STUFFY STUFFY nose!

[devviepuu]

this thread is great!  i consulted with my vet over my new adoptee's stuffy nose, and she suggested most of the advice right here.  i'm monitoring him and then if these things do not help will bring him in to check for URI and secondary infections.

in particular the heating up the wet food worked like a charm.  i was worried about his appetite and now he is inhaling a bowl of slightly-warmed wet food.  tonight we are going to try a trip to the steam room, aka shower, before bed.  :-)

 

[docs4drivers]

Two of my kittens have recently gotten stuffy noses and sneezing really bad. I got them to the vet and he put them on antibiotics. They seemed to be getting worse. One was starting to sneeze blood. Took the poor thing back and he suggested the same things I have read on this site. He did say not to have a cat around Vicks and I'm not. I am having the cats in the bathroom with the hot water running. That seems to help. Thankfully they did not lose their appetites. Thank you so much for everyone's advise!

 

[donutte]

My little Luckman has had the sniffles here and there for awhile, nothing major (cats sneeze sometimes, right?). He sniffled a bit more than usual but just didn't think anything of it. It got a bit worse yesterday, and last night scared the crap out of me. He was pawing at his nose, and licking his chops a lot (not sure where, but I remember reading that was not a good sign with stuffy noses). He apparently has NO problem with his appetite (and probably his sense of smell), so that's a good thing.

He got better after an hour or so, but that was enough to keep me awake for a few hours last night. Today he was doing well, but I'm going to call the vet tomorrow and talk to them, get their opinion. I really am hoping I don't have to take him to the vet, he's 16 and it's bad enough having to take Sara in for the problems she's had (what with the animal flu bug going around here). Lucky also HATES being taken outside, he gets absolutely terrified.

What is L-Lysine btw? I keep seeing that mentioned, but don't understand what it is, or how it would help a feline cold.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

 
My little Luckman has had the sniffles here and there for awhile, nothing major (cats sneeze sometimes, right?). He sniffled a bit more than usual but just didn't think anything of it. It got a bit worse yesterday, and last night scared the crap out of me. He was pawing at his nose, and licking his chops a lot (not sure where, but I remember reading that was not a good sign with stuffy noses). He apparently has NO problem with his appetite (and probably his sense of smell), so that's a good thing.

He got better after an hour or so, but that was enough to keep me awake for a few hours last night. Today he was doing well, but I'm going to call the vet tomorrow and talk to them, get their opinion. I really am hoping I don't have to take him to the vet, he's 16 and it's bad enough having to take Sara in for the problems she's had (what with the animal flu bug going around here). Lucky also HATES being taken outside, he gets absolutely terrified.

What is L-Lysine btw? I keep seeing that mentioned, but don't understand what it is, or how it would help a feline cold.

It doesn't sound like he's at all stuffed up or he wouldn't be able to smell his food, and thus wouldn't eat.  (if cat's can't smell their food, they normally won't eat).  Would be he sniffed something into his nasal passage and was pawing at his nose because it was in there

  WAs he licking his chops as if he was trying to get his tongue up into his nostrils?  I'm thinking maybe he really was trying to get whatever might have been in there out?  Just guessing.  Did he do a lot of sneezing last night  too?  You didn't really say.

As to L-Lysine, it's a powder (can be in a capsule form, but you would just open the capsule), or in a chewable treat form,.  You normally would just mix the powder into their wet food twice a day.  Here's one of several threads on it:  http://www.thecatsite.com/t/287568/questions-on-l-lysine-supplements

Did you call your Vet?  What did they say?

 

[elliej0118]

Vetericyn works really well for irritated eyes. The Ophthalmic Gel for irritated eyes is what I would suggest. I've been putting it on my sick barn kitten's eyes, and it's been helping.

 

[donutte]

 
It doesn't sound like he's at all stuffed up or he wouldn't be able to smell his food, and thus wouldn't eat.  (if cat's can't smell their food, they normally won't eat).  Would be he sniffed something into his nasal passage and was pawing at his nose because it was in there

  WAs he licking his chops as if he was trying to get his tongue up into his nostrils?  I'm thinking maybe he really was trying to get whatever might have been in there out?  Just guessing.  Did he do a lot of sneezing last night  too?  You didn't really say.

As to L-Lysine, it's a powder (can be in a capsule form, but you would just open the capsule), or in a chewable treat form,.  You normally would just mix the powder into their wet food twice a day.  Here's one of several threads on it:  http://www.thecatsite.com/t/287568/questions-on-l-lysine-supplements

Did you call your Vet?  What did they say?

I completely missed this reply somehow.

Lucky definitely eats and has had no appetite change. He had gotten better than a few weeks ago, he started sounding really bad and it was really freaking me out. Off to the vet we went. Thankfully the horrible sounds I was hearing were coming from his upper airways, and not his chest. Definitely the nose/sinus area. He's been on a course of antibiotics for the last week now (just took the last pill this evening). He has some sneezing occasionally still, but nothing as bad as it was. 

I think the closest thing we came to him not eating was when he didn't seem interested in his treats. The ones that he would run from the other end of the house to get. But that seems to have gone back to normal as well.

 

[lovetinalouise]

Ask your vet for a great big syringe and learn to syringe feed your cat his wet food.


Another page here, and another here. I have more if you need it! Or just Google "syringe feed cat".

