Cats and Colds

Hello! I just found this site today and it's so helpful and fun! Our cat is
Turtle--an adopted Torti who is almost 6 years old.

I know the subject of cats and colds has been talked about, but---How does a
cat catch a cold or URI when there are no other cats in the house, the cat is
an indoor cat, has not been anywhere, etc.? I'm just concerned that maybe
this is not what's going on, even though the vet says it is this or allergies.
And can allergies just all of a sudden appear when nothing new has been
introduced into the envrionment?

Turtle started sneezing a week ago and then had one watery and runny eye. I
took her to vet who said she had allergies or a cold of some type. The vet
gave Amoxi drops and a depo something-or-other shot that they said was for
allergies. The sneezing completely stopped for two days and the eye cleared
up. On the third day, the sneezing returned and now, a week after it started,
the sneezing is worse and sometimes it sounds like she's sniffing. Her
little black nose is also starting to get a red spot on it where she
constantly licks it now. The eye is still fine. No wheezing or anything
either. No scratching.

I spoke to the vet two days ago after the sneezing returned and they
suggested trying Benedryl. Well, I read that cats hate the taste and
sometimes salivate, but I'll tell ya, that's something I never want to see
again. It was horrible. So, Benedryl is definitely out. Now they're saying
they have an allergy pill that I can come by the office and get, either now
or wait until the Amoxi drops are done and see how it goes.

Although I've had several cats over the years (and yes, one dog!) I've never
had a cat that had a cold, a URI, or allergies, so I am at a loss on this.
And I just feel so sorry for her sneezing all the time and that sniffly nose!
She's also starting to be a little less active and eating a little less
(although when I brought out the tuna, that helpd!).

Any thoughts, advice, or purrs will be very welcome! Turtle and I thank you!

Pam

Hi Pam it sounds like an allergy have you started using new carpet cleaner
or started a new type of food for his diet. Something along this line just
as new house plants etc.
This is where you have to start tracking down possible culprits. If you
have the money I would do these things to start with
1 carpet clean the whole house along with the upholstery
2 take the furballs bedding out and replace it

The depo shot is a common thing My cat rumble gets it for licking and
scratching it relieves the itch

"Turtlecat" u18983@uwe wrote in message news:5c3e4cf084ecf@uwe...
Hello! I just found this site today and it's so helpful and fun! Our cat
is
Turtle--an adopted Torti who is almost 6 years old.

I know the subject of cats and colds has been talked about, but---How does
a
cat catch a cold or URI when there are no other cats in the house, the cat
is
an indoor cat, has not been anywhere, etc.? I'm just concerned that maybe
this is not what's going on, even though the vet says it is this or
allergies.
And can allergies just all of a sudden appear when nothing new has been
introduced into the envrionment?

Turtle started sneezing a week ago and then had one watery and runny eye.
I
took her to vet who said she had allergies or a cold of some type. The
vet
gave Amoxi drops and a depo something-or-other shot that they said was for
allergies. The sneezing completely stopped for two days and the eye
cleared
up. On the third day, the sneezing returned and now, a week after it
started,
the sneezing is worse and sometimes it sounds like she's sniffing. Her
little black nose is also starting to get a red spot on it where she
constantly licks it now. The eye is still fine. No wheezing or anything
either. No scratching.

I spoke to the vet two days ago after the sneezing returned and they
suggested trying Benedryl. Well, I read that cats hate the taste and
sometimes salivate, but I'll tell ya, that's something I never want to see
again. It was horrible. So, Benedryl is definitely out. Now they're
saying
they have an allergy pill that I can come by the office and get, either
now
or wait until the Amoxi drops are done and see how it goes.

Although I've had several cats over the years (and yes, one dog!) I've
never
had a cat that had a cold, a URI, or allergies, so I am at a loss on this.
And I just feel so sorry for her sneezing all the time and that sniffly
nose!
She's also starting to be a little less active and eating a little less
(although when I brought out the tuna, that helpd!).

