Red, bloody nose??

[charley_d]

Hi everyone.

I want to start off by saying that I will be taking kitty to the vet, but the wait for non-emergencies is 3+ weeks, so I'm hoping to get some reassurance here.

A little bit of history first. Ruby is a 5 year old domestic short hair with possibly some ragdoll or siamese in there, as she looks just like a flamepoint. She came from a barn as a kitten, and she has had breathing issues her entire life. As a young cat, she was diagnosed with feline herpesvirus. She's struggle with flare ups off and on her whole life. This past March, she was diagnosed with mild asthma, and treated with Covenia for a secondary infection. She has been on prednisolone since then, half a pill every second day, unless I notice she's bad, than the vet said she could have half a pill once a day.

Recently, because of some health problems, I've had to move back in with my parents. Ruby lived here when she was younger, and has blended back in with my parents cats really well.

Yesterday, I noticed she had a red mark on her nose, like the beginning of a scab almost, but very bright red, with some blood. Today, it seems to have gotten bigger and worse. She's also coughing and sneezing a lot.

Could this be her herpes flaring because of the move? She's never had a sore on her nose before, so I'm panicking because I know this can also be a sign of squamous cell carcinoma. I lost my Ozzie suddenly in January so I have been on high alert since then. I will try to attach a picture later if I can get one, but she's a little camera shy.

 

[charley_d]

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi there. I am not sure why this doesn't qualify as close to an emergency? Does the vet know all of what you have told us? I have no idea if this could be related directly to herpes, but a light-colored cat is more prone to skin type cancers. However, she could also be pawing at her nose due to the sneezing. If it has gone on long enough, there could be a secondary infection involved associated with the herpes flare-up. At a minimum, call the vet back, make sure they know all the details, and ask if they have a cancellation process that might enable you to get in sooner. At least they could advise you on what you might do in the meantime.

A lot of cats with herpes take supplements for immune support - is she on any? Won't help for the immediate issue but could prove beneficial down the road. And, yes, the move might have triggered a flare-up for sure.

 

[charley_d]

Hi there. I am not sure why this doesn't qualify as close to an emergency? Does the vet know all of what you have told us? I have no idea if this could be related directly to herpes, but a light-colored cat is more prone to skin type cancers. However, she could also be pawing at her nose due to the sneezing. If it has gone on long enough, there could be a secondary infection involved associated with the herpes flare-up. At a minimum, call the vet back, make sure they know all the details, and ask if they have a cancellation process that might enable you to get in sooner. At least they could advise you on what you might do in the meantime.

A lot of cats with herpes take supplements for immune support - is she on any? Won't help for the immediate issue but could prove beneficial down the road. And, yes, the move might have triggered a flare-up for sure.

I am going to call again in the morning. We live very rurally so unfortunately the vets are just extremely overworked. I'm pretty positive it's a flare up as everything happened so quickly. Also, I noticed her very snotty nose has a bit of a smell to it, which in the past has signaled she's got a bacterial issue. She'll be off to the vet ASAP.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Chamomile tea might be an option just to help clean and soothe her nose. Buy chamomile tea bags - you can find them in most any grocery store and generally speaking those are Germain - you don't want English or any flavorings or additives. Brew a bag in water, cool the liquid to room temp and then dab some on her nose with cotton balls or a soft cloth - 2-3 times a day.

Chamomile tea, which is a soothing and healing agent, also has anti-bacterial/anti-fungal properties. It is safe for Ruby to ingest should she do so.

I still hope you can get some advice from the vet too about what to do while you wait for this appt.

 

[charley_d]

Chamomile tea might be an option just to help clean and soothe her nose. Buy chamomile tea bags - you can find them in most any grocery store and generally speaking those are Germain - you don't want English or any flavorings or additives. Brew a bag in water, cool the liquid to room temp and then dab some on her nose with cotton balls or a soft cloth - 2-3 times a day.

Chamomile tea, which is a soothing and healing agent, also has anti-bacterial/anti-fungal properties. It is safe for Ruby to ingest should she do so.

I still hope you can get some advice from the vet too about what to do while you wait for this appt.

Thank you, I'll give that a try.

 

[charley_d]

Just an update. Ruby was booked for an appointment this coming Friday afternoon, after the vet told me this was the earliest they could see her.
Yesterday, she didn’t eat, was extremely lethargic, and has what looked like actual pus coming from her nose. This morning, I found her laying in the same spot I left her last night. She was drooling, wheezing and just generally not in good shape. I called the emergency vet, and they told me to bring her in.
My mama instincts were right. She was in rough shape. My girl has a severe upper respiratory infection, complicated by her asthma. The vet said “oh, those lungs don’t sound so good”. She was also dehydrated, and had a fever. It also seems that although I thought my girl was handling the move well, she was actually extremely stressed, and the vet believes she went into “mom mode” because my two other cats are young, and she tends to dote on them. She suggested Feliway to help them all relax, and remove some of Ruby’s stress. She also upped her steroids and prescribed an antibiotic, and gave her fluids while she was there.

 

[artiemom]

Oh.. I am so glad you took Ruby in.. poor baby... now you have some medication and a plan.. Good MAMA!!