Thanks to a member on here, who posted to get the URI testing done instead of just treating for generic URI, I got the testing done...
The test itself was NOT cheap by any means, (bout $200 total which included the blood draw, throat swab and eye swab + the vet office visit) but the results were in within 24hrs.
So Kiwi definately has Mycoplasma felis.... which does not respond to antibiotics such as clavamox(sp) and is now on Clindamycin which I've never heard of.
We're also treating Kizzy, and yes this part is "guessing or assuming" on both myself and my vets thoughts. Kizzy has battled URI after URI after URI.... snot flingin URIs. His brother, Kiwi, also came to me with URI.... went away after a course of antibiotics (which it wasn't the antibiotics, but time and his own system fighting it) and then got another one. We're assuming they both have the same problem: MF.
I was pretty confident it wasn't herpesvirus, and was on the line about it being calicivirus.... I am so glad I got it tested, and am very thankful that somewhere here mentioned it. ( I think it was Stephanietx that mentioned it, THANK YOU )
MF takes approx 4-6wks of the right meds to fully clear up from what the vet said.
My questions:
- anyone experienced Mycoplasma felis?
- anyone have experiences with clindamycin?
(my vet said the the medicine tastes quite bitter in liquid form and recommended the capsules, which I have. Last night I broke them open and onto wet food.... the kitties could obviously taste them. This morning I threw the capsule into wet food and they did eat them, but I had to supervise and make sure they ate them before the gelcap dissolved)
- do pill pockets work for capsules???
- if I was to just pill them, would it be ok? The capsule is big but not that big.... I'd say just over 1cm. I fear it getting stuck in their throat if I accidently put it in cross wise.
My thoughts:
I really wish I would have had this test done 6-8mos ago with Kizzy.... treating it with the RIGHT antibiotics would have helped so much.
I would highly highly recommend if your cat suffers repeated URI's that you run the full panel URI testing....sure it is not cheap, but it is worth it in the long run so you are not giving antibiotics that don't work, assuming its herpes (since thats one of the common causes), etc.
It is worth the $ to KNOW what is wrong with your kitty and to treat it appropriately.