If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Kitty Flu
All of my cats have cat flu. It all started when one of the kittens was
claimed by my local council and claimed to be unregistered and excess to the limit (the council's limit is 3 cats and 2 dogs). I reclaimed him and later noticed that not only did he have cat flu, he also had fleas. The fleas are not a problem. The flu has been transferred to all my cats. The kitten was prescribed antibiotics, not for the flu but for any harmful bacteria that might decide to move in. I know of the dangers of overusing antibiotics, and I can't afford $15 for each of the 11 cats. How can I ease the problem for them? I've been giving the kittens a hot water bottle wrapped in polar fleece every 12 hours, can I do anything to help the cats any more? |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Kitty Flu
"Cazz A" wrote in message ... All of my cats have cat flu. It all started when one of the kittens was claimed by my local council and claimed to be unregistered and excess to the limit (the council's limit is 3 cats and 2 dogs). I reclaimed him and later noticed that not only did he have cat flu, he also had fleas. The fleas are not a problem. The flu has been transferred to all my cats. The kitten was prescribed antibiotics, not for the flu but for any harmful bacteria that might decide to move in. I know of the dangers of overusing antibiotics, and I can't afford $15 for each of the 11 cats. How can I ease the problem for them? I've been giving the kittens a hot water bottle wrapped in polar fleece every 12 hours, can I do anything to help the cats any more? Take them to a shelter where they might be rehomed with people who can afford vet care. |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Kitty Flu
cyberpurrs wrote:
"Cazz A" wrote in message ... All of my cats have cat flu. It all started when one of the kittens was claimed by my local council and claimed to be unregistered and excess to the limit (the council's limit is 3 cats and 2 dogs). I reclaimed him and later noticed that not only did he have cat flu, he also had fleas. The fleas are not a problem. The flu has been transferred to all my cats. The kitten was prescribed antibiotics, not for the flu but for any harmful bacteria that might decide to move in. I know of the dangers of overusing antibiotics, and I can't afford $15 for each of the 11 cats. How can I ease the problem for them? I've been giving the kittens a hot water bottle wrapped in polar fleece every 12 hours, can I do anything to help the cats any more? Take them to a shelter where they might be rehomed with people who can afford vet care. Um, the shelter is where the flu came from, and they'd all be killed within 24 hours because of the flu if I surrendered them now. Fact is, even if I was a millionare I'd be looking for a cheaper option. I don't think it's fair on the cats to be put in a travel cage for an hour of travel just to hear what I already know and be prescribed a 1ml syringe full of meds...give me a break, nothing deserves that! I'm just looking for something that will help them, not something that will help after the bacteria have moved in. |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Kitty Flu
On Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:16:29 +1100, Cazz A
wrote: cyberpurrs wrote: "Cazz A" wrote in message ... All of my cats have cat flu. It all started when one of the kittens was claimed by my local council and claimed to be unregistered and excess to the limit (the council's limit is 3 cats and 2 dogs). I reclaimed him and later noticed that not only did he have cat flu, he also had fleas. The fleas are not a problem. The flu has been transferred to all my cats. The kitten was prescribed antibiotics, not for the flu but for any harmful bacteria that might decide to move in. I know of the dangers of overusing antibiotics, and I can't afford $15 for each of the 11 cats. How can I ease the problem for them? I've been giving the kittens a hot water bottle wrapped in polar fleece every 12 hours, can I do anything to help the cats any more? Take them to a shelter where they might be rehomed with people who can afford vet care. Um, the shelter is where the flu came from, and they'd all be killed within 24 hours because of the flu if I surrendered them now. Fact is, even if I was a millionare I'd be looking for a cheaper option. I don't think it's fair on the cats to be put in a travel cage for an hour of travel just to hear what I already know and be prescribed a 1ml syringe full of meds...give me a break, nothing deserves that! I'm just looking for something that will help them, not something that will help after the bacteria have moved in. They should be fine once the cold goes away since the antibiotics are just preventative. I used to be a microbiologist and hated hearing that someone was getting antibiotics "just in case". If any don't seem to be recovering, get antibiotics for that one. Adult cats should be fine otherwise but you should check my advice with the vet. But, watch out for worms. Those are transmitted by fleas as I recall, and the only time my cats got fleas (many years ago) they also got worms. |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Kitty Flu
