Sick, or Haws Syndrome?

[Lranders29]

Hi all,
I'm trying to get an idea if I need to bring my girl in to the vet. I brought her home from the shelter mid-September, and have been through a lot with her and her brother being sick.

October 29 I brought her in and she was diagnosed with a mycoplasma infection, hope I am wording it right. This was after earlier treatment for a URI that persisted. At that time Josephine kind of went into hiding and wasn't interested in food. She did 10 days of medicine and has been acting fine the last month. I noticed a few days ago sometimes when she first opens her eyes from resting, her haws will show. This also happens when she turns around and her eyes are in a different direction than her body, like if she's peering around a corner to play. She's playful and energetic. I believe she's teething and has been eating much slower, but is eating and drinking and DEFINITELY interested in food and treats. No eye or nose discharge, litterbox seems normal.

I'm worried with the haws showing. They pop back down, but I know that can be a sign of problems. I found Haws Syndrome when I was searching. Has anyone experienced this before? For reference...my little ones had been sick since I brought them home and truly, I don't know anymore if this could be an issue or if I am worried based on past experience. I'm not unwilling to bring her in but I don't know anymore what's normal and what's not.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I don't have any direct experience with all of this, but I wonder if it is related to the URI/mycoplasma infection. For one thing mycoplasma infections can be hard to eradicate, and while your cat seems pretty normal, the infection may be elevating if it was not entirely gotten rid of. The type of antimicrobial the bacteria is susceptible to is not the same in all cases, so sometimes to completely overcome it, treatment may be needed for a longer period of time.

Secondly, many times this type of infection, while fairly common, can be related to immune disorders or weakened immune systems - sometimes seen in cats with FeLV or FIV. And, so can the issues with the eye that you are describing.

Haw's can occur in cats that are not feeling well - maybe the teething is bringing this on if the infection has been completely eradicated? If it is only happening when she first wakes up, this could be the case.

I would call the vet and tell them about it and ask if they think it is related to one of the above. It's a start anyway. I have found my vet to be very receptive to answering basic questions without an actual vet visit.

 

[Lranders29]

Hi. I don't have any direct experience with all of this, but I wonder if it is related to the URI/mycoplasma infection. For one thing mycoplasma infections can be hard to eradicate, and while your cat seems pretty normal, the infection may be elevating if it was not entirely gotten rid of. The type of antimicrobial the bacteria is susceptible to is not the same in all cases, so sometimes to completely overcome it, treatment may be needed for a longer period of time.

Secondly, many times this type of infection, while fairly common, can be related to immune disorders or weakened immune systems - sometimes seen in cats with FeLV or FIV. And, so can the issues with the eye that you are describing.

Haw's can occur in cats that are not feeling well - maybe the teething is bringing this on if the infection has been completely eradicated? If it is only happening when she first wakes up, this could be the case.

I would call the vet and tell them about it and ask if they think it is related to one of the above. It's a start anyway. I have found my vet to be very receptive to answering basic questions without an actual vet visit.

Thanks for the advice. It's similar to what I was thinking. I know the shelter tested her for FeLV, but I keep thinking something else might be going on. I will reach out to them and see.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I wish I had more informative advice - and, there will likely be other members who will respond to your post in the coming hours/days, maybe with more direct information. But, please let us know what the vet says.

 

[Lranders29]

I wish I had more informative advice - and, there will likely be other members who will respond to your post in the coming hours/days, maybe with more direct information. But, please let us know what the vet says.

Emailed the office and they said to check her respiration when she’s asleep. Of course she’s bouncing off the walls right now since I came home and fed them.
I will check later. When I first got worried a few days ago I checked and it was between 20-30 per minute while sleeping, so normal. I’ll keep an eye tonight and see. The most challenging part about this is the amount of money on my credit card from vet bills the last 2.5 months - and yet, I am not going to be neglectful - just want to not go in if it’s nothing!

 

[FeebysOwner]

Respiration? Looking for that as a sign that the infection is getting worse? What was next if her breathing checks out? Sorry - I am actually asking more questions that you had to begin with!

 

[Lranders29]

Respiration? Looking for that as a sign that the infection is getting worse? What was next if her breathing checks out? Sorry - I am actually asking more questions that you had to begin with!

yes, as a sign it could be related to the infection having not been fully eradicated. I noticed the haws went up this weekend after family was over and they met a dog for the first time - so perhaps it is stress?

if breathing checks out, they said to just keep an eye on her and be vigilant. I of course am worried and wondering if I just bring her in anyway!

