Any Tips For Using Saline Drops For Nasal Congestion, Or How To Make A Cat Sneeze?

[cheeser]

Buddy's sinuses are all screwed up from chronic upper respiratory infections that went untreated before we took him in. So it seems he always has a nose full of snot from a sinus infection, allergies, etc.

We've tried steam treatments (i.e., closing him up with us in the bathroom while we run the shower for awhile), keeping the humidity in the house within a certain range, and using the antibiotic/steroid nose drops that the vet prescribed when indicated, as well as saline drops.

But is there some mystical and magical trick to getting the saline drops to work? The vet just said to use as needed, as often as needed, and the mucous will eventually thin down enough and make it easier to sneeze up. Alas, that never works for us, and it's so darned frustrating! It's kinda like having a toddler with a snotty nose, and they don't yet understand the concept of 'blow' to try to get rid of that bubbly mucous.

I did accidentally make Buddy sneeze a couple of times awhile back when I tried to switch brands of L-lysine. He apparently he didn't like the taste, and started drooling something awful like he had rabies, and sneezed up some huge wads of snot. But he really needs that L-lysine to help keep his herpes from flaring up. Is there anything else I could safely give him that's pretty vile tasting, and see if that would provoke the response I'm looking for?

Halp! Pretty please, with lots and lots of sugar on top?

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi - take a look through this thread, post #13 has the info I think you're looking for regarding how to...
I Can't Trust Vets In My Country So..

I don't know about anything else, unless you try that other brand on an every now and then basis to create sneezes?

 

[cheeser]

Hi - take a look through this thread, post #13 has the info I think you're looking for regarding how to...
I Can't Trust Vets In My Country So..

I don't know about anything else, unless you try that other brand on an every now and then basis to create sneezes?

Eep! That sounds a little scary, but I'd probably have way more control with a sterile syringe than I would the bottles the drops come in. The saline just gushes out like crazy, so I'm probably not as aggressive as I should be because I'm afraid of accidentally causing Buddy to aspirate.

Now that I think about it, anchovy paste made Buddy drool and sneeze. He was too wild for us to pill when we rescued him, and anchovy paste was one of the things that was recommended to try to disguise the smell and taste of the meds since pill pockets and maskers weren't working out for us. Of course, none of the suggestions panned out, and I just had to overcome my fear of being shredded to ribbons.

Thanks bunches!

 

[Furballsmom]

 

[Hellenww]

Are they saline eye or nose drops? If nose try eye drops. I've had a few with seasonal allergies and eye drops thinned the mucus from the top down since its all connected.

 

[cheeser]

Are they saline eye or nose drops? If nose try eye drops. I've had a few with seasonal allergies and eye drops thinned the mucus from the top down since its all connected.

They're saline nose drops that the vet recommended (Little Remedies for Noses Saline Spray/Drops). I mean, I'm happy that they're supposed to be gentle, safe for kitties, etc. But dang, the hole is just way too big, and it's hard to control where the saline goes once I turn the bottle upside down!

We also have some artificial tears in the kitty medicine kit. It's worth a try. Thanks!

 

[Hellenww]

Try eye drops. I just get them at the drugstore but make sure they are plain saline with no other medicine. I hope it helps.

 

[snoopycan]

Ugh. Was recently dealing with this. Have you tried massaging kitty's sinus i.e. gently stroke downwards? Sometimes this triggers sneezing. Also try a warm towel/compress against the nose which helps to loosen the mucous. Then there's a bulb aspirator that you can buy at the pharmacy - to help aspirate the stuff out of the nostril. This will be a 2 person job

 

[snoopycan]

Also, take q-tip and dip it in the saline then squeeze-drip the fluid into the cat's nostril. Though if the drops are supposed to be aerosolized, this won't be effective.

 

[lacy2000]

Have you tried a saline nebulizer? I’ve seen them work for a lot of other sick kitties.

