How long do antibiotics take to work for my cat's breathing?

It will take a couple days for the antibiotics to start working but they will only help if her underlying problem was a bacterial infection. The fever medication should have worked within an hour or so but it will not keep it down for longer than 24 hours. If she is still not right she should go back to the vet and be put on an IV drip.

A lot of times, respiratory infections in cats are caused by a virus, not bacteria, so antibiotics will be ineffective. I would keep giving them to Tofu as directed by your vet, and I can give you some things you can try at home to see if they help her. You can use these methods on your other cat as a well, and I'd take that cat into the vet for a check up this week. First, you can try starting her on an L-lysine supplement - this is an amino acid that has been shown to help the immune system fight off respiratory infections more effectively. Enisyl and Viralys are both good brands, and can be purchased over the counter without a prescription - just follow the dosing instructions on the label based on your cat's weight. If she's congested, you can also try using a humidifier or bringing her into the bathroom with the door closed while you take a hot shower - the steam and humidity help to break up congestion and temporarily relieve symptoms associated with respiratory infections. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

Perfect, you should give the medication some time to work, up to 10 days. As long as he is getting better within this time then he should be ok and his voice will return. However, if he is not doing better or if he is doing worse, then make sure you bring him back to his veterinarian immediately.

Respiratory infections in cats are commonly viral, which means that they have to run their course. Antibiotics can help prevent or treat secondary bacterial infections, but they do not do anything to help with the virus. Supportive care is needed during these times to help Chesney feel better. Consider taking her into a steamy bathroom a few times a day for humidification. Suction her nostrils with a baby bulb syringe if they are really stuffed up. If she isn't eating well consider warming up her food so that she can smell it a little bit easier. Sometimes cats need subcutaneous fluids or IV fluids from the veterinarian to stay well hydrated the first several days of an upper respiratory infection. You may want to consider taking her temperature. Normal for a cat is 100-102. If she is 103 or higher I would encourage you to call your veterinarian to discuss medictions to help with the fever. Best of luck and I hope she improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Poor Finn! Usually, an upper respiratory infection should start to improve within 2-3 days of starting antibiotics - so if he's been on meds for a week now and you don't see any improvement at all, I would recommend taking him back to the vet for a recheck. He may need a different antibiotic, or an anti-viral medication like famciclovir if his current meds aren't working.

It could be a respiratory infection. Unfortunately in cats, respiratory infections are typically called by a virus, which means antibiotics won't work. There are few things you can try at home for Esther. First, you can try starting her on an L-lysine supplement - this is an amino acid that has been shown to help the immune system fight off respiratory infections more effectively. Enisyl and Viralys are both good brands, and can be purchased over the counter without a prescription - just follow the dosing instructions on the label based on your cat's weight. If she's congested, you can also try using a humidifier or bringing her into the bathroom with the door closed while you take a hot shower - the steam and humidity help to break up congestion and temporarily relieve symptoms associated with respiratory infections.

It may take 7-10 days for the condition to resolve. As long as he is still eating, breathing normal, and has normal energy then continue the medications as directed and monitor his condition. If he has a viral infection then it will need to just run it's course as the antibiotics will only treat a bacterial infection. If he stops eating, becomes lethargic, or has any breathing issues then he should be rechecked by a vet.