 

[FeebysOwner]

If she is not totally back to normal, stress with family visit could also be a factor too. I think keeping an eye on her for a while before taking her back in seems like a reasonable plan. Keep a record of anything you notice that seems out of the ordinary, so you have some other points to address to the vet. And, keep us posted.

 

[Lranders29]

If she is not totally back to normal, stress with family visit could also be a factor too. I think keeping an eye on her for a while before taking her back in seems like a reasonable plan. Keep a record of anything you notice that seems out of the ordinary, so you have some other points to address to the vet. And, keep us posted.

Thank you for the advice and I agree to watch and see, but keep track. I might track respiration rate here and there too.

 

[Lranders29]

Update - went to the vet yesterday afternoon. My girl is fine! I feel silly for bringing her in after talking to the vet. She might have higher respiration rates when she is sleeping but not deeply sleeping as she purrs a ton. Vet suspects the eyes got bad due to stress from family and meeting a dog for the first time. I was so relieved her heart and lungs were fine.

 

[Lranders29]

Well, I am back with more frustration. Last night, my other kitten vomited once and since then, his haws have been up. He’s acting normally but I’m nervous and of course, my vet is closed the rest of the week.
I have lysine and leftover antibiotics. I’m tempted to give him a dose just in case. Otherwise, wait till the 26th and see a second vet. So sick of sickness!!

 

[FeebysOwner]

It's probably OK to give him the lysine, but not sure about the antibiotics. I would definitely get him into a vet on the 26th, but if he gets any sicker before than, you might just have to take him to an emergency vet. Check around ahead of time to find one in case you need it.

Hope his vomiting was just a one time thing, and that he is merely reacting to that since he might still feel a bit off from it.

 

[Lranders29]

It's probably OK to give him the lysine, but not sure about the antibiotics. I would definitely get him into a vet on the 26th, but if he gets any sicker before than, you might just have to take him to an emergency vet. Check around ahead of time to find one in case you need it.

Hope his vomiting was just a one time thing, and that he is merely reacting to that since he might still feel a bit off from it.

Thanks, I’ll start with lysine and hope he can fight it off. Yesterday was just weird. Before he puked that one time, I had my foam pillow out of the outer case to do laundry. I came into my room to find bloody tooth marks all over and I’ve found teeth, so I know he’s teething. I wonder if that could play into this. I have found vets open on the 26th and know where to go if things get worse.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Maybe he is chewing on things he shouldn't be because of the teething and he ingested something that caused him to vomit? Did you check to see what was in the vomit? Or, it could have simply been something that upset his stomach. You might want to take a chilled cloth and offer him that to chew on. Teething can sometimes be a bit painful, so perhaps he isn't feeling his best from that.

 

[Lranders29]

I’ve thought he could have gotten into something. I gave them a little catnip yesterday and that’s the only thing I can think of, and it looked like a few specks were in the vomit. I will offer stuff to chew on.

 

[josiegirl]

Hi! How's your kitty? Haws can be a sign of dehydration, especially if he's vomiting. My old cat's haws are showing because he contracted the calicivirus and he became dehydrated from not eating.

 

[Lranders29]

Hi! How's your kitty? Haws can be a sign of dehydration, especially if he's vomiting. My old cat's haws are showing because he contracted the calicivirus and he became dehydrated from not eating.

Hi! I brought him in and decided to go to a new vet given our history with both kittens being sick frequently. The vet checked for feline leukemia (negative thankfully) and checked his eyes over. Lungs, heart, and all other physical stuff checked out good so the vet thought Haws. He’s eating and drinking fine so I’m hoping the haws go down soon. We are still trying to find a food that works but the diarrhea could be related toHaws syndrome too. Hoping it clears up soon.

 

[josiegirl]

How old are your kittens? What food are they eating?

 

[Lranders29]

How old are your kittens? What food are they eating?

They are both just 7 months. They’d been on Chicken Soup kitten wet and dry in the shelter. I got them at just under 4 months and kept them on a mix of that and Science Diet wet. So they had the same dry and I mixed in the SD wet hoping it would help. Early December I transitioned Neptune to a prescription Royal Canin GI and wet limited ingredient duck and his sister to the same wet and Merrick backcountry dry.

I plan to use up the prescription food and the duck and see where we’re at after that. I don’t want to keep switching on them but it’s only Neptune that’s had issues.

 

[josiegirl]

Can you tell me exactly what science diet wet food he's eating?