Poor Chewie!!!

Jem

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Hi everyone!

I've posted about our Chewie before, but I'm getting really frustrated (to say the least!)
He started with pretty bad congestion and a watery eye. He stopped eating dry food but would eat a decent amount of wet food. He had an appetite but because of the excessive mucus, he had a hard time eating. :sickcat:
We went to the vet (Tuesday) and they said he had a URI and Laryngitis, no fever and lungs seemed good. He was given an antibiotic, just to be safe, but they did not know if it was viral or bacterial. I think they just wanted to be sure he did not get something else as he fought this (he's 18).
All the congestion is sinus with post nasal drip, mind you it's more like post nasal water fall, you can see he's trying so hard to get the snot out of his throat, although he does not cough, just swallows a lot. And I know he's producing a lot of mucus because last night I managed to get him to eat a few pieces of kibble and when I reached to get a few more, he hacked, and on the floor was the 5 pieces of kibble in a pile of clear mucus. No wonder he can't eat well, it's all getting stuck in his mucus. That can't be comfortable, feeling like you're going to choke all the time. :(

What makes things worse is now that we've started the antibiotic, he does not want to eat at all, he seems nauseous. He has had very small amounts of food since Tuesday, but not nearly enough. :sigh:

Do you think it's still just the mucus that is making him feel sick?

Could it be the antibiotic making him nauseous?

What can I do to settle is stomach?

Do you think it would be safe to syringe feed with all the mucus he has?

How can I get rid of his mucus?????? Vet says they don't have "cat decongestants", I'm using a humidifier, bringing him onto the bathroom when we shower, using hot wet cloths to wipe his face, feeding him so he can keep his head up and not bend over and get more stuffy.

When should I know if the antibiotics are working, if they do anything at all?

I know most essential oils are toxic to cats, but does that mean that just smelling them would be toxic? (I'm thinking of eucalyptus and peppermint to clear his nose, again, I know they are toxic but even if he's just smelling them?)

How long is a cold supposed to last in a cat?

Although they did not specifically test for this, if he has caught Feline Herpes virus, does L-lysine really help? And would L-lysine hurt him if I gave it to him and he did NOT have Feline herpes virus? With the amount of times we have been to the vets over the last several months, it would not surprise me if I brought something home to him.

We just lost one of our cats about a month ago to CHF after three months of aggressive treatment, :bawling: during that time we were also caring for our eldest for kidney failure, which has now changed to hospice care. :bawling2: This sounds terribly selfish, but I'm hoping he continues to stay stable at least till next week as we have a wedding to go to on Saturday and I really don't want to be a miserable sad mess at my brothers wedding if we need to put him down in the next few days. :sniffle: Although, I'm already a miserable sad mess right now!!! AND NOW THIS with our poor Chewie!!! I can't take much more of this! :gaah:

I'm sorry for the long post and all the questions. But if any of you have answers to any of them, I would be ever so grateful!
 

abyeb

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I’d recommend calling your vet to let them know that he’s lost his appetite since starting the antibiotics. Cats, like people, can have adverse reactions to antibiotics. Your vet should be able to find something that works better for Chewie, if they that the antibiotic is the reason he’s not eating.
 

Kflowers

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eucalyptus, even not as essential oil, is poisonous to cats. The trouble with the essential oils is once inhaled they can't be escaped.

Keep offering the kibble, it gives him a way to hack up some of the mucus. The mucus itself could be making him nauseous, but as others suggested, call the vet. Cats can be sensitive to anything.
 
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Jem

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I syringe fed him last night, he was not very happy with me but did not spit out the food or vomit after. Once he was done eating, I gave him the antibiotic.
After work today I went and got him more cans of different food to try and.....
HE ATE SOMETHING!!!!!!!!:bliss: I'm elated!!!! In 2 hours he's eaten a quarter of a can so far. I'm taking it slow and not giving him too much at once, as I don't want to turn him off the food he's actually eating.
Let's hope he keeps it up!!!!! He seems to be breathing better tonight as well, hopefully that's not just wishful thinking on my part.
I also picked up L-lysine treats when I was at the store. I'll start giving him them tomorrow, if it seems he's feeling better. Again, I don't want to turn him off the treats by offering him them if he's still feeling nauseous.
Fingers crossed he continues to eat and his URI is finally getting better.
 

Q2U

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Chewey is fortunate to have someone who loves him as much as you do. :redheartpump:
 

Kflowers

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:vibes: sounds like the antibiotics are working. Eating is such a good thing. Syringe feeding is such a difficult thing to do, since they don't like it. But this is the reward for both of you facing it and doing it.
I think you're absolutely right in not forcing him to eat more than he wants now that he's eating. When you're sick your stomach shrinks and too much food can make you uncomfortable, or worse, throw it right back on the floor.

You're doing so good.
 
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