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Thanks for the update, I'm so glad to hear JJ has shaken it off.
I've forgotten, if you've told us, has JJ been tested for FeLV/HIV? What's his history? If he was negative with his first test, you may want to retest.
Thanks for the update, I'm so glad to hear JJ has shaken it off.
I've forgotten, if you've told us, has JJ been tested for FeLV/HIV? What's his history? If he was negative with his first test, you may want to retest.
He's been tested at least five times. Twice when he was a kitten, and every time he's been hospitalized for a major illness. So I'm confident in saying he's negative.
He was found as a stray with a severe infection of feline herpes. His eyes were on the verge of prolapsing and he weighed about half of what he should have- it seems likely that the infection got so bad because he had an underlying immune system disorder. He's just very frail- and it's sad, because I think he would have loved being a therapy cat.
If you really look at him closely, he has malformations. He's pigeon toed because the bones in his legs didn't grow equally and his jaw and skull tilt to the right. Again, it's hard to say if this is due to poor nutrition when his bones were developing or because he was born with some genetic issues.
I'm glad he's with you, someone willing to care for him. I wonder if interferon treatment would be beneficial to him when he has these flare ups?
My herpes boy almost lost both eyes due to drastic infections and flare ups. L-lysine was his savior. I know you said JJ can't tolerate l-lysine (did you try pure powder?) which is what got me thinking about the interferon.
Atopica is an auto-immune medication....it's usually for skin issues but I wonder if that might be something that would work for JJ's flare ups.
Just thinking out loud here, this is stuff you can do some research on and talk over with your vet.
I'm glad he's with you, someone willing to care for him. I wonder if interferon treatment would be beneficial to him when he has these flare ups?
My herpes boy almost lost both eyes due to drastic infections and flare ups. L-lysine was his savior. I know you said JJ can't tolerate l-lysine (did you try pure powder?) which is what got me thinking about the interferon.
Atopica is an auto-immune medication....it's usually for skin issues but I wonder if that might be something that would work for JJ's flare ups.
Just thinking out loud here, this is stuff you can do some research on and talk over with your vet.
Yeah, we tried the gel first, and then pure powder to mix in his food. Same result with both. He's strange in that many different things make him vomit- any kind of meat for example.
But just as I was typing that, I had a thought- he used to vomit with just one tiny nibble of chicken, but now he can eat almost a teaspoon full with no issues because we kept giving him tidbits and increased his tolerance. Maybe I just need to start over with the Lysine and give him just a tiny bit on each plate and gradually increase it. Definitely worth a shot!
And I definitely will look into the interferon as well- I'd heard of it before, but never thought of it as a general thing to prevent flare ups as opposed to treating something specific. Thanks for the link!!
I feel better knowing of someone that has seen this resolve as stated.
The shower runs tonight!
Meeko is also pigeon-toed and was bottle fed since he was found without his mother.
At the time, Meeko was too young and sickly to have received the full immunizing advantage of his mothers' milk.
JJ being pigeon-toed, his facial structural issues, your finding him as a kitten and his seeming weak immune system makes me interested in how malnourished kittens, that didn't have the benefit of their mothers milk to strengthen their immune systems, are being helped now that they are older.
An incomplete thought that's started nagging at me about chicken: a lot, possibly the majority, of the recalls in Pet Food have to do with chicken, so ... if a cat has a compromised immune system they may not be able to handle contaminated food as a healthier cat does.
In just a quick search, until I have an evening to spend researching food and immunity in cats, I found this:http://www.fsis.usda.gov/PDF/Q1_2011...ing.pdf#page=1
I haven't drawn any major conclusions, but anecdotal evidence suggests, to me, that chicken may not be the most desirable choice for a more delicate cat.
I really will tell Meekos' story soon, now that I finally have a decent internet connection.
Next I have to figure out how to download photos off an old borrowed camera to a Mac!
On the advice of the OP, I ran the shower in a closed bathroom last night to get the room steamy, while Meeko slept on my lap for an hour and inhaled the steam.
This morning I woke up to a pair of clear emerald green eyes and an insistent meow from the gray and white, 8 lb. kitty standing on my chest.
