Why is my cat sneezing after recent vaccinations or vet visit?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Young kittens are very susceptible to upper respiratory infections and the vaccine could have lowered her immunity making the infection more easily acquired. I recommend taking her to the vet for antibiotics so the infection doesn't turn into something worse, like pneumonia. Good luck and kisses to Snow!

Hello, thank you for your question about Hercules. When vaccines are administered locally, through the nose, they can sometimes cause development of mild clinical signs such as sneezing. However, I would not expect these signs to last for a month after the vaccine. Cats are also prone to development of viral upper respiratory infections, that often occur after a stressful event (like vaccination). It is possible that Hercules has a mild upper respiratory infection. If Hercules is otherwise acting normal and is having no bouts of respiratory distress I would recommend continuing to monitor him. If the signs progress or he becomes lethargic, inappetant, or has increased effort to his breathing I would recommend having him evaluated by your veterinarian as this could be a sign that he has another underlying condition such as asthma or bronchitis, both chronic (not uncommon) conditions in cats. Hope this helps, good luck!

These types of vaccines are not commonly known to cause signs like you have described as an adverse side effect. The most common vaccine reactions are typically localized effects on the injection sites, decreased energy level / lethargy, less commonly some vomiting, and then much more rarely respiratory distress / anaphylactic shock. It possible that Felix could have had a cold before the vaccine was administered, the vaccine weakened the immune system, and you are now seeing the clinical signs. Conversely, this could be something completely new and unrelated. If it is a simple cold or viral type of infection, it will clear up on its own after a few days. If there is a bacterial or fungal component, medication will be needed.

Sneezing is common in cats and can be a sign of mild allergies. I wouldn't be too terribly concerned, unless you start seeing nasal discharge, decreased appetite, or wheezing. Let it run its course and if things don't improve or seem to worsen after about 3-4 days, then you should get Dale seen by your vet for some allergy medication and other treatments (i.e. antibiotics) if needed. Thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Take care.

Yes, it is possible he may have contracted feline herpes virus which can stay with him for life and often flares with stressful events. As long as he does not have a fever and is generally well then you may be able to proceed with vaccination which can help to reduce the severity and shedding of the infection

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Bunny. Sounds like she is suffering from a mild upper respiratory infection. Not sure how old she is but both kittens and adult cats suffer from these infections. Kittens get infected from their mothers who start shedding the viruses thus infecting the kittens. Many cats live their whole lives carrying these viruses. They will occasionally develop signs of upper respiratory infections during times of stress at any point in time. We vaccinate for a few of these upper respiratory viruses but we still see many many cases. The vaccines should provide some protection and usually adult cats develop very mild signs. Signs range from sneezing, runny eyes, runny nose, coughing, fever, lethargy, decreased appetite, decreased water intake, etc. Treating these infections can range from very simple to very complex cases that take weeks to months to improve. If signs remain mild, monitoring is sometimes appropriate. If the signs progress to not eating, lethargic, thick discharge from the nose and/or eyes, then you should get her evaluated by your veterinarian. They can gather a history, perform an exam, and advise you on possible diagnostics and treatment. Treatment can involve antibiotics to protect or treat secondary bacterial infections, antiviral medicines, a good deworming program, and vaccination program, eye drops/eye ointments if the eyes are involved, nose drops, a nutritional supplement called L-lysine added to his food may help, and probiotics are all things to try. Sometimes kittens have a nasopharyngeal polyp which can present as chronic upper respiratory disease which doesn't respond well to treatment. This is a polyp in the nasal passageway and back of the throat. These can be found by using sedation/anesthesia and evaluating the back of the throat and thus removed if found. Good luck.

It is unlikely the vaccine caused it, but it does stimulate the immune system. So if was previously exposed and trying to fight the infection already, this may have pushed it over the edge and be too much for him to continue to handle on his own. Some sneezing can also be a sign of allergies. You vet can recheck him to see if medication is needed.