Cat congested -- very sick -- UPDATE -- she is improving, I think!

[Shiloh Acres]

Hello

I am hoping someone can help with remedies for cats? I have a 2yo spayed female who was a feral rescue kitten with some problem. Seems to be an infection. She has frequent bouts of coughing (kinda like the sound many cats have with hairballs) like she is trying to cough something up. She seems to have difficulty breathing. There is a drop or so of clear nasal discharge which she licks away. She also swallows a lot after each bout. They are brought on by even very light exertion and sometimes for no reason at all. It started really sounding serious about a day and a half ago. Last night her eye rims were a bit red, nut that cleared up. Two days ago she was eating but yesterday she refused food (even canned tuna or juice) and water.

My vet is on vacation ---- and it seems she's never there when I need her. I have another vet for the large animals but I don't think he even sees cats. There is one other clinic a few towns over but they cater to people with vacation houses on the lake and I'm afraid a simple visit will run into hundreds. (I have called them before and received outrageous quotes)

Night before last I pierced a garlic oil gelcap and gave her a few drops. She seemed to improve within a couple hours and slept soundly most of the night. Yesterday afternoon she was worse than ever. I don't know a dosage for the garlic oil and this one is pretty potent. Also she has a very delicate system. When I got her spayed and vaccinated she had a reaction and quit breathing. I adopted her brother too and he died with days from liver failure because they said his system couldn't tolerate meds. So I try to be as hands-off as possible with her. I gave her some more garlic oil last night, along with probios. She did do better part of the night.

I'm wondering many things. I wish I knew how serious this could be. I've read all I can find online and respiratory viral infections are not USUALLY serious in cats but can be. Especially delicate ones, which she is. I'm also wondering about her not eating and drinking. She's very hard to force things into, which is why I usually put any meds in tuna. I wonder the dose of garlic oil, or if there is something more effective -- ESPECIALLY something that will help her breathe and/or eat and drink. I have a fair supply.

I've been watching her closely for days, trying to help her and keep her quiet. I hate that my vet is on vacation. It might sound silly, but this little cat has been with me through some very very tough things in the last couple years and I don't think I can take losing her too.

Thanks for any help.

 

[Beekissed]

Have you given her any hairball remedies? With her coughing, swallowing alot afterwards and being off her feed, it almost sounds like she may need this.

Most of them consists of salmon flavoring and mineral oil type ingredients and shouldn't cause any med related problems. Its worth a shot anyway.

Also....could she have a very bad worm infestation? I've heard of respiratory problems with this....some even have lung worm parasites.

 

[freemotion]

I hate to ask this, but was she ever tested for FIV?

Also, can you inspect her mouth? When I was a kid we had a cat do something similar to this and he had a chicken bone, stolen from the trash, wedged in his teeth. After that, any trash with bones was tied up and taken out immediately.

 

[Shiloh Acres]

I did try the hairball remedy since her symptoms are so similar. I'll keep giving it to her. Like you said, can't hurt. So far she's forgiving me anyway.

She was tested before I adopted her and given a full series of vacs. Testing was two years ago, vacs last year. They are indoor cats and other cats don't get near the house. Windows have been closed. They were boarded in a groomers home earlier this year. That lady has her own cats but she has an isolated room for boarding which I think she very rarely does. I picked her up from boarding six months ago.

I really doubt I can look in her mouth. She's a sweet, lovey cat but as soon as she realizes I'm going to "do something" to her she starts screaming and gets defensive. I can get away with quickly smearing paste in her mouth but she's almost impossible even to pill. With the stuff I've been doing lately she's even more wary, and the stress brings on another bout.

Maybe I can find some help to do it, or another vet. If it WAS something in her teeth, at least it's not an infection. But she will still be in trouble without eating or drinking till the bet gets back. I'm surprised they don't have a tech or assistant or SOMEone to refer emergencies too. Never had a vet before that you just can't get help so much of the time.

thanks to you both, very much.

 

[Shiloh Acres]

Ah, and I forgot to address the worm issue. I hadn't realized it could cause symptoms like this in cats.

