Cat flu?

[Kira]

My cat Blitz seems to have an upper respiratory infection - or perhaps the cat flu (honestly, I'm not sure if these are one and the same). He has periods where he breathes fine, but then it sounds like his nose is stuffed up and he starts to breathe in such a way that it sounds like he's snoring. Then he'll kind of gasp for air (seems like) and cough. It is SO distressing.

I did receive an antiobiotic from the vet (amoxicyllin) and some drops that I'm supposed to put in his nostrils (yeah, wish me luck with that one). Before they would prescribe it to me, they wanted me to be sure it was a head thing and not a lung thing - like he was heaving. He's definitely not heaving...it mostly sounds like it's from a stuffy nose.

Does this sound like a flu or upper respiratory thing to you all? I've had him for 8 years, and this has never happened. I'm so worried about him. :( Right now he's in the bathroom (he likes to sleep in there for some reason), and I have the hot shower on full-blast to see if the steam can help his congestion (don't tell my boyfriend about the shower - he'll kill me! lol).

[rabid_child]

You didn't actually see the vet??

I wouldn't count out one or the other until the vet actually listens to his breathing. He could have asthma, which certainly isn't going to improve on AB's. Does he go outside?

[jenna]

My cat Blitz seems to have an upper respiratory infection - or perhaps the cat flu (honestly, I'm not sure if these are one and the same). He has periods where he breathes fine, but then it sounds like his nose is stuffed up and he starts to breathe in such a way that it sounds like he's snoring. Then he'll kind of gasp for air (seems like) and cough. It is SO distressing.

I did receive an antiobiotic from the vet (amoxicyllin) and some drops that I'm supposed to put in his nostrils (yeah, wish me luck with that one). Before they would prescribe it to me, they wanted me to be sure it was a head thing and not a lung thing - like he was heaving. He's definitely not heaving...it mostly sounds like it's from a stuffy nose.

Does this sound like a flu or upper respiratory thing to you all? I've had him for 8 years, and this has never happened. I'm so worried about him. :( Right now he's in the bathroom (he likes to sleep in there for some reason), and I have the hot shower on full-blast to see if the steam can help his congestion (don't tell my boyfriend about the shower - he'll kill me! lol).

Did the vet not check the cat out him/herself? It does sound like an upper respiratory infection, but I'm not an expert with it at all. Maybe you should try giving a different vet a call and see if you can take him in (because it doesn't sound like the other vet really checked him out very well at all).

[nkace]

It does sound like upper resp, as it is pretty common. I don't think the flu is something that animals really get. Could he have contracted from someone else? Are there new cleaning products or anything he may be allergic too?

[Kira]

Oh, well, I left out part of the story. Blitz is a sweetheart at home, but at the vet, he gets very nasty. He always has to be put under before they can even examine him. :( He was just at the emergency vet on Tuesday night for a scratched cornea, where they had to put him under just to look at him. Then last night (Thursday night), I noticed this. Because his regular vet is familiar with him, and knows how stressed he becomes, she felt it wasn't necessary to bring him in if I felt assured it wasn't a lung thing. I *will* take him to the vet tomorrow if it's any worse.

[Kira]

It does sound like upper resp, as it is pretty common. I don't think the flu is something that animals really get. Could he have contracted from someone else? Are there new cleaning products or anything he may be allergic too?

Well, over the weekend he got into a scuffle with another cat, I believe. He's not an outdoor cat, but I do let him hang out in the backyard, which is enclosed by a high privacy fence. He's 12 years old and can't get out, but once in a blue moon another cat can get in...unfortunately, they noticed each other before I noticed the other cat. :( I think that's how he got a scratched cornea, and I think either the other cat gave him this thing, or the stress of the encounter triggered it in his own body.

[jenna]

Wow. They have to actually give him anesthesia every time he gets looked at? Not some kind of tranq that'll just.....calm him the heck down?

I wonder if one of the vets there wouldn't mind making a housecall for this?

[Kira]

You know, jenna, I'm definitely going to look into that the next time he needs to go. I certainly am not comfortable with him getting anesthesia each time. I doubt any of the vets there would make housecalls. :(

[rabid_child]

There are mobile vets who will come to your house in a lot of areas.

There's a drug called Acepromazine that is often really helpful in pre-sedating animals for vet visits and what not. Though, depending on the animal, it does nothing or knocks them on their butts! I gave one of my cats 3X the amount as the other one for a long drive (granted, he's also 4 lbs larger), and the cat with the smaller dose was DRUNK within a half an hour, and 2 hrs later the cat with the bigger dose was still acting like nothing happened.
He talked quite a bit on the drive up here!

[Kira]

That's good to know - the next planned visit to the vet, I'm definitely going to look into that.

And I wanted to report that my kitty is doing much better today. I haven't heard him wheeze or cough since about 4pm yesterday, so I think he's going to be just fine. :)