Cat flu

[dodgers89]

We have a kitten who was abandoned at 3 weeks old with horrible cat flu. We weren't sure he would survive at all. He's now 7 months old and doing really well but the tubes in his face are damaged from having flu so little and as a result he's often stuffed up and snotty. He sneezes so much sometimes that there's blood. He probably holds the record for the most vet trips at his age and everytime we go, it's for the same thing. He needs antibiotics to clear his nose. Everytime we get given Betamox which does the trick but within a fortnight of him coming off it, he's back to the way he was. We have done some menthol steaming as well with hot water and a towel. My question is, has anyone been through the same thing? Can anyone recommend anything we can do to help his blocked nose? Obviously we take him straight to the vet if we're at all concerned but at this stage we know what he needs but the vet can't give us the medicine without seeing him which isn't cheap. Any suggestions welcome!

 

[LovesCobs]

sorry to hear he's suffering for so long. I've had 3 kittens at different times arrive with flu, never any long term effects though so i can't help other than to say can you get him referred? I'm northwest so if i had this issue for this long id maybe be asking to see someone at leahurst. all the best, i hope you get him right

 

[Aru]

Nebulising should help..easiest way to do this is keep the kitten in the bathroom when you have a long hot shower...the steam will help to breakdown mucus same as the menthol streaming but less stressful.

Cat flu is recurrent unfortuanately so he is always going to be prone to it esp in times of stress(breeding season/moving house/new arrivals ) I am afraid.
It sound's like he is getting a lot of secondary infections as well though if betamox is helping(most cat flu is viral so antibiotics dont help unless there is secondary infection getting in while the immune system is down). I hate to say this but I would be checking for fiv/felv at this stage

I have heard good things about llysine supplements for cats with cat flu to build up the immunuty and lessen the severity of symptoms.
http://www.amazon.com/Viralys-Oral-Gel-For-Cats/dp/B00E8GKCGY

 

[dodgers89]

Thanks for your replies we aren't worried about anything major and nor is the vet. It doesn't bother him, he's just as active and happy as his brother. I think we might try the viraly stuff, we have been given a powder from the vet in the past which did help. I had a cat as a child who also had cat flu as a kitten and spent her entire 16 years on this planet covering everything in snot everytime she sneezed so we're really hoping Brian will live a long life too

 

[touchstone]

I have a rescued cat that has suffered from cat flu at some point. He was abandoned as an old cat in our village, presumably because of the quantity of snot he produces! X rays have shown his lungs to be clear, but the snot is never ending! Unfortunately as he is getting older and more decrepit he seems to be suffering more with it along with suffering deafness and arthritis, so I fear we may not have him around for much longer. I will give the above mentioned lysine a try though, antibiotics seems to only work for so long the same as your kitten. Great name btw - I have a chocolate lab called Brian.