That I honestly don't know. She has not been tested in a while. Last time she was wormed was for tapes, which I saw on her fur. She was wormed for everything about a year and a half ago as part of the rescue adoption process.

Lungworms ... I have goats. Not showing signs of them but I wonder if I could have transferred them to her from them. I will do some reading on that -- I hadn't realized the possibility.

Sigh ... I so hope she gets better. I've gotten too attached to her and ... Well the rest is too hard to explain.

Thanks again.

 

[patandchickens]

Frequent coughing, esp. when brought on by exertion, would make me concerned to rule out heart problems, basically requires a vet.

Tapeworms, or a very severe roundworm infestation, is also a possibility. Although in my experience, if tapeworms are bad enough to cause frequent gagging/coughing, you usually see *some* sign of them *sometimes* in the stool or around the cat's bum. (Not the case for a severe roundworm infestation though). However, personally I would not worm the cat until after having it checked by a vet for other more fundamental problems (since if it *should* turn out to have other problems, the stress of worming is not going to be helpful).

I'd be careful with the garlic oil, as chronic toxicity is not hard to achieve in cats/dogs/horses, and although I don't knwo what dose it would take to cause *acute* toxicity, cats' livers are generally woefully lazy about clearing potential toxins.

Any chance of finding a third, better-option vet, even if it means a longer drive?

Best of luck to you and cat,

Pat

 

[Shiloh Acres]

Yes, I'm starting to think I may have to find another vet. There's a big city about an hour plus from here and I'm SURE they have many vets.

Trying to weigh possibles causes, stress of travel, and cost. Online I read basically about supportive care for at least a week before consulting a vet if it's a "cold" (usually uri). If I can't interest her in any food or water though, I'm afraid it's going to be serious no matter what it is. She had a few small episodes of not breathing normally in the day or two leading up to this, but other than that it so hard and fast I'm just not convinced it's a "cold".

Or maybe I'm just overreacting a bit.

She has times when she seems near-normal as long as she stays quiet. Grooms herself and stretches out to sleep. The minor exertion bringing on such difficulty breathing has me worried though. I don't find any swelling but I hope it's not her heart.

And I am torn on the garlic oil. It seems to help, but it's potent stuff and I don't know the dosage. With her brother dying from liver failure from a very benign med, I'm very leery of giving her something potentially toxic. All my other best herbal remedies are listed somewhere as potenially toxic to cats as well, except perhaps the grapefruit seed extract.

I've used homeopathics on her in the past, but I only have a few and don't know what try on those, or a dosage.

Thanks. I'll check on the worms once I get cleared on more immediate worries. The dogs did have roundworms early this year.

 

[tortoise]

Frequent coughing, esp. when brought on by exertion, would make me concerned to rule out heart problems, basically requires a vet.

Tapeworms, or a very severe roundworm infestation, is also a possibility. Although in my experience, if tapeworms are bad enough to cause frequent gagging/coughing, you usually see *some* sign of them *sometimes* in the stool or around the cat's bum. (Not the case for a severe roundworm infestation though). However, personally I would not worm the cat until after having it checked by a vet for other more fundamental problems (since if it *should* turn out to have other problems, the stress of worming is not going to be helpful).

I'd be careful with the garlic oil, as chronic toxicity is not hard to achieve in cats/dogs/horses, and although I don't knwo what dose it would take to cause *acute* toxicity, cats' livers are generally woefully lazy about clearing potential toxins.

Any chance of finding a third, better-option vet, even if it means a longer drive?

Best of luck to you and cat,

Pat

I agree with all of this. You should be able to call in, give your cat's weight and get Drontil for tapeworms. It doesn't hurt if the cat doesn't have tapeworms. And if the cat does have tapeworms, it is a lifesaver. Literally.

I had a cat with a tapeworm that presented as coughing.

 

[ksalvagno]

Why not call your large animal vet and at least ask if they can help you with the cats. They may be able to. My large animal vet does see small animal as well.

 

[big brown horse]

Yup same here too, as long as you are a client.