Meeko ate well on his own for the first time in weeks, (he didn't eat much at the shelter) and only a week into his two week flu.
Needless to say, I'm thrilled and relieved.
He's still sneezing a little but noticeably less than before.
Due to a fear of breathing chlorinated steam, I had to first modify the shower by installing a filter on the shower head to trap chlorine and other toxins, a fear that was instilled in me as a young child after I saw a documentary on chemical warfare in WW II!
I feel better knowing of someone that has seen this resolve as stated.
The shower runs tonight!
Meeko is also pigeon-toed and was bottle fed since he was found without his mother.
At the time, Meeko was too young and sickly to have received the full immunizing advantage of his mothers' milk.
JJ being pigeon-toed, his facial structural issues, your finding him as a kitten and his seeming weak immune system makes me interested in how malnourished kittens, that didn't have the benefit of their mothers milk to strengthen their immune systems, are being helped now that they are older.
An incomplete thought that's started nagging at me about chicken: a lot, possibly the majority, of the recalls in Pet Food have to do with chicken, so ... if a cat has a compromised immune system they may not be able to handle contaminated food as a healthier cat does.
In just a quick search, until I have an evening to spend researching food and immunity in cats, I found this:http://www.fsis.usda.gov/PDF/Q1_2011...ing.pdf#page=1
I haven't drawn any major conclusions, but anecdotal evidence suggests, to me, that chicken may not be the most desirable choice for a more delicate cat.
I really will tell Meekos' story soon, now that I finally have a decent internet connection.
Next I have to figure out how to download photos off an old borrowed camera to a Mac!
I forgot about this post in regards to my thoughts about chicken ... but ... I determined, for certain, just this week; that Meeko gets terrible gas and groans like his tummy hurts whenever he eats chicken canned food.
He isn't having stomach problems with the small amount of Wysong Epigen 90 he eats if I need to leave food out when I'm gone.
Since I live alone I'm not comfortable leaving them with the possibility of no food for a day or two, before my sister or mother are notified or realize, if something should happen to me.
I know this thread is old but I'm going to bump it.
My cat's been sneezing almost violently for several days now - absolutely out of the normal occasional little cat sneeze.
He is eating and drinking, going to the bathroom regularly. I don't know how concerned I should be.
He is a stray that I got but I had him fixed and had his shots and stuff, and I do let him outside and he is outside ALL the time.
He has brought no less than 15 baby rabbits home this Summer alone (i've been keeping track) and he will slaughter them and I have seen him eat some of them (he might be eating all of them since I've found hardly any carcasses) - just wondering: Would that have anything to do with his bout of sneezing?
Is it a URI or UTI? Is it something I should just wait out? He doesn't have watery eyes or nasal discharge. I think his breathing is okay.
I fostered sick cats - It's what the shelter did when their charges got sick, they went into foster care to get well, then back up for adoption. So I've had some experience with sick cats.
A cat cold is congestion, stuffed nose, coughing. The reason antibiotics are given is to fight a secondary infection, not to treat what they have. What they have is something their body needs to fight to get well. IF your pet has all his/her shots then she will recover on his/her own. TRUE!
Keep an eye out and make sure he/she is drinking and eating. Stimulate her taste buds. Check the litter box. Make sure she's getting enough fluids.
It just takes time to get over a cat cold. I had one foster my son was really worried about. But as long as they're eating and drinking and not depressed looking then they'll recover.
The scariest part is when they are getting better they sneeze blood. I am not joking.
The thing to be concerned with is their eyes. If they get teary eyes you need to clean them with a clean damp mild soap cloth. If the eyes get infected and with puss, you need to take the cat in. You don't mess with eyes.
Give it a week and your cat will get better. Less sneezing = good. Your cat probably picked up germs at the vets.
I just saw the latest post on the indoor outdoor cat.
The only thing I'd be worried about with an outdoor cat bringing in / eating stuff like baby rabbits. FLEAS! We have rabbits here and while they don't carry rabies like rats do, they can still have fleas.
The cat has a cold. It's just like ours. If he is UTD on all his shots he will recover. It's especially important to make sure he keeps his shots current. It protects him from all the diseases out there. In the long run he will be healthier with his diet.
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