you can probably get the tasty treats someplace too.  Both of these contain valerian, hops, and melissa.  They are highly effective with immediate results.  You could also buy some dried valerian root to give him, or make into a "mouse", using a piece of cotton fabric.  

And, you can also buy Feliway diffuser plugs and sprays, which emit cat-friendly pheromones, which will help him to transition into your household.  Look it up, I know you will anyway, as you're that sort of research focused individual, as am I.  

There's something else, but I'll just post this for now, and get back to you.

 

[Brian007]

Antibiotics can cause loose poo, by the way.  

 

[Brian007]

You could make your own cat tree  

  You could use an old ladder for its base, if you're not up for sawing and nailing bits of wood.  But you seem a very capable person to me and might be up for the challenge.  Wrap sisal rope around the posts to make scratchers.  You could use an old rope, or straw, mat to make life easier.   

 

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Cat-Tree

 

[Brian007]

Catnip is great for any and all digestive type of complaints: nausea, vomiting, acidity, indigestion, gas, IBS, as an appetite stimulater, constipation, diarrhoea, etc   

  You could either buy it powdered or grind dried leaves into a fine power and mix it into his food, if he doesn't have the propensity for it.  

A teaspoon of pure unsweetened Pumpkin puree can be added to his food every day also to treat both diarrhoea and constipation, and generally make his poo healthy.  Many cats like the taste.  It also contains lots of vitamins. 

Psyllium husks are good for keeping hairballs at bay and are a good source of dietary fibre.  

Krill  (fish) oil has the required balance of omega-3 and omega-6.  These are necessary for overall health and well-being, including a beautiful coat and cognition.  

 

The egg yolk you give him is packed with essential vitamins and amino acids.  So, you could maybe dispense with the vitamin tablet, if you added some of these natural options.  

These are all just suggestions and remedies, they are not compulsory.   

 

[Brian007]

Many plants are toxic to cats.  What plants are available in your home for munching upon?  This list of toxic and non-toxic plants may be useful; however, some on this list are not as toxic as they suggest but just to be on the safe side.  The main ones to watch out for are lillies.  But, it might be an idea to look up your plants on this list.  And also share them with us, as we love to scrutinise.   

81sMnF3NknL._SL1350_.jpg

• Brian007
• Mar 15, 2017

Garlic is toxic to cats if ingested, but I doubt whether he'll actively seek any out in your kitchen.  But, don't let him have any, if he does happen to have a weird garlic fetish.  However, garlic oil put into the ear canal, after first cleaning it out with vegetable oil and a cloth, will kill ear mites.  

 

 

[hypatia]

Wow! First off, thank you so much for all the info!

So I looked up the stuff you mentioned and I'm willing to try most of them. I looked up ACV and it's available on Amazon, so I'll get it. And I've also found dried nettle leaves. Can I just sprinkle them in his food and he'll eat it? I mean do cats eat that stuff? If so, how much should I give him each day and for how long? If he indeed has allergies, it means I should continue it lifelong, right?

I feed him the yolk. I tried giving little bits of the white, but he didn't want any part of it.

Hypy never seemed to have a problem with hairballs, but I've ordered Petkin Hairball Lickstick, if the problem should ever arise. But yes, Vaseline is readily available here.

I haven't found the Valerian treats that you mention on Amazon or other websites that deliver to where I live and the Beaphar one can't be delivered to my city (according to Amazon). But I did find Valerian essential oil. I have a cold steam dispenser in my house. Will the essential oil work for calming Hypy down?

Feliway is a little expensive for me right now, because of all the other costs that went towards my cat. And even if it wasn't, my parents would never understand why calming Hypy can be necessary in some situations. They have trouble understanding my depression, my father's own work related anxiety and stuff. They would think spending so much to 'calm' a cat is grossly unnecessary.

