The confusing medical issues of my kitten

[Lillyenn]

So I know that members one this site can't really help with medical situations (outside of offering some great tips, and sharing similar experiences) , and that a vet is always the best option, but I wanted to ask for some helpful advice, because I can't take my kitten to the vet right now due to the current virus situation. (And I don't know when will I be able to but he is slowly at an age when he should be neutered as well).
My kitten Kovu have been really sick in December right around Christmas. He had a fever, he was sneezing, then he wasn't eating and after a while he couldn't breathe and smell things (which did not help with the not eating issue). It was bad because our preffered vets are in a smaller office and they weren't working around Christmas time, so we had to take him to a different vet and the treatment (and the price) was less than satisfactory compared to our preferred vet. Thankfully after the holidays they were open again, and my baby was finally able to get better. But it has taken 4 vet visits (to these 2 different vets) a lot of antibiotics, injections and other stuff (and lots of syringe feeding on my part).
They said that he has FIV and FeLV, but I don't know if the situation he is in now is normal for cats with FIV. The vets said that flare ups will happen sometimes, but in my eyes the issue never fully flared down in the first place.
My problem is, that even after so many months, he is still sneezing, still has a runny nose, so this problem never fully stopped and I think that he actually had this issue since his mom brought the kittens to us when they were around 6 weeks old. My mom says that on top of him not being the healthiest kitten, it could be a weather issue too, because the kittens were born in September when it was already cold and the weather is still too damp and humid here (I have a mild cold as well). Will this get better in the summer? Or is his situation can only improve by medical treatment? Would it be dangerous for us to neuter him in his current health (because of the anesthesia)?
I know that he probably never be as healthy as my other boy, but I still want him to improve. He grew a lot since then so even though he is not as big yet as other cats in his age, he is progressing in his own speed. He is energetic, full of life, in good spirits, eating and using the litter just fine, but I don't think it's normal that he is constantly living in this state (my girl cats have some issues too due to them growing up in the streets unfortunately, but those are less serious, easier to help with, and not that scary as this.)
I guess what I want to know the most is do you guys think that this is normal for cats with FIV and can I do anything for him at home until I'm able to take him to the vet? (Sorry for the longness of this post and for any potential grammatical issues, english is not my first language). And thanks for any help in advance.

 

[sivyaleah]

Have they checked for feline herpes virus? Our kitten has had recurrent minor eye issues since we got her and after being tested for everything she came up negative, however, our vet and a specialist concurred that she most likely has the herpes virus and just was not shedding it when the PCR test was done.

She does have flare ups but I've noticed as she's getting older it's not quite as bad as it was. She used to sneeze quite a bit and now that I'm writing this, I don't recall the last time I heard her do this. And her eyes haven't been quite as crusty as a couple of months ago either. She was put on an ocular eye drop medication to help lubrication (she has dry eyes) for a few weeks which seemed to help that problem.

Our girl never had any problems with her appetite, or any behavioral issues due to this. She looked very healthy and has been a happy energetic cat throughout. Your kitten looks pretty good in the photo and from what you say, seems to be thriving in spite of his health issues. He may just always be a sneezy wheezy kitty, or maybe grow out of it to some degree as ours seems to be doing. It's hard to say and it sounds like you've been doing everything you can so far.

I would be cautious, however, of turning to any kind of fad treatments which are not medically recommended. There are many out there which will be suggested but none of those have actual professional clinical studies/trials done proving they work and more so, are not regulated by the FDA for safety nor for dosage. Many are manufactured in mom and pop factories with no regulations overseeing them. If the cat seems to get better, it's just a coincidence. Buyer beware. Just my 2 cents.

 

[gilmargl]

As you said yourself, only a vet can help you. FIV in a young cat is not normally a problem and it is only when he gets older that things get difficult and life threatening. It sounds to me as though he has a virus (cat flu, herpes, .....) which is common in kittens born to strays or weak mothers, and could easily become a recurring problem. It also seems as though he has had this since birth and, in spite of antibiotics, has never been treated sufficiently. It has nothing to do with cold weather so will not clear up spontaneously, although, in mild cases, a good diat and plenty of TLC can do wonders!
The vet will not neuter him if he is in bad health so please phone your favourite vet. Vets may be "closed" but they still treat sick animals and will advise you about when to turn up so that contact with others is minimised. Good luck, and thank you for taking on such a poor baby.

 

[Lillyenn]

Oh yeah, the vet did say that he has herpes or cat flu (I can't remember which it's a little confusing writing all this medical stuff down in a different language). He only head issues with his eye when he was small and during that big sickness, they gave us a special eye drop, we treated him and no eye issues at all since then thankfully. Sorry if I sound stupid, but what does TLC mean? (I tried googling it but I'm still in the dark). Don't worry I mostly wanted advice from people who have more experience regarding this issue but I would never try to experiment with treatments that are not universally vet approved. I asked about the neutering because unfortunately this is technically him at a regular health so I don't know if he will get better than this, but I will ask my vet about it. Thank you, these messages calmed me down a little.

 

[sivyaleah]

TLC = Tender loving care

 

[Lillyenn]

TLC = Tender loving care

Oh That just flew right over my head. But no worries on that front. I will tenderly care for this little monkey for everyday of his life.

 

[sivyaleah]

<----Black cats rule