Respiratory infection - How long to start seeing improvement on Doxycyline?

[Raptor Dad]

One of our cats is FIV+. For over a week he has been fighting what the vets have said is a respiratory infection. He was not earing and is still not eating very much. His breathing is very noisy. He isn't mouth breathing and we don't think he's in distress or we'd already be at an ER, just uncomfortable and not feeling well

At first they gave him Clavamox (pill). But that requires two pills in the morning and two at night. Since he was barely eating, we couldn't get him dosed consistently. So they switched him to doxycyline. We were able to get him to take the meds the last two nights (Saturday and Sunday). We thought we might at least start to see a little improvement with two doses on board, but he actually seems a little worse.

I tried to search to see how long before we should see some improvement but didn't find anything helpful. Does anyone have any thoughts or experience on how long before we should see signs of improvement? Our vets are closed today, but he does have an appointment for tomorrow.

Thanks.

 

[fionasmom]

Welcome to The Cat Site! I am sorry that you are facing this with your cat. Clavamox (amoxycillin) and doxycyline are considered to be the most standard treatments for cats with URIs. Some consider doxy to be more effective. A standard response time would be 7 to 10 days at most for the usual prescription. Key word there is "response" and if you are concerned that your cat is not responding or is becoming worse....which is what you have observed......I would get the cat back to the vet. Even if he turns the corner today and starts to improve, you should still follow your instincts on this and do what you think is best.

You mention that the cat is not eating much which is something else you want to monitor so that other conditions don't emerge. Remember, too, that cats are stoic so he might feel worse than you are imagining....not because you are not a good cat guardian, but because sick cats can be very hard to read.

 

[Maurey]

Depends on how bad the symptoms are, and how compromised his immune system is. If there’s no improvement within a week of starting the doxy, I’d give the vet a call, in your position. Antibiotics are awesome, but they aren’t magic. I’ve seen it take as long as 4-5 days to see any significantly visible improvement I was sure I wasn’t imagining in one of my cats.
Are you doing anything to help manage the symptoms? Breathing steam in a hot shower room a couple times a day (10-15 min) can help a lot. If your cat will tolerate it, I also use saline nasal drops intended for babies, two drops per nostril. Helps soothe the mucosal lining and induces sneezing, which can help clear the nose. I generally do drops after around 10 mins in the shower, once the hot humid air has started to help with the congestion.
May be worth trying a smelly topper to see if it encourages eating, or even heating up food (if wet) in a bowl of warm water. If he can smell it, he’s more likely to eat.

ETA: did he have an X-ray done? Oris bronchial involvement not suspected? Will have an effect on how long you can expect to wait before you really see improvement.

 

[Raptor Dad]

Thank you for your responses. We figured we wouldn't see earth shattering changes after two days and have him back to 100%, but we were just trying to figure out if the lack of any improvement should be concerning. Appreciate your replies. He is stable today and the vets come tomorrow to see him.

One thing I didn't mention is that he is super skittish. We adopted him 2.5 years ago when he was 6 and came from a relatively unknown background other than it was a semi-cat hoarding situation. It took about a year before we could even stand near him without him hissing and running away. Picking him up is a near impossibility and super stressful for him so we have a vet that comes to see him. We always have to balance having him seen "right away" vs. the stress it causes to get him into a carrier and to a vet clinic verus having him seen at home. He still doesn't love it, but after a year and half or a little more with the mobile vets (they're wonderful), he's ok with them and even though he isn't thrilled to be scooted into the room they always see him in, it's way less stress for him.

When it first started, we did have to take him to the vet clinic that sees our other two cats. They did not do an x-ray or say anything about bronchial involvement. The mobile vets can't do an x-ray, so if we need it we'll have to go back, but they will re-evaluate him tomorrow.

 

[fionasmom]

Please let us know what happens. He is a very lucky kitty to have found a home with you after his bleak first 6 years.

 

[Raptor Dad]

He took a turn for the worse last night. We took him to the ER. It was not a URI. It was a very large tumor in his throat blocking his airway. They could barely intubate him so they could do an exam.

It was an aggressive fast growing cancer. The potential options weren't really options. Maybe a couple extra months and not a great quality of life.

We had to make the painful decision to let him go. We stayed by his side letting him know how much he was loved and would be missed. We are heartbroken.

 

[fionasmom]

I am so sorry for your loss. You absolutely did the right thing to release him and to have chosen to avoid any further procedures which would have added nothing to his quality of life.

An ER vet once told me that she did not believe that animals looked at time like humans, but lived much more in the present. He had 2.5 years of a wonderful life with you. Even in the early days of hissing and defensiveness, he knew that he was in a safe place but had to find his own way to settle in. You were kind to give him those good years and to have worked with him despite his fear.