 
You could make your own cat tree  

I could make a cat tree - I'm kinda diy-inclined. But I didn't want to take a chance with the structure not being able to take Hypy's weight and his antics. So I ordered a cat tree to be imported (with the import and shipping fees costing double the cat tree itself). It cost me a lot of headache and I had to give up a lot of stuff, but it's for Hypy, so whatevs

 
Catnip is great for any and all digestive type of complaints: nausea, vomiting, acidity, indigestion, gas, IBS, as an appetite stimulater, constipation, diarrhoea, etc   

  You could either buy it powdered or grind dried leaves into a fine power and mix it into his food, if he doesn't have the propensity for it.  

Krill  (fish) oil has the required balance of omega-3 and omega-6.  These are necessary for overall health and well-being, including a beautiful coat and cognition.  

 

I have catnip refills in the house and when given the stuff he does take a few licks. It doesn't seem to affect him like it does the other cats in youtube videos - which I know doesn't happen to every cat, but it would have been fun to see him act like a goof, lol. I've looked online to see if I can find catnip grass to grow, but no luck so far. He no longer has diarrhoea, though and goes poo everyday on an average of 1.5 times a day. 

I've looked up Krill oil and it's available on Amazon so I'll order it.

 
Many plants are toxic to cats.  What plants are available in your home for munching upon?  

Growing a shallow container of Avena sativa (wild oat) is ever so simple and fast.  Hypy should, with any luck, prefer this grass to your other plants, and so choose to eat it, and not them.  It has many health benefits for you to look up, also.   

Garlic is toxic to cats if ingested, but I doubt whether he'll actively seek any out in your kitchen.  But, don't let him have any, if he does happen to have a weird garlic fetish.  However, garlic oil put into the ear canal, after first cleaning it out with vegetable oil and a cloth, will kill ear mites.  

 

Hypy does love munching on the plants in the balconies, so I had immediately looked up all the plants I had on the ASPCA webpage that you linked. My mother's a botanist and a plant enthusiast so she sat down with me and looked at all the plants listed in the toxic section to see if we had any. We had a couple that would cause diarrhea and couple that might be a little suspect. So we had those plants shifted outside - where Hypy doesn't go, so it's safe. The only 'toxic' plant we still have in the balconies is Aloe Vera. But it's in the far back where Hypy doesn't go, and Hypy has shown no interest in going near it. Not to mention the thorns the plant has, which I suspect would warn off any overly eager cat.

Yes, I knew about the garlic bit. But Hypy, luckily, almost never goes into the kitchen. He's also a very dignified cat, which means he never 'eats first and asks questions later'. He always sniffs out stuff and very carefully picks out what he wants to put in his mouth. So no, I don't think he has a garlic fetish, lol! 

So can I put garlic oil into his ears? But if he scratches in his ears and then licks his paws, won't that hurt him?

Once again, thank you so much for all the household remedies you suggested.

 

[hypatia]

 
Hey there,

Your antibiotic is a copy of Clavamox, amoxicillin trihydrate/clavulanate potassium

A reason to stop clavamox treatment is of the diarrhea side effect is severe, but loose stool is not generally considered a reason to stop treatment.  My best advice is to print out these official website links on how to administer Clavamox and for how long and show them to your vet.  the company that makes clavamox, Zoetis, and the US FDA say that dosage length can be 5-7 days, 10-14 days, at least 48 hours after symptoms end and no longer than 30 days.  Note if you are using the liquid form, it goes bad after 10 days under refrigeration.  Please see these links:

https://www.zoetisus.com/_locale-as...ibing-info-or-package-inserts/clavamox_pi.pdf

https://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinar...lDrugProducts/FOIADrugSummaries/ucm064728.htm

and

https://www.drugs.com/vet/clavamox-drops.html

It sounds to me like you stopped treatment too early, but you need to be mindful of the diarrhea, and may want to take corrective action for that side effect.

Your vet's discussion about anti-allergy drugs sounds non-sensical, your cat doesn't have allergies, he has a cold.

