pneumonia

[shannon]

This is my first post and I wish it could have been on a happier note. I have three kittens that for about two weeks have been sick. It started out as an eye infection and has progressed in to a chest cold. They do alot of sneezing and even more coughing. The newest problem is one of the kittens has a thick nasal discharge that is causing my little kisses to stray away from his food. He has lost some weight so every day I clear his nose the best that I can and give him his special canned food away from the others. I am looking for some help from other cat lovers. I have taken kisses to the vet twice now. Once was an emergency trip that consisted of him needing IV fluids, an antibiotic shot and oral antibiotics. I have medicated all of my babies so they do not keep passing the illness between them. Here is a list of medicines they have been on: the first was tetracycline, the second lincocin aquadrops along with afrin nasal drops. None of the medicines have stopped the cough which is very wet sounding. Over the phone the vet said it was probably a secondary pneumonia. Are any of the symptoms common to that and what else can I do to help out a little more at home. I would appreciate any help. BTW the kittens have been wormed.

 

[sandie]

Sorry to hear your baby is so sick. I work a lot in rescue and see it way to often. First thing is that if you are not happy with a vets diagnosis and the kitty isnt getting any better...please look for a different vet. Some are more in tune to the little things. Second, beleive it or not cats do get Bordatella...which is kennel cough. For years they thought it was only a dog thing. The vet I work for just recently told me many cats go un diagnosed. Just trust your gut and if you think he is not getting better, go see another doctor.

Sandie

 

[shannon]

Thanks for the input. This is the second vet that I have been to. He specializes in small animals at the clinic and all people who bring in cats and other small critters are directed to him. He is wonderful in the care of all the animals, and really tries to help. The only problem is he is in such demand because of his talents that I think he looses a little in the treatment. I am a little lost on what to do. The other vets in my area tend to lean twords the livestock and larger animals. The kitten and his siblings are all suffering from the same type of cold. I have become so attached that I forget they are not "kids". I turned around the other day to see kisses had a runny nose, went and got a kleenex and asked him to blow his nose. He did not care for me cleaning up his face and I thanked god that my husband didn't hear me talk to the kitten like a child. He would have teased me for that one. Does anyone know of a treatment that would help relieve the congestion and constant runny nose?

 

[sandie]

I know how it is to treat them like kids!! I actually have my husband talking to them like they are. I would try the little noses drops. My vet has me using them for my persian. He had a real bad cold and couldn't breath. It worked like a charm!! It is in the pediatric section at the drug store. I believe it sais on the package that it is for allergy and cold symtoms. If you try and it works, let me know.

Sandie

 

[Anne]

How are the little ones shannon?

By the way, I read about nasal infections in the Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook, and here's what they say about treatment:

Gently wipe the nostrils with a moist cotton ball or linen cloth to remove crusts and secretions. Rub in baby oil or vaseline to keep nostrils from cracking and drying.

Vaporisers loosen secretions and help to restore the integrity of the mucociliary blanket.

Regarding nose drops, they recommend Afrin Children's strength Nose Drops (.025 percent). By the way, they say you should put just one drop everyday, alternating between the nostrils. Put one drop in the left nostril and the next day put one drop in the right nostril and so on. Apparently, as the medicine is absorbed, it acts on both nostrils.

Is Kisses eating by now? Maybe you should try feeding some extra special food? Like those little gourmet packages of cat food?

 

[shannon]

Well, kisses isn't really showing any signs of improvement. He is eating a little, but not as much as I would like. I have gotten him and his brother hershey, who is also sick now, special food. They will somedays eat like crazy and others not at all. But when you can't breathe through your nose food doesn't matter.
The vet gave me afrin nasal drops, but didn't tell me how long to keep giving them. It has been a week since I started, and the drops work really well for a couple of hours right after the dosage. After that I can't even tell they had anything. Their cough is really raspy, and has a squeak to it. The vet wants me to continue with the aquadrops for a couple more days. Would there be any difference to the afrin in the store for kids and the kind the vet gave me. And would there be a time frame that the drops would stay fresh from the vet. He sent it home with me in a medicine bottle.

 

[Anne]

Poor little kittens!

Why don't you ask your vet about the drops. I think they would be the same but I really don't know for sure.

 

[shannon]

I am so excited!!! Although my babies are still sick, today is the first day in about a week that kisses has purred and gotten in my face for his loving. He has in the past been very protective of his space which is my lap. For quite a while he asn't cared which kitten was around. Today When I was sitting at the computer writing a couple of letters he came charging in jumped up in my lap and made himself comfortable. His brother hershey came in and wanted to share my lap. Kisses wanted no part of that. He gave poor hershey quite a swat. Hopefully he has taken a turn tword the better. I am going to check with the vet to see about the nose drops.

 

[donna]

Shannon,

I'm sorry to hear about your sick kitties. One of the reasons why he isn't eating is probably because he can't smell his food (stuffed up nose). Cats eat according to aroma. One way to bring out the aroma in kitty food is to heat it up in the microwave for about 10 seconds (make sure it's not too hot). Hopefully that will peak his interest. Sandie turned me on to baby nose drops (Sandie, help me out here-I forget the name). I think it's called "Baby Noses". Anyway, I needed them when my Sphynx had problems breathing because of an upper respiratory infection. They worked really well. I also use a humidifier because my heat is really dry. I found my cats were trying to sleep on my bed in front of it to catch some moist air. I also had a problem with my little Siamese mix. She developed this horrendous cough that scared me. Every time she coughed it looked like it hurt her alot. It started out of nowhere. She had no other symptoms but the cough. The vet put her on Clavamox. I also ran the shower on very hot to build up steam and put her in the bathroom with the door closed, hoping it would relive the congestion. All it did was make her very wet. The things we do for our kids.

Good luck with your babies.

 

[harriet]

My favourite antibiotic for Upper resiratory Infections is Clavamox. It usually does a very good job given at the right dose and continued for the full treatment period. There are more powerful URI drugs easily available to your vet if you need them.

I don't quite understand why your vet let the kittens go on so long unimproved without changing the medicine?

I'm glad to hear they are doing better now.