"dgk" wrote in message ... On Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:16:29 +1100, Cazz A wrote: cyberpurrs wrote: "Cazz A" wrote in message ... All of my cats have cat flu. It all started when one of the kittens was claimed by my local council and claimed to be unregistered and excess to the limit (the council's limit is 3 cats and 2 dogs). I reclaimed him and later noticed that not only did he have cat flu, he also had fleas. The fleas are not a problem. The flu has been transferred to all my cats. The kitten was prescribed antibiotics, not for the flu but for any harmful bacteria that might decide to move in. I know of the dangers of overusing antibiotics, and I can't afford $15 for each of the 11 cats. How can I ease the problem for them? I've been giving the kittens a hot water bottle wrapped in polar fleece every 12 hours, can I do anything to help the cats any more? Take them to a shelter where they might be rehomed with people who can afford vet care. Um, the shelter is where the flu came from, and they'd all be killed within 24 hours because of the flu if I surrendered them now. Fact is, even if I was a millionare I'd be looking for a cheaper option. I don't think it's fair on the cats to be put in a travel cage for an hour of travel just to hear what I already know and be prescribed a 1ml syringe full of meds...give me a break, nothing deserves that! I'm just looking for something that will help them, not something that will help after the bacteria have moved in. They should be fine once the cold goes away since the antibiotics are just preventative. I used to be a microbiologist and hated hearing that someone was getting antibiotics "just in case". If any don't seem to be recovering, get antibiotics for that one. Adult cats should be fine otherwise but you should check my advice with the vet. But, watch out for worms. Those are transmitted by fleas as I recall, and the only time my cats got fleas (many years ago) they also got worms. You're talking to a budding hoarder. Her local government already seized some of her cats. |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Kitty Flu
"Cazz A" I want you to read something and pay close attention to it. You should seek proper veterinary advice or treatment when your cat or kitten becomes ill How to get your cat healthy and happy again Watching your cat or kitten suffer from cat flu is a stressful and unpleasant experience. There's nothing worse than seeing your beloved pet enduring the symptoms of cat flu while you look on helplessly. The most obvious signs of the condition are a runny nose, respiratory difficulties, sneezing and swollen and runny eyes. Your cat will seem thoroughly sick and miserable, lacking in energy and not eating, playing and exploring as normal. Humans cannot catch flu from their cats so there's no risk of you becoming ill too when your pet catches cat flu or cat cold. It's also worth noting that cats and kittens cannot catches colds or flu from their owners. Two feline viruses cause most cases of cat flu and the condition will normally last for seven to 10 days. Some cats are infected as kittens and the virus stays with them and flares up throughout their lives. But thankfully there are plenty of cat flu vaccines, medications and treatments available which will get your cat fit and healthy again as quickly as possible including some popular products here. It's simply a case of learning a bit about the subject and taking the right course of action. Vets often recommend antibiotics for the problem - but sometimes this is the wrong course of action since cat flu is a virus and antibiotics can often prove ineffective cures or remedies. They've even been known to aggravate the condition with reactions to antibiotics causing new problems like diarrhea, vomiting and even liver disease. Just like their owners, cats and kittens can suffer from a wide range of health problems including cat colds, distemper, cat sneezing, vomiting, leptospirosis, stomach flu, cat diarrhea, eye infections, fleas, leukemia, diarrhea, kidney failure, ear mites, mange, hair loss and dandruff. Cat flu can be really nasty, even fatal in kittens, and your pet needs all the care and attention you can give when it falls victim to it. It is usually caused by one of two viruses - feline herpes or FHV-1 (which is also known as feline viral rhinotracheitis or FVR) and feline calici virus (FCV). When they are infected cats will start to shed virus particles by way of saliva and eye and nasal discharges. Healthy cats can carry the virus and infect other cats by shedding the virus particles. The virus is easily spread via infected toys or food bowls and even on the clothes of those who have come into contact with an infected cat. Attentive nursing of an infected cat is crucial because some of symptoms - such as mouth ulcers of a blocked nose - can prevent drinking or eating, often leading to dehydration. This site won't have the answers to all your questions but hopefully if you browse around you'll find help and advice on many areas of concern about your favourite feline - not just the dreaded cat flu causes, symptoms, treatment and cure. And there's also plenty of discussion about general cat health matters including cat litter, grooming, urine problems, feeding and diet, vomiting, spraying, allergies and behaviour, as well as information about common cat diseases and illnesses. Information contained in this post is for reference only and is not intended to provide professional diagnosis or consultation .. You should seek proper veterinary advice or treatment when your cat or kitten becomes ill Cat Flu is the common name given to a group of viruses, which affect the upper respiratory tract in cats. Healthy cats are normally able to