Have you tried any new remedies lately for chronic nasal congestion?

cheeser

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Our kitty with FIV, FHV, and allergies is almost always congested to some degree. Thus, we're always on the lookout for new ideas to help provide him with some much needed relief.

Has anyone had any success with any new remedies that they've tried recently?

For what it's worth, Buddy is currently on L-lysine, lactoferrin, and melatonin for immune system support, as well as prunella vulgaris as needed during herpes flare ups. He's also on Zyrtec at the moment for his allergies, although we switch it to Claritin or something else from time to time to see if that makes any difference.
 
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cheeser

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My ferals seem to get relief from Homeopet Feline Nose Relief at 10 drops per pint. I will research prunella vulgaris.
To be honest, the warning re: adverse affects from the alcohol preservative has always scared me off from giving this product a try. But I guess I could check the active ingredients for some ideas. :)

I was just reviewing some old notes, and goldenseal extract had been suggested as an option a while back for Buddy's nasal congestion. But at the time, we were still trying to get Buddy's allergies sorted out, and we were told that it might make his nasal congestion worse if it turned out that he was allergic to ragweed. However, since then, he hasn't had any problems with other herbs in the same family, e.g., chamomile and milk thistle. Unfortunately, the alcohol & sugar free Swanson Goldenseal Root Liquid Extract that had been recommended is no longer available at Amazon. The way our luck has been running these days, it's probably been discontinued by the manufacturer, like some of Buddy's favorite foods, his soap, his wound care spray, etc. :lol:

One of our challenges is that we live a bit off the beaten path. Thus, fresh herbs are usually pretty hard to find, and we often have to make do with things we can buy online.

Oh, and we did give marshmallow root a try. Not only did it not help Buddy's chronic nasal congestion, he absolutely hated the taste, which is kinda funny, because we were told that most cats liked it much better than the slippery elm that we give him for hairball control. Then again, he likes the taste of prunella vulgaris, which is supposedly bitter tasting. Cats and their weird tastes and ideas!
 

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....Unfortunately, the alcohol & sugar free Swanson Goldenseal Root Liquid Extract that had been recommended is no longer available at Amazon. The way our luck has been running these days, it's probably been discontinued by the manufacturer.............

Well, well............your luck may be in better shape than you think.

When in doubt, go directly to.....the source !

Speaking of luck, I suspect it'll be cheaper there as well. I went to them today for something - turned out cheaper than Amz's price.
.
 
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cheeser

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Well, well............your luck may be in better shape than you think.

When in doubt, go directly to.....the source !

Speaking of luck, I suspect it'll be cheaper there as well. I went to them today for something - turned out cheaper than Amz's price.
.
SQUEEE!!! :woohoo:

Thanks oodles! We need to replenish our supply of some other Swanson products anyway for various members of our household, so we might as well buy them directly from the source. Swanson supplements usually aren't Prime eligible anyway, so it's not like we get them any faster or cheaper through Amazon. I guess we're just creatures of habit. :wink:
 

catsknowme

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I haven't noticed any adverse effects from the alcohol in the Feline nose relief but I give it only diluted in water. My Maine Coon has always declined both marshmallow root and slippery elm but the majority of cats like them - I guess our boys are "more discriminating". I prefer using traditionally prepared decoctions to powdered herbs as they seem to work best - syringing & selective administration are not options when working with ferals.
 
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cheeser

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I haven't noticed any adverse effects from the alcohol in the Feline nose relief but I give it only diluted in water. My Maine Coon has always declined both marshmallow root and slippery elm but the majority of cats like them - I guess our boys are "more discriminating". I prefer using traditionally prepared decoctions to powdered herbs as they seem to work best - syringing & selective administration are not options when working with ferals.
I suppose I could grow my own herbs, if I could plan that far in advance. Buddy has a pesky habit of springing surprises upon me. Alas, I don't have much of a green thumb for things I actually want to grow. But I'm great at growing weeds! :biggrin:
 

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We do nose drops with colloidal silver and also add colloidal silver to wet food twice daily. We do this for about a month, then off for a couple of months.
 
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cheeser

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We do nose drops with colloidal silver and also add colloidal silver to wet food twice daily. We do this for about a month, then off for a couple of months.
I've done a bit of research re: colloidal silver, but I have to confess, I still don't really understand the science behind it. I just vaguely remember something about how you have to use a certain kind so your cat won't turn into a fuzzy blue Smurf, and how you can't exceed a certain amount for internal use (50 ppm?).

I've read that some people put it in their cats drinking water, and apparently some cats like the taste so much, it encourages them to drink more. Of course, since Buddy has a history of urinary tract issues, and like many cats, doesn't have much of a thirst drive, I was awfully tempted to give it a try. I just chickened out because I'm not sure how it all works, and how the body processes colloidal silver.

So since you have some purrsonal experience with this sort of thing, how does colloidal silver work? :)
 

stephanietx

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We use 10ppm. Most people don't understand that modern day CS is a hydrosol and will not turn you blue. It's effective on psuedomonas which my girl has. We only give her 2 drops/nostril once a day and 1/4t a day in wet food. It's not a huge amount. It's more for maintenance than treatment.
 
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