My cat has cold symptoms, eating fine, on antibiotics. Vet needed?

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Trixie. You would need to see a vet to get antibiotics, but they likely won't work as most respiratory infections in cats are caused by viruses. There are a few things you can try at home for her. 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. I hope this helps!

Poor girl. Her current temperature is normal so that is good. I would suggest going back to the vet for another type of antibiotic. It seems the current one is not doing the trick, so another class of antibiotic may be all she needs to get this to clear up. I typically like to use Azithromycin in cats with upper respiratory disease because it is highly effective. You should also get Zazu on an anti-viral supplement daily to help boost her immune system. Look for Lysine powder from your local pet store and this should help her immunity and help prevent flare ups in the future, since most URI's are viral related in cats. I hope that your pet Zazu feels better soon! Take care.

No, this isn't common and Zylee sounds sick. Give her vet a call to let them know you are seeing this. There are also some things you can try at home. 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.

Respiratory infections can be caused by bacteria as well as viruses, so if King has one caused by bacteria, yes it can help. I am concerned he's refusing to eat and if he refuses to eat today, take him back into the vet asap. I have some things you can do at home for him in case his respiratory infection is caused by a virus. First, you can try starting him 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 he's congested, you can also try using a humidifier or bringing him 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. I hope this helps!

Poor guy. I would have him re-evaluated in this case. It sounds like he may need another round of antibiotics or the same antibiotic given for a slightly longer period of time. It is tough sometimes with kitties with URI's, because without culture we are hoping that our broad spectrum antibiotic will clear up the infection entirely. You also have the option of asking for your vet to do a culture, so that we know exactly which antibiotic will clear things up for Cairo. Your other cats immune system is likely better than Cario's, which is why he/she isn't affected. I would also consider keeping Cairo on anti-viral supplements (Lysine powder) long term to help boost his immune system to hopefully decrease the amount of infections in the future. You can find Lysine at any pet store or online retailer. Best wishes with your pet Cario and I hope that he feels better soon! Take care.

Poor Link! In cats, respiratory infections are typically caused by a virus, so antibiotics won't work. I have a few things you can try at home. First, you can try starting him 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 he's congested, you can also try using a humidifier or bringing him 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. I would also recommend taking him into the vet tomorrow. An antibiotic ointment could help with his weepy eyes, but those can only be prescribed by a vet. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would recommend making sure he does not have an underlying disease that may be predisposing him to these infections. Test him for feline leukemia (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) at your veterinarian's clinic to rule these possible causes out. Some cats will have chronic viral infections their entire life and we just treat these as they come. If you are not giving lysine supplementation and not giving Purine Fortiflora, I would definitely recommend doing so as both of these have been shown to lessen the severity and duration of the herpes virus flare ups. I would also consider an upper respiratory culture to make sure that there are no other bacterial causes that may be resistant to the antibiotics currently being given. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.