Help! Uri Spreading Through Multi Cat Household.

Perrinao · Feb 16, 2019

Hi, I am new to this site and hoping for some advise about URI’s in a multi cat household.

I have 7 indoor only cats....2 months ago a URI showed up right after one of my cats went to the vet for a yearly check up.

The only signs of URI the cats get is coughing that lasts about 30 seconds and happens about 3 to 8 times a day.
So far the uri has spread to 5 of the 7 cats and it’s usually about one cat at a time that is sick.
The vet puts them on Doxycycline for two weeks and they get better.
Each cat stops showing signs after about 3 to 4 days after starting treatment but then the next cat starts coughing and it starts again and off to the vet!

What can I do to stop this cycle????

They all eat healthy high quality wet food, they are all active, have healthy coats, they are all healthy other than this stupid URI!
I don’t have enough rooms in my house to separate them all so that’s not an option unfortunately.

Any advise from multi cat households that have experienced this and beat it?

Can I beat this or will it cycle thru my cats every week/month for the rest of their lives??

molly92 · Feb 16, 2019

I do not like that the vet is putting them on antibiotics so much. Most cat URIs are viral, especially if it's recurring, it's almost certainly viral, and antibiotics do nothing against a virus. Them getting better is just the virus running the course of the phase. Antibiotics can be used to prevent further infection in young or sick cats, but if they're healthy, all the drugs are doing are wiping out their natural microflora and contributing to the problem of bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics.

Unfortunately, feline herpes and calcivirus, the 2 predominant causes of URIs in cats, are lifelong latent viruses. Symptoms will keep coming back in times of stress. Feeding them well, keeping them otherwise healthy, and avoiding stressful situations will minimize symptoms. Lysine supplements seem to help a lot of cats, and there are a few other supplements out there that some people have had success with floating around in the forums if you search for them I think. You can also look in to giving them all a few doses of probiotics after all those antibiotics! (Human probiotics are just fine-you can sprinkle them on food.)

Here's some info on URIs: Feline Upper Respiratory Infection

molly92 · Feb 16, 2019

And here's a link to a thread about another potential treatment: Stubborn herpes infection? Add Lactoferrin in addition to Lysine

EmersonandEvie · Feb 16, 2019

I second everything that

molly92 said....do they have any symptoms of a secondary infection, such as runny eyes and noses and colored snot? If not, I really can't understand why the vet would give them an antibiotic for a viral disease.

Unfortunately, there really isn't anything you can do. :/ Viral diseases are the worst. You just have to let them run their course(s) and make sure everyone is comfortable in the meantime. Cats are like kids- when one gets sick, they ALL get sick!

My Evie also got a viral infection after I took her and her brother to the vet (brother was going in for a lower GI infection...it was a rough month). She hid under a chair for about a week, poor thing. I feel your pain. I hope your troop gets better! :vibes:

weebeasties · Feb 16, 2019

We have 8 cats. About a month ago Zuzu came down with a URI. We isolated her in our bedroom for a little over a week. We gave her the vet recommended dose of lysine and gave our other cats a smaller "maintenance" dose. No one else became ill.

Perrinao · Feb 16, 2019

molly92 said:
I do not like that the vet is putting them on antibiotics so much. Most cat URIs are viral, especially if it's recurring, it's almost certainly viral, and antibiotics do nothing against a virus. Them getting better is just the virus running the course of the phase. Antibiotics can be used to prevent further infection in young or sick cats, but if they're healthy, all the drugs are doing are wiping out their natural microflora and contributing to the problem of bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics.

Unfortunately, feline herpes and calcivirus, the 2 predominant causes of URIs in cats, are lifelong latent viruses. Symptoms will keep coming back in times of stress. Feeding them well, keeping them otherwise healthy, and avoiding stressful situations will minimize symptoms. Lysine supplements seem to help a lot of cats, and there are a few other supplements out there that some people have had success with floating around in the forums if you search for them I think. You can also look in to giving them all a few doses of probiotics after all those antibiotics! (Human probiotics are just fine-you can sprinkle them on food.)

Here's some info on URIs: Feline Upper Respiratory Infection

I was worried about the overuse of antibiotics as well, if another cat gets it I may opt out when antioniotics are offered. Thank you for your input!

Perrinao · Feb 16, 2019

EmersonandEvie said:
I second everything that molly92 said....do they have any symptoms of a secondary infection, such as runny eyes and noses and colored snot? If not, I really can't understand why the vet would give them an antibiotic for a viral disease.

Unfortunately, there really isn't anything you can do. :/ Viral diseases are the worst. You just have to let them run their course(s) and make sure everyone is comfortable in the meantime. Cats are like kids- when one gets sick, they ALL get sick!

My Evie also got a viral infection after I took her and her brother to the vet (brother was going in for a lower GI infection...it was a rough month). She hid under a chair for about a week, poor thing. I feel your pain. I hope your troop gets better!

Thank you

Perrinao · Feb 16, 2019

molly92 said:
And here's a link to a thread about another potential treatment: Stubborn herpes infection? Add Lactoferrin in addition to Lysine

Wow, just went to the link, I’m excited at the possibility that there is something else that might help. Thank you!

Help! Uri Spreading Through Multi Cat Household.

Perrinao

TCS Member

Thread starter

molly92

TCS Member

molly92

TCS Member

EmersonandEvie

Mom to Evie, Emerson and Dexter

weebeasties

TCS Member

Perrinao

TCS Member

Thread starter

Perrinao

TCS Member

Thread starter

Perrinao

TCS Member

Thread starter

Latest Posts

Connect with us