Any thoughts, advice, or purrs will be very welcome! Turtle and I thank
you!

Pam

Thanks, NMR. Nothing new in the house at all, no new food, cleaners--nothing.
That's what's so puzzling to me. No houseplants at all as I always tend to
kill them! But I hadn't thought about cleaning the carpets--that's a great
idea. I can shampoo them, and then order this dust mite powder that you put
on the carpet, let it dry, and then vacuum up. My teenage son has been on
allergy injections for years and in the begininng we used this dust might
stuff since that's one of his allergens--had completely forgotten about it
and it might help. Her bed is "anywhere she wants," especially MY bed! But
there is an old quilt that I have on top of the sewing machine that she loves
to nap on, so I till make a change there.

Thanks bunches for the suggestions!




NMR wrote:
Hi Pam it sounds like an allergy have you started using new carpet cleaner
or started a new type of food for his diet. Something along this line just

Turtle cat one question does the cat have access to a screened window if
so you may want to check for fleas or other parasitic infection



And my real name is Matthew I keep forgetting to put that at the bottom

"Turtlecat" u18983@uwe wrote in message news:5c3e4cf084ecf@uwe...
I'm just concerned that maybe
this is not what's going on, even though the vet says it is this or
allergies.
And can allergies just all of a sudden appear when nothing new has been
introduced into the envrionment?



Food allergies can present after years of an animal eating the same diet
without issue.

What does this cat eat?
Don't forget to look at everything- treats, occasional snacks, regular diet-
everything.

If anything lists any type of dye as an ingredient get rid of it. After that
you are looking for words you don't know the meanings of- look every one of
them up via Google until you understand their function in the food. Some are
necessary while others are not, and some are more allergy provoking than
others.

Once the diet is clear of all this stuff you can start looking at individual
food ingredients and maybe doing food trials (elimination diet) to figure
out what exactly is going on.


--
Toni
http://www.irish-wolfhounds.com

Matthew, I did have the window open only a few inches the other day, but it
was after this all started and it's up on the second floor. I never open the
windows on ground level because I had a cat growing up that got fleas bad
through the basement screen door! Anyway, right now it's so cold outside
most days that everything's usually shut tight.

Armshome, we adopted her from the local humane society about 5 years ago, a
place that fosters the animals. My son and I were volunteering there at the
time and fell in love with her when she was brought to the stand one Saturday!
This is the first time she's been sick in five years.

Toni, she eats Science Diet Light Hairball control, the hard food. It's the
only thing I've found that she'll eat and keeps her from hacking up
hair/furballs. The only other thing I give her is a little tuna and the
liquid out of the tuna can, about once a week., but more often now because
her appetite's down a little.

I'm taking her back to the vet today because I want them to check her again
since she's worse than she was last week when we were there. And she hates
being shut up in her crate, hates the car ride, hates the vet visit--and it's
raining out! But I really would feel better taking her in again.

I read somewhere that you can use a infant's bulb thing to help suction stuff
out of a cat's nose (the same thing you use for infants when they have a cold
since they can't blow their noses). Anybody heard about this or done this?

Thanks again for all the input--I'll let you know what the vet says today.

Pam

--
Message posted via CatKB.com
http://www.catkb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx...ealth/200602/1

Yes please keep us posted If you have any questions about the test let us
know We all will explain everything.

Pss take notes it helps when dealing with a vet

You may need to have a an allergy test done but the vet will advise you

http://www.maxshouse.com/Database_toc.htm for a little friendly info this
is Phil's site he might not be a vet but is one of the most informative
individuals outside of being a vet
"Turtlecat via CatKB.com" u18983@uwe wrote in message
news:5c43cc8bc7762@uwe...
Matthew, I did have the window open only a few inches the other day, but
it
was after this all started and it's up on the second floor. I never open
the
windows on ground level because I had a cat growing up that got fleas bad
through the basement screen door! Anyway, right now it's so cold outside
most days that everything's usually shut tight.