cope with the illness and it is not usually fatal, but it can be much nastier and dangerous to kittens and cats with a weaken immune system. Anyway we all know how unpleasant the flu can be in ourselves, so it is something that we should try and protect our pets from catching it in the first place. What is cat flu and how is it spread? The illness itself is normally caused by the Feline Herpes Virus - 1 (FHV-1) or Feline Calicivirus (FCV). The disease affects the eyes, nose, mouth and windpipe. In severe cases it may even spread to the lungs and bronchi. The viruses are spread much in the same way as human colds. Via sneezing and contact with the discharges. It can also be spread via cat food bowls, grooming brushes and bedding. In fact because some of the viruses can live for a short while outside of the cats body in the environment, it is a good idea to thoroughly clean the home environment. The use of household bleach mixed with water is advisable on washable items. Cats infected with the flu should be kept separate from other animals to prevent spreading the disease and although humans cannot catch the disease from them, we may help spread it from one animal via our hands. It is important that we do not handle the sick cat often and always thoroughly wash our hands when we do. The symptoms If you notice your cat displaying any of the following symptoms, you should take them to the vets immediately to have the illness diagnosed professionally and treated quickly. Sneezing Red swollen eyes Discharge from the eyes or nose Loss of appetite due to loss of smell Depression and general lack lustre in behaviour Mouth ulcers Drooling Joint pain, your cat finds it difficult to move around The symptoms of cat flu can last between 7 and 14 days depending on the strain of virus. The Treatment Viral infections cannot be cured but the symptoms can be managed. Depending on the symptoms your cat is showing your vet may prescribe, eye drops and or antibiotics. In severe cases where the cat cannot eat or drink due to mouth ulcers, your vet may want to keep your cat at the clinic so that they can be fed intravenously. As a caring cat owner the best thing to do is to try and keep your cat as comfortable as possible. Make sure they have a warm and comfortable place to sleep Swab eye and nose discharges with salt water (one teaspoon of salt to one pint of water) Try to keep the room well ventilated and not stuffy (you may even want to place a bowl of steamy water near them to try and help them breath, but never leave your cat alone with hot water) Make sure there is plenty of clean fresh water available and try to encourage them to drink often. Food, water and the litter try may have to be placed closer to the cat if they are suffering from joint pain. (When Little Mo had the flu, she could hardly walk for two days). Provide very smelly foods like pilchards because they may have a reduced sense of smell, and cut them up into small pieces A little cream or ice cream may also tempt them to eat, as it may sooth sore throats. Keep the environment quiet and stress free Prevent cat Flu in the first place Once a cat has cat flu they may become a carrier of the disease which may either make them sick again in the future even if they have not come in to contact with another sick cat, or they may infect other cats. This is one of the main reasons for having your healthy cat vaccinated against the disease, as you can never be sure which cats they come into contact with, you may even inadvertently spread the disease yourself by stroking a seemingly healthy cat who may be carrying the illness. The vaccine for cat flu can be given either separately or as a combined vaccine for other infectious diseases. Your vet will discuss this with you at your visit |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
Kitty Flu
On Mar 12, 11:42*am, "cybercat" wrote:
"dgk" wrote in message ... On Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:16:29 +1100, Cazz A wrote: cyberpurrs wrote: "Cazz A" wrote in message .au... All of my cats have cat flu. It all started when one of the kittens was claimed by my local council and claimed to be unregistered and excess to the limit (the council's limit is 3 cats and 2 dogs). I reclaimed him and later noticed that not only did he have cat flu, he also had fleas. The fleas are not a problem. The flu has been transferred to all my cats. The kitten was prescribed antibiotics, not for the flu but for any harmful bacteria that might decide to move in. I know of the dangers of overusing antibiotics, and I can't afford $15 for each of the 11 cats. How can I ease the problem for them? I've been giving the kittens a hot water bottle wrapped in polar fleece every 12 hours, can I do anything to help the cats any more? Take them to a shelter where they might be rehomed with people who can afford vet care. Um, the shelter is where the flu came from, and they'd all be killed within 24 hours because of the flu if I surrendered them now. Fact is, even if I was a millionare I'd be looking for a cheaper option.. I don't think it's fair on the cats to be put in a travel cage for an hour of travel just to hear what I already know and be prescribed a 1ml syringe full of meds...give me a break, nothing deserves that! I'm just looking for something that will help them, not something that will help after the bacteria have moved in. They should be fine once the cold goes away since the antibiotics are just preventative. I used to be a microbiologist and hated hearing that someone was getting antibiotics "just in case". If any don't seem to be recovering, get antibiotics for that one. Adult cats should be fine otherwise but you should check my advice with the vet. But, watch out for worms. Those are transmitted by fleas as I recall, and the only time my cats got fleas (many years ago) they also got worms. You're talking to a budding hoarder. Her local government already seized some of her cats.