 

[cheeser]

Try eye drops. I just get them at the drugstore but make sure they are plain saline with no other medicine. I hope it helps.

I'm going to give this a try today, now that we've finally finished Buddy's most recent course of antibiotics. Bless his heart, he's been through the wringer these past few days, and I hated to spring one more new thing on top of every thing else.

 

[cheeser]

Ugh. Was recently dealing with this. Have you tried massaging kitty's sinus i.e. gently stroke downwards? Sometimes this triggers sneezing. Also try a warm towel/compress against the nose which helps to loosen the mucous. Then there's a bulb aspirator that you can buy at the pharmacy - to help aspirate the stuff out of the nostril. This will be a 2 person job

I've tried warm compresses and massages, but all of the usual stuff in my bag of tricks simply isn't working out as well this time around. On the bright side, this morning it seems like the the antibiotic/steroid drops are finally starting to kick in, so maybe we're about to turn a corner. *crosses fingers, and toes, and everything else I can cross*

I'll ask the vet about using a bulb aspirator. Once upon a time, we were told that a kitty's nose is far too delicate for that sort of thing. But that's been awhile, and maybe something new has come along since I last asked.

Thanks!

 

[cheeser]

Also, take q-tip and dip it in the saline then squeeze-drip the fluid into the cat's nostril. Though if the drops are supposed to be aerosolized, this won't be effective.

Fortunately, the saline we have on hand doesn't have to be aerosolized, so we're good.

 

[cheeser]

Have you tried a saline nebulizer? I’ve seen them work for a lot of other sick kitties.

We hadn't tried that yet, but I can ask the vet during Buddy's next appointment.

Part of Buddy's problem is that he has a lot of damage to his sinuses that happened before we took him in. So it's easy for bacteria and other icky organisms to sneak in and make themselves all nice and comfy in those little nooks and crannies, and hard to get all that mucus and crud to move out.

 

[Furballsmom]

On the bright side, this morning it seems like the the antibiotic/steroid drops are finally starting to kick in, so maybe we're about to turn a corner.

 

[Huskyluv]

I know this is an old thread but was wondering how you fared and what ended up working. I am going through something similar with my 17 week old kitten whose nasal congestion won't clear no matter what the vet throws at us and I'm at my wit's end.

We tried gentomicin eye drops for a week, no change. Tried regular nasal saline (for adults), no change. Tried Cerenia diluted with saline & saw slight improvement for a few days then we went back downhill. We've now been on Oflaxacin with Dex (steriod) drops for a week with no improvement. Also tried steam in the bathroom with no results.

I am desperate to get our baby breathing (and subsequently eating too). We've had this kitten for 7 weeks now and she's been like this since the day we got her.

 

[Furballsmom]

H! Would putting her in a bathroom with a steamy shower help? Or a small humidifier with a tent, but I think you'd need heated steam, anyway 2-3 times a day for 10-15 minutes.
Good luck!

 

[cheeser]

I know this is an old thread but was wondering how you fared and what ended up working. I am going through something similar with my 17 week old kitten whose nasal congestion won't clear no matter what the vet throws at us and I'm at my wit's end.

We tried gentomicin eye drops for a week, no change. Tried regular nasal saline (for adults), no change. Tried Cerenia diluted with saline & saw slight improvement for a few days then we went back downhill. We've now been on Oflaxacin with Dex (steriod) drops for a week with no improvement. Also tried steam in the bathroom with no results.

I am desperate to get our baby breathing (and subsequently eating too). We've had this kitten for 7 weeks now and she's been like this since the day we got her.

Oh, gosh, hon. I wish I had some magic trick I could share to make your kitty feel all better. We've been dealing with this for over five years now, and still haven't been able to get this completely ironed out. It's just worse some days more than others. On the bright side, at least we know what the problem is. There's just not much we can do except to manage the symptoms as best we can with some OTC supplements and prescription nose drops that the vet recommended.

