How to help sick feral cats recover from URIs and boost immunity?

Poor Sabina! If she has nasal discharge or coughing, you may inquire with your vet about doing a culture and sensitive on the nasal discharge or doing a trans-tracheal wash to see if she has a resistant bacteria. Also if she doesn't have a high white blood count then you may consider steroids if she doesn't have congestion. I would talk to your vet in depth about steroids as these can make an infection worse if it isn't an auto-immune problem. I would also get her on a lysine supplement like Viralys or vetriscience lysine chews for cats. You can also request vitamins B12 injections and an appetite stimulant to help with her appetite. If she has been a long time without eating, make sure she has had her chemistry ( liver and kidney) values check to ensure she isn't have liver or kidney issues. You could have her retested for FELV/FIV. If she was recently infected before adoption then it may not show up on a test yet. The vaccines usually take effect within 5-7 days of receiving them so she should be protected. I hope this helps and she starts to get better really soon!

You can give Charlie 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.

Hello, Feline upper respiratory infection can be caused by a number of viruses and is seen frequently in younger cats. To my knowledge, we have no evidence to support the use of liver cod oil as a immune booster. Historically, we have recommended L-lysine added to the diet or even treats for cats with herpes infection. However, even the scientific evidence supporting the use is lacking. The best thing to do is feed Leo a good diet, avoid exposure to young, non-vaccinated cats, and follow up for yearly wellness exams, vaccines, and parasite prevention.

Yes this should be fine as long as she is feeling better. Also, you may consider putting her on a daily immune boosting vitamin like viralys or vetriscience lysine treats. It doesn’t treat the virus but it may help to boost her immune system. I hope this helps!

You can try starting them 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.

I'm very sorry your kitty is sick. Respiratory infections are very common in kitties and almost all are caused by a virus, not a bacterial infection. Therefore, we do not recommend antibiotics if we are dealing with an upper respiratory infection. There are several things you can do at home though. To help with nasal and sinus congestion symptoms, I recommend using the shower to fill your bathroom with as much warm steamed air as possible and then place your kitty in the room for 10-15 minutes at a time. You can do this several times a day, the goal is to help humidify the air and allow your kitty's nasal passages to drain and clear some. You can also purchase over-the-counter treats or a gel formula containing the amino acid supplement L-lysine made for cats. These can sometimes help clear a viral infection. Follow the label instructions to know how much and how often to give to your kitty. If your kitty stops eating or drinking, you will need to have it examined by your veterinarian to avoid complications such as dehydration.

Reducing stress is an important