Why does my cat's sneezing and coughing keep returning after meds?

Many upper respiratory infections in cats are caused by viruses which do not respond to antibiotics. Antibiotics are often prescribed to treat secondary bacterial infections. However, sneezing can be a symptom with many underlying causes, such as allergies, viral or bacterial infections, tumors or polyps in the nasal passage, or even dust or other irritants if the cat is exploring where these types of irritants are common (attics, basements, around areas of construction, etc.) If your cat is still sneezing after treatment with antibiotics, a follow up visit to your veterinarian is worthwhile to determine if antibiotics need to be continued or other treatments given.

Hi and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am sorry that Miso is not feeling well. From the medications that Miso has been put on it sounds like your veterinarian may suspect Miso may have a virus causing the upper airway congestion, we sometimes use Lysine to help with viral upper airway congestion. The Herpes virus (along with some other viruses) causes chronic upper airway congestion. This can cause watery eyes (not always), sneezing and nasal discharge (not always)-recurs with stress. It can have a secondary bacterial component to it that responds to an antibiotic like Clavamox. Or this can be just a bacterial upper respiratory infection that is not responding well to the antibiotic of choice. Clavamox is typically an antibiotic that does well with upper respiratory infections. My biggest concern with your note is the looking bloated. I would have Miso evaluated by your veterinarian for looking bloated and discuss an alternate antibiotic, an antihistamine or I will even sometimes use saline nasal drops with a humidifier to help with moisturizing the airways. I hope this helps and good luck with Miso!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Salem may need a second course of an antibiotic but a different antibiotic as there may be a bacterial organisms not being targeted by the Orbax. There may be a large amount of material accumulated in the sinus so a sinus flush under anesthesia may be needed to help remove all of the chronic build up of mucous in the sinus. A steroid may also be warranted to reduce the inflammation in the sinus. I would also suggest having chest x-rays to assess the lungs. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hi there! Chronic sneezing and bleeding from the nose in a 15 year old cat could be caused by a number of different things, including chronic rhinitis, a severe bacterial respiratory infection, a fungal infection such as cryptococcus, or a nasal tumor. None of these will typically cause any changes on lab work, so usually CT scan/MRI and rhinoscopy are required to get a diagnosis. If this is something you're interested in, then I would ask your veterinarian for a referral to a specialist to have this testing done. Without additional testing, it's likely that you won't be able to find out what the specific problem is, so we're left with treating it symptomatically. Long-term antibiotics such as doxycycline or azithromycin can sometimes be helpful, as there is often a secondary bacterial infection contributing to the pet's symptoms even if this isn't the main problem. Oral or injectable steroids, Cerenia, humidifiers, and even antibiotic/steroid nose drops could all be considered as possible treatment options that may help to relieve symptoms. Your veterinarian should be able to discuss the pros and cons of these various options with you to help determine the best treatment plan for Bailey.

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.

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.