So you know what one cat mum did to try to help her furbaby....Ive had my Bear, a rescue, for 9 years and in all our time together Ive seen his left eye have 1 little drop in it about 4 times. I always dismissed it thinking it was dust or anything. 10 days ago he became ill very quickly. Violent sneezing, runny eyes, congestion in his nose, runny nose, snorting, breathing through his mouth, lethargic, sleeping. He barely ate or drank for 2 days. By then I went into emergency mode and bought cream, rice pudding, fish, pate cat food, cheese spread. I started with the lysine, arginine and nat mur homeopathic remedy. I had to coax and handfeed him. Bathe his eyes and nose with saline, brush him and gently wipe him down with organic green tea and a muslin cloth as he wasnt washing he was so exhausted. I listened for his breathing as the second I heard any chest sounds or wheezing he would have to go to the vet luckily this didnt happen. Little by little he came back. He stayed awake more he ate more (he ate as little as 2 teaspoons per day for 2 days!) I was lucky that he decided to drink on his own. Day 5 and the runny eyes had gone as had the nose. By day 6 he was asking for food. Days 7 and 8 almost there. Day 9 playing in the garden, watching bumblebees, me....sniffling with gratitude to see my gentle boy himself.
I think the best thing is to leave them to sleep and wherever they feel comfortable. It preserves their energy and allows the immune system to work full speed. I noticed he cleverly kept his nostrils covered. I do this too when I have a cold, it keeps the inhaled air warm and moist. Feed high calorie anything. Anything even a bit of icecream (soothes throat too) I dont advise using feeding syringes they are way too easy a cause of aspiration and thats the very last thing needed. I made balls of goo from cheese spread or cream and the supplements and shoved them inside the side of his mouth quickly. Tough love.
So what in 9 years (it was latent all this time and I didnt know) happened? well Im sure that the neighbours boisterous but cat friendly dogs have really got to him. Annoyed him. Theyve not been so visible or interested before but lately they have been what Bear must see as intrusive and rude putting their snouts through the fence and ignoring his warnings to get the hec out from his space. He charged them and hit them but they think hes trying to play as they know a cat just like him that they play with. I mollycoddle him so he knows that hes number 1 but that time Bear walked off inside mumbling, he sat inside staring and chunnering looking sad. 10 hours later he woke up sneezing.....
I think the best thing is to leave them to sleep and wherever they feel comfortable. It preserves their energy and allows the immune system to work full speed. I noticed he cleverly kept his nostrils covered. I do this too when I have a cold, it keeps the inhaled air warm and moist. Feed high calorie anything. Anything even a bit of icecream (soothes throat too) I dont advise using feeding syringes they are way too easy a cause of aspiration and thats the very last thing needed. I made balls of goo from cheese spread or cream and the supplements and shoved them inside the side of his mouth quickly. Tough love.
So what in 9 years (it was latent all this time and I didnt know) happened? well Im sure that the neighbours boisterous but cat friendly dogs have really got to him. Annoyed him. Theyve not been so visible or interested before but lately they have been what Bear must see as intrusive and rude putting their snouts through the fence and ignoring his warnings to get the hec out from his space. He charged them and hit them but they think hes trying to play as they know a cat just like him that they play with. I mollycoddle him so he knows that hes number 1 but that time Bear walked off inside mumbling, he sat inside staring and chunnering looking sad. 10 hours later he woke up sneezing.....