Armshome, we adopted her from the local humane society about 5 years ago,
a
place that fosters the animals. My son and I were volunteering there at
the
time and fell in love with her when she was brought to the stand one
Saturday!
This is the first time she's been sick in five years.

Toni, she eats Science Diet Light Hairball control, the hard food. It's
the
only thing I've found that she'll eat and keeps her from hacking up
hair/furballs. The only other thing I give her is a little tuna and the
liquid out of the tuna can, about once a week., but more often now because
her appetite's down a little.

I'm taking her back to the vet today because I want them to check her
again
since she's worse than she was last week when we were there. And she
hates
being shut up in her crate, hates the car ride, hates the vet visit--and
it's
raining out! But I really would feel better taking her in again.

I read somewhere that you can use a infant's bulb thing to help suction
stuff
out of a cat's nose (the same thing you use for infants when they have a
cold
since they can't blow their noses). Anybody heard about this or done this?

Thanks again for all the input--I'll let you know what the vet says
today.

Pam

--
Message posted via CatKB.com
http://www.catkb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx...ealth/200602/1

Turtle -- I love that name! I know a few cats that would fit that
description.

You may have already been to the vet, but I would have them thoroughly
check her teeth. One of our cats had a "cold" on one side of his face --
runny eye and one runny nostril. It turned out to be a huge dental
infection that had gone into his sinuses. It eventually started
affecting the other nostril before we pinpointed his problem.

Good luck with Turtle,

Rhonda


Turtlecat wrote:


Turtle started sneezing a week ago and then had one watery and runny eye.

Back from the vet. On our first visit last week, she checked everything--
teeth, gums, ears, eyes, etc, nothing amiss in those areas, other than the
one watery eye, which is no longer a problem. Today, she said that it is a
URI, that she probably picked up the herpes virus when she was either being
fostered (they had 8 cats there), or prior to that and it was just dormant
until now. (She's 6 now and we adopted her when she was a a little over 1
year.) She checked everything again and said that yes, now she is congested.
The vet gave Turtle another antibotic injection, changed the antibiotic that
I give her from Amoxi drops to Baytril pills, which I hear are very bitter,
and gave her chlorpheniramine (basically Chlor-Trimiton) antihistimine pills.


I tried the anihistimine earlier this afternoon, and she fought that taste
and had a little bit of salivating. I had an idea, though. Bought some of
those Pill Pockets. I know she won't eat the Pill Pockets with the pill in
it, but I pulled off just a little bit, enough to just cover up the
antihistimine and popped the combo in her mouth as a pill. Just needed enough
to cover the taste of the pill while it was on her tongue before she
swallowed it. I made it very small--and it worked. NO salivating or
anything. I just hope this works tonight with the Baytril. If not, I did
find this website the sells empty capsules for humans and pets. The dog and
cat ones are flavored either beef or chicken. The pills could be put in
there. (These are gelitin capules made for dogs and cats. They make them
for humans, too.) The last resort on the Baytril is having to learn how to
give an injection.

Turtle's name. She had that when we adopted her and we just kept it. She's
always been shy and is a Torti. But it was funny today at the vet. When I
checked in, the lady asked the name. When I said, "Turtle," she looked at
me real funny and asked had I been there before. Angie, the girl that knows
me, popped her head around the corner and said, "It's a cat NAMED Turtle!"
The lady thought I was bringing in a turlte and they had never had turtles in
there before!

If you're interested and don't know about it, the website for the empty pet
and human capsules is:
http://www.capsuline.com/index.php

Thanks everyone for your support and help! Turtle sneezes you a "hello"!

Pam

--
Message posted via CatKB.com
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Oh, forgot something in the last post--as if I didn't put enough in there as
it is!

The vet also said I could use infant saline nose drops, one drop in each
nostril. I asked about using the infant bulb syring thingy to try and
suction out some of the nose stuff and she said that was fine to try.

Just thought I'd mention in case it might be beneficial for someone out there!


Pam

--
Message posted via CatKB.com
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