Recurring cough and sneezing in elderly cat

[NICOLETTE72]

Hi everyone
I have a female tortie of 15 years old. In the last few months I have had her at vets several times with recurring frequent sneezing with mucus and a cough. They have had her on a steroid and antibiotic twice which worked initially but now after just 2 days she is showing same symptoms. She was also prescribed a powder to mix in her food to thin out the nasal mucus which hasn't helped at all. They have listened to her heart and lungs and can't seem to find anything to worry about. She does eat well and has a great appetite but is a little under weight. She is also restless especially at night but again the vet didn't seem concerned. I asked about getting her bloods done but since they only did this 12 months ago this didn't seem necessary. I don't know what to do.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

My cats are 12 years old and they get their blood tested twice per year. Our Vet advises seniors (any cat over 8 years old) have it done every six months.

I'm thinking this sounds like it could be allergies. Was that ever mentioned? And antibiotics wouldn't necessarily work on allergies, that I know of. Perhaps you could ask your Vet about giving allergy pills? I know a lot of cats take them, either pills or liquid form. Some take benedry, some zyrtec. others may take something else.

 

[StanAndAlf]

Yes, you may want to ask your vet about an antihistamine injection, in case this is allergies as mentioned above.

I would also recommend getting an FIV test done. The symptoms you mentioned are quite common in FIV cats, and tend to present themselves more as a cat ages. It can't hurt to know

You may also want to try a humidifier. No added scents, just plain water, to see if it helps clear some congestion.

 

[NICOLETTE72]

Thanks for your responses. I did mention an antihistamine but they didn't seem to think it necessary. I am not convinced they are being thorough enough and am sure something's being missed. I will definitely mention FIV and push for a blood test.

 

[Tobermory]

Mocha was sneezing a lot so I stopped opening the windows and started running air purifiers constantly. It seems to have helped.