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Some become hoarders because well meaning fools think there are always someone to give an unwant pet a loving home. Long time ago someone posted a picture of barrels full of dead cats from the shelter. It was not too long ago when people didn't go to human doctors but nurse themself back to health with folk remedies. All CAZZ A is asking for is some info. |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
Kitty Flu
cybercat wrote:
"dgk" wrote in message ... On Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:16:29 +1100, Cazz A wrote: cyberpurrs wrote: "Cazz A" wrote in message ... All of my cats have cat flu. It all started when one of the kittens was claimed by my local council and claimed to be unregistered and excess to the limit (the council's limit is 3 cats and 2 dogs). I reclaimed him and later noticed that not only did he have cat flu, he also had fleas. The fleas are not a problem. The flu has been transferred to all my cats. The kitten was prescribed antibiotics, not for the flu but for any harmful bacteria that might decide to move in. I know of the dangers of overusing antibiotics, and I can't afford $15 for each of the 11 cats. How can I ease the problem for them? I've been giving the kittens a hot water bottle wrapped in polar fleece every 12 hours, can I do anything to help the cats any more? Take them to a shelter where they might be rehomed with people who can afford vet care. Um, the shelter is where the flu came from, and they'd all be killed within 24 hours because of the flu if I surrendered them now. Fact is, even if I was a millionare I'd be looking for a cheaper option. I don't think it's fair on the cats to be put in a travel cage for an hour of travel just to hear what I already know and be prescribed a 1ml syringe full of meds...give me a break, nothing deserves that! I'm just looking for something that will help them, not something that will help after the bacteria have moved in. They should be fine once the cold goes away since the antibiotics are just preventative. I used to be a microbiologist and hated hearing that someone was getting antibiotics "just in case". If any don't seem to be recovering, get antibiotics for that one. Adult cats should be fine otherwise but you should check my advice with the vet. But, watch out for worms. Those are transmitted by fleas as I recall, and the only time my cats got fleas (many years ago) they also got worms. You're talking to a budding hoarder. Her local government already seized some of her cats. Of course I'm a budding hoarder, but then, isn't everyone to some degree? The council ranger claimed one kitten, if I thought he'd be better off with fleas and cat flu, I would've left him there. The kitten wasn't malnourished or starved of anything, he was taken because he was excess to council law, no other reason. Thanks for the advice about worms, I'll keep an eye out. |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
Kitty Flu
"Cazz A" wrote Of course I'm a budding hoarder, but then, isn't everyone to some degree? The council ranger claimed one kitten, if I thought he'd be better off with fleas and cat flu, I would've left him there. The kitten wasn't malnourished or starved of anything, he was taken because he was excess to council law, no other reason. You don't give your cats regular vet care. That's grounds enough. Rehome them. |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
Kitty Flu
cybercat wrote:
"Cazz A" wrote Of course I'm a budding hoarder, but then, isn't everyone to some degree? The council ranger claimed one kitten, if I thought he'd be better off with fleas and cat flu, I would've left him there. The kitten wasn't malnourished or starved of anything, he was taken because he was excess to council law, no other reason. You don't give your cats regular vet care. That's grounds enough. Rehome them. Funny, I can't ask a question without accusations flying. They get vet care when it's needed. I knew that treating a viral infection with an antibiotic doesn't even sound right to me. The vets here are WAY overcharging - $50 for the consult and whatever they charge for the meds PER CAT. You try paying that! Or cybercat, are you referring to the kind of vet care that my dog has severe reactions to? He was taken to the vet for his vaccination. I told the vet about his reaction to his previous vaccination, she told me it was a once off, he wouldn't react so badly again. It took 4 hours to get home he was in so much pain. |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Kitty Lost - Kitty Found | Sharon & Smudgie | Cat anecdotes | 6 | December 23rd 08 08:13 AM |
Kitty Club Announcement: Mousing Kitty Club | CatTayls | Cat community | 2 | November 28th 05 04:28 AM |
Kitty Club Announcement: Mousing Kitty Club | Harri Roadcat | Cat community | 52 | November 28th 05 12:27 AM |
Here kitty kitty..... SNATCH! | TBird | Cat anecdotes | 3 | December 28th 04 11:10 PM |
Kitty FC update 2 (long) was Kitty Farmcat missing | SUQKRT | Cat anecdotes | 2 | August 11th 04 11:49 PM |