Ok so my cat wasn't eating either. I would suggest asking your vet about getting a nausea pill. A cat may not be a picky eater when he's not eating. They may just be so nauseous that nothing seems good to them. I gave my older cat his nausea meds and the appetite shot and he was eating like normal the next 2-3 days.

 

[karenr]

I also use L-Lysine which can be bought even at the dollar general and has consistantly worked for my cats although I do recommend a vet if you can afford one- that's the problem though. But at least try that first before anything else

 

[docs4drivers]

We have a new little kitten in our family now and over the weekend, she started sleeping all the time. No big deal. Thought it was growth spurt, till Sunday morning. She woke up sneezing and coughing and her third eyelid was showing. That night she was miserable. She was also burning up. I know that we can't give her anything without the vets OK, but she couldn't breathe out of her nose. I found this forum and took some advice from everyone. Steam from the shower, Vicks on a rag out of reach and made her feel as comfy as possible. I started all this in the middle of the night when she would hardly respond. I didn't think she would make it thru the night. It was that bad. After about 15 minutes with the Steam and me fanning Vicks in her face, she started breathing a little better and coming around. I have never had a cat get a fever! Poor baby!

So this morning (Monday) she woke up and started bathing herself! We pet her for a few minutes til she jumped off my bed and went straight for the food AND water! Then she ran for the litter box! After she was done eating, again, she jumped back on my bed and started bathing again. She is still really congested and sounds like a little piggy! Ha! She is still going to a vet today due to the fact that she was burning up and still congested.

Thank you guys so much for all your advice.

 

[pushylady]

D docs4drivers that's great that she made such an improvement!
I hope the vet visit helps and you can clear up her congestion.

 

[docs4drivers]

Me too! She is still having trouble sleeping and breathing. But we will see the vet at 2 today. He wanted her in there sooner, but he was booked with surgeries.

 

[catlover73]

Hi I'm new to this.I gave a home to a sweet stray kitten. He is the sweetest little guy. He seems to have congestion in his nose. That's the only symptom he has. He still eats and drinks well. Im not sure what

I am glad to hear your kitten is eating and drinking well.  I would try doing the steam treatment.  Run the shower in your bathroom as hot as you can get it.  Take the cat with you into the bathroom and just sit with him in the steam for about 15-20 minutes 2 or 3 times a day.  This may help clear up the congestion in his nose. I did this with 2 of my 4 cats when a URI went through my household of 4 cats.  My other 2 were taken to the vet because they had congestion in their chests too and one of them also had an eye infection.  If the steam is not helping or the kitten seems to be getting worse then please take your baby to the vet.  Some URI's require antibiotics.  

 

[docs4drivers]

Just took my little kitten to the vet and he said that she had a touch of bronchitis. He gave her a shot and put her on antibiotics for a while. She is still eating and drinking but the vet said that if she doesn't start to clear up in about three or four days to bring her back.

 

[catlover73]

Just took my little kitten to the vet and he said that she had a touch of bronchitis.

He gave her a shot and put her on antibiotics for a while. She is still eating and drinking but the vet said that if she doesn't start to clear up in about three or four days to bring her back.

I am glad your baby was taken to a vet and it is great that she is still eating and drinking.  I would definitely follow-up as the vet suggested if needed.  Perhaps the steam treatment myself and some other mentioned earlier in this thread would help with breaking up some of the congestion.  I hope your baby feels better soon.

 

[lpyper11]

Did you ever find a cure?? Im going thru the EXACT same thing... i would hate to put my cat down due to a stuffy nose but he is miserable and cant breathe!

 

[docs4drivers]

We are still working with both of them. They have been diagnosed with chronic rhinoitis. The calico is manageable and Goldie is making some progress. The vet has put Goldie on steroid eye and nose drops once a day and saline nose drops. The saline nose drops are one drop in each nostril 4×day.
We do L-Lysine 250mg 2×day with a quarter pill of zyrtec 2×day.
He is currently on Clindamyacin 2×day.
We also give him 12cc's kitten replacement formula 3-4 times a day along with 1 ounce or more of extra water due to dehydration problems with Goldie.
The kitten replacement formula has Probiotics in it and we give him extra probiotics as well. His immune system is shot and we are trying to rebuild it and he is looking and feeling so much better with all of this. He now runs thru AND trashes my house! I don't care! I even chase him when he does that and he turns around and jumps on me! We play a lot with all of them.
We have also changed the food to no grain. It is called Pure Balance Wild and Free.Salmon Recipe. Much improvement with appetite with changing food.
This sounds like a lot, but it only takes 10 minutes in the morning and evening and a few minutes thru out the day and well worth it.
Please talk to your vet before you do anything. He is also on ear drops for earmites as well.
Goldie and Kali had a rough start from birth and we were learning as we went. It takes getting into a routine and sticking with it.
Again, please talk to your vet first. I am just letting you know what is going on in my neck of the woods. Goldie is still congested but it has started to come out....finally!! The vet and I are celebrating this!
P.S.
The 2nd best thing about this is that Goldie knows how to ride in a car and mind his manners. He was on the verge of death a few times (dehydration) and no time to grab the cage. Get him and go type of deal. Very scary. One minute he's OK, the next, he's going downhill fast.
I hope everything goes well for you and your fur baby. A good relationship with a good vet is very very important!