Conjunctivitis/cat Flu ~ Little One Is Having First Outbreak! Any Advice & Tips??

[LilyRae]

My little one, Tommy is going through his first outbreak of the cat flu and has very inflamed and sore looking conjunctivitis and has the sniffles.

I took him to the vets this evening and she has put him on two different types of antibiotics, a cream for his poor painful eyes and a paste to eat! Thankfully his lungs are sounding strong and he is still eating/drinking.

I have never had experience with cat flu before and just want to make him as comfortable as possible to aid his recovery and get him back to his cheeky chap self.

Has anyone found certain types of palatable, 'strong smelling' foods that helps with rousing the appetite so I can be sure he is having his daily paste antibiotics?
And just some general little tips or advice others have found to help their kitties feel a little better or atleast help Tommy feel a little more comfortable and at ease... My poor little one just looks so sorry for himself and after the vet appointment is very upset at me!

(A random thought: do you think I should wash down his paws/arms which he uses to wipe his infected eyes to stop spreading further infection? Or maybe it's a little late for that...)

Thank you in advance, this site and these forums have really been a godsend for me lately and I adore all of you! Xx​

 

[weebeasties]

Poor Tommy! (He is such a beautiful boy BTW) I don't have much experience with colds except that when we adopted a couple of shelter kittens a few years ago they had a bad URI that took about 6 weeks to clear up. Then about a year later our older cats came down with the first colds of their lives. It seemed to hit the older ones much worse, but only lasted about a week for them.
Continue what you are doing. (Sounds like you are doing a great job!) If he has sinus congestion running a hot shower so he inhales the steam may help. I bought a humidifier for our bathroom. Tuna water is good and smelly and will keep him hydrated. Our older cats liked Hartz brand delectable pouches when they were sick. They are more of a treat (not nutritionally complete) but are smelly and the cats liked it as a "chaser" after swallowing the yucky antibiotic. Oh, and the best medicine is love, attention, and sympathy. If he is no better in 5 days or so (or seems to get worse) I would go back to the vet.
Hope he is feeling better very soon!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

If he is eating well, you are probably just fine, but if he seems hesitant, heating canned cat foods just a little really brings out that good, stinky aroma.

Other than that, keep on keeping on. Poor Tommy. But he has a very caring, attentive human on his side, who is doing all the right things!

 

[LilyRae]

Thank you both so much!

Not much gets my boy away from his food, though after the first taste of the antibiotic paste it took him a couple of minutes and me putting the sauce on his lips to try it again!
I bought those "soups" and "broths" that are full of smelly fish that are more supplementary just to make sure he is eating, though he seems to be getting through the normal amount just a bit slower - poor thing probably can't breath properly through his nose whilst eating!

My main concern is keeping his eyes clean enough and getting the cream on, as all around his eyes are raw and get stuck closed after sleeping. He was a feral as a kitten when I met him at around 2 months old, he is now 7 months old and puts on an amazing domestic act though it's times like these that he lets his act down a little! He is a perfect boy and loves his pets and scratches though would rather knock his head through a wall or anything else (literally) than let anyone have two hands on or around him... Let alone hold him. So putting eye cream on and cleaning his eyes is quite difficult as he is very cautious of those types of movements and well his eyes must hurt!

I've had to resort to doing it calmly whilst he asleep, which results in him waking up startled and running away, dazed. I feel terrible though it's really the only way!

Thank you for the kind words and reassurance, I'm sure my little one will be completely fine, I guess I just get much more concerned (illogical) in regards to Tommy as I remember him as the scrawny little thing he was when I met him!
xx​

 

[Mamanyt1953]

A warm (NOT HOT) wash cloth is going to be your best friend. In fact, if there is a Walmart or such near you, go get an infant wash cloth, as those are much softer.

 

[LilyRae]

A warm (NOT HOT) wash cloth is going to be your best friend. In fact, if there is a Walmart or such near you, go get an infant wash cloth, as those are much softer.

An infant wash cloth sounds like the perfect material, it didn't even cross my mind so thank you for mentioning it!! It will be useful with my Luna who is now (of course) getting the sniffles!
With Tommy, for now, I've had to resort to using a gentle touch to wipe the cream/gel across his eyes when his guard is down. I feel terrible and was concerned about all our progress, though once the cream calms his eyes & a treat or 5 he has gotten over the initial mistrust! The cream has really done an amazing job in just 3 days - so I am hopeful about where we'll be after the 7 day cycle!

Thank you again - it really is the worst seeing a kitty suffer and feel helpless & unable to atleast ease their misery! Tommy (&Luna) will get back to their cheeky selves soon - they are already back to destroying the house with their wrestle tag team xx
​

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Sick cats (or other beloved pet) are the worst, right up there with sick infants. They can't tell you what is wrong or where it hurts, and you can't explain to them that what you are doing will actually make them feel better!

I am SO happy that they are perking up again!