I adopted my 3 1/2 month old male kitten from the local shelter about a week ago. After the first few days at home he started sneezing and one of his eyes became light pink. He was also salivating/drooling and lethargic. I took him to the shelter clinic where they prescribed him an oral antibiotic. However the next morning when I awoke, there was this white/cloudy stuff in his eye so I rushed him to the vet, where they diagnosed him with an upper respiratory infection and prescribed eye drops. They also tested his poop for worms and dewormed him. It’s been a couple days and he is still drooling, when he sneezes he sounds lik a squeaky toy and when he breathes I can hear that his nasal passages are semi blocked. Additionally today I noticed that he is rather bloated and I am not really sure why. I am a first time cat owner and a bit of a worrier in general so I really would appreciate some advice.
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Kitten with upper respiratory infection...help
- Thread starter Saps315
- Start Date
Hi! Can you talk to the vet tomorrow morning and tell them all that's going on with him? In the meantime, he needs to eat and might be having difficulties because he can't smell it. Try putting him in a bathroom with a steamy shower for about 10 minutes and see if that doesn't help, and during the day try a couple times a day 10-12 minutes at a time.
Poor little guy. Is he still on antibiotics? Which one?
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #4
His appetite has not diminished at all. I feed him wet food in the morning and he nibbles on dry food throughout the rest of the day. Thanks for the shower tip!!
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #5
He is on Doxycycline/Lysine suspension. It’s a liquid antibiotic given every 12 hours.
It can take a few days for the medicine to work. He should begin to turn the corner to feeling better soon. If not, do check back in with your vet.
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Hi Saps315 and welcome to the forum !
I want to give you a heads-up about the doxycycline. You really need to be giving him (at least) a small amount of liquid/liquidy food or "smoothie" treat immediately after giving him this med.
Giving some kind of a liquid "chaser" immediately after medicating any cat is one of the foundational 'rules of thumb' in feline medicine, because it prevents esophageal injury...........
Now, while this usually applies to pills and capsules, doxycycline is so potentially erosive that even its liquid formulations shouldn't be given alone.
(There's lots of other great info on Dr. Pierson's site, btw, including a great article with on the latest thoughts on vaccines and what not to allow.)
I love the pics and..........OMG, those ears !
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Hi Saps315 and welcome to the forum !
I want to give you a heads-up about the doxycycline. You really need to be giving him (at least) a small amount of liquid/liquidy food or "smoothie" treat immediately after giving him this med.
Giving some kind of a liquid "chaser" immediately after medicating any cat is one of the foundational 'rules of thumb' in feline medicine, because it prevents esophageal injury...........
"The lining of the esophagus is very delicate and it is not designed to have irritating medications in contact with it for more than the short amount of time it should take for [it] to pass from the mouth to the stomach when swallowed with an adequate amount of liquid or food.
When a pill is in contact with this tissue for a prolonged period of time, a painful irritation or ulcer has the potential to develop. Some medications are worse than others. For instance, doxycycline is a well-known antibiotic that is extremely irritating.....
Now, while this usually applies to pills and capsules, doxycycline is so potentially erosive that even its liquid formulations shouldn't be given alone.
(There's lots of other great info on Dr. Pierson's site, btw, including a great article with on the latest thoughts on vaccines and what not to allow.)
I love the pics and..........OMG, those ears !
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