Cats with colds should not as a rule be vaccinated, too much stress on the immune system.  Good news, most cats with colds will have it resolve in time, but some won't and some progress to pneumonia or a deeper infection in the lungs (coughing).

Print at least the first two links out, show to your vet and discuss.  I have to admit i'm not a fan of your vet.

Stephen

Thanks for the links, Stephen. I'll print out those pages and show them to my vet, see what he says. 

Hypy's side effects didn't seem bad and he was fine except for the increased frequency and looseness of his stools. The vet had suggested yogurt which I gave to him as much as he would eat (he was very enthusiastic about eating it the first day, not so much the next day onward).

His symptoms seem to have subsided a little for now because of the antibiotic treatment, but I'll hold off on the vaccines a little longer (I knew that vaccines are not administered when you aren't feeling so well, even in humans, but it just slipped my mind).

I'm also thinking of using L-Lysine, since we decided it was feline herpevirus. We'll see Hypy improves then.

Meanwhile, I will continue looking for another vet, because I'm not a fan of him either.

 

[Brian007]

I take heaps of L-Lysine (far more than recommended) whenever I have the first tingle of a herpes sore, it blasts them every time, as long as I get them early enough.  I used to take it everyday but now I just take a massive handful when I actually present with one.  The ratio between Lysine and Arginine in the body is very important for keeping herpes at bay.  I know that feline herpes if different to human herpes, in the way that the two are not contactable by each other.  But it's a very similar disease.  If I eat too much Arginine rich food like nuts, for example, I take Lysine to balance it out.  Not that Hypy eats nuts, it's more out of general interest for you.

As for the nettles, you could try making a tea, then see if he likes the rehydrated nettles or the cold tea.  You could also get a clean glass jar with a metal lid, stuff it to the brim with nettles, then stuff it some more, then add ACV to fill to the top.  Shake it vigourously.  Label and date it.  Leave if for a few weeks in a cool, dark cupboard, shaking it often, when you remember.  Then strain the now nettle ACV tincture to add a teaspoon to his food, water, or try it just on its own.  As I said, many cats actually quite like the taste of ACV.  And a tincture of something is far more powerful than just the thing on its own.  If you make a few jars at a time, you could leave the other jars that you don't need to use just yet in the cupboard, as the longer you leave it, the stronger it will get.

I'm not sure about valerian essential oil.  I'd recommend finding some dried valerian root to grind up and give him a small amount or make into a "mouse". 

Have a look online for silvervine matatabi.  It's a herb very similar to catnip that usually works as a stimulant in cats who are not reactive to catnip.  It grows in East Asia.  

 

 

[stephenq]

 
Thanks for the links, Stephen. I'll print out those pages and show them to my vet, see what he says. 

Hypy's side effects didn't seem bad and he was fine except for the increased frequency and looseness of his stools. The vet had suggested yogurt which I gave to him as much as he would eat (he was very enthusiastic about eating it the first day, not so much the next day onward).

His symptoms seem to have subsided a little for now because of the antibiotic treatment, but I'll hold off on the vaccines a little longer (I knew that vaccines are not administered when you aren't feeling so well, even in humans, but it just slipped my mind).

I'm also thinking of using L-Lysine, since we decided it was feline herpevirus. We'll see Hypy improves then.

Meanwhile, I will continue looking for another vet, because I'm not a fan of him either.

Hey

Yogurt with active cultures may help.  Metamucil (plain) aka psyllium is a fiber that can also help with loose stool, you can google its use in cats.  L-lysine has been recommended by vets for herpes for a long time, and recommended on TCS as well, but in view of recent studies a lot of us don't feel comfortable recommending it anymore, you can decide for yourself.  I will link you to an article and the study.

http://www.petmd.com/blogs/thedaily...herpes-virus-bad-news-popular-treatment-31971

http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs/10.2460/ajvr.75.6.572

Stay in touch.