Sometimes the underlying cause for nasal congestion isn't as simple as one might think, and it can take the vet awhile to figure out the exact cause and best course of treatment. So please don't get discouraged, and if you just don't feel you're getting anywhere with your current vet, you can try getting a second opinion. There have been times when one vet seemed utterly clueless about a particular problem, and the next one knew exactly what the problem was right away.

Fortunately, I've had better luck in getting a congested cat to eat.

We usually warm up our cat's food like you'd do when warming food for a baby. It brings out the aroma, and if it's a little stinkier, it can help to tempt a sick cat's appetite. We also feed him baby food meat that doesn't contain any garlic or onion, which can be toxic to cats. Our cats prefer Gerber 2nd Foods, like Chicken or Ham, but BeechNut makes some as well. However, baby food doesn't contain all of the necessary vitamins and other nutrients that cats need, so it's just a very short term solution.

Furballsmom can probably recommend some toppers you can sprinkle on your kitty's food to help tempt her appetite.

Good luck, sweetie, and hope your fur baby is better soon!

 

[catlover73]

I know this is an old thread but was wondering how you fared and what ended up working. I am going through something similar with my 17 week old kitten whose nasal congestion won't clear no matter what the vet throws at us and I'm at my wit's end.

We tried gentomicin eye drops for a week, no change. Tried regular nasal saline (for adults), no change. Tried Cerenia diluted with saline & saw slight improvement for a few days then we went back downhill. We've now been on Oflaxacin with Dex (steriod) drops for a week with no improvement. Also tried steam in the bathroom with no results.

I am desperate to get our baby breathing (and subsequently eating too). We've had this kitten for 7 weeks now and she's been like this since the day we got her.

Is there any way you could take your baby to a different vet to get a 2nd opinion. Are there any vets in your area affiliated with a University vet program? Are there any feline only vets in your area? This may be something else to look into. Sometimes teaching vet practices are more up to date on new treatments and this could also apply to feline only vets. It seems like you have tried a lot of different things. I am not sure if there are specialists for cats for this issue like there would be for humans. That would be something to look into with a vet. I am sorry to hear the steam treatments are not helping. Are you doing the steam treatments on a schedule or just randomly? I am just surprised this is not helping as this has always been helpful for my cats.

What have you tried to get your kitten to eat? The only thing I can think of to try would be KMR. KMR is kitten replacement milk used for bottle babies. Since it is liquid you could ask your vet about syringe feeding this.

 

[Huskyluv]

Thanks for all the responses, let me try to answer everything. Also, for reference, here's a thread with much more detail on our journey with Dahlia this far although I haven't updated it in 2 or 3 weeks.
Kitten Health Concerns

1. We have tried steam to no avail, but no, not on a schedule. With 2 dogs, 2 kittens, 2 young kids plus a baby it's whenever I have time.

2. I have been feeding a mix of wet with dry since the beginning and always microwave the wet to boost the aroma. Even that is not always enough when she really gets congested (like she is today).

3. We are on our second vet now who is much more knowledgeable than the previous so already have 3 different vet opinions. (Seen 2 different vets at the first practice, now a new one at our regular practice.)

4. While we haven't tried KMR, we have tried goats milk for a week and it did not make any difference with her so we decided against continuing that.

5. I haven't looked into a feline only vet in the area. The thought never crossed my mind. Although my current vet told me at my last visit a week ago that she had consulted with 2 different specialists who offered some thoughts but nothing concrete.

One of the suggestions was getting her the herpes vaccine. They suggested it may help lessen the severity even though she already has herpes...I don't know how true that could be...I'm skeptical. Any thoughts on that?

I have offered her lots of different canned food varieties & when she feels good enough she eats them all no problem...so far she's not at all picky (when she does eat).

She's very underweight being 17 weeks and only 2 lbs, 14 oz. Hence my extreme concern over her congestion affecting her appetite. She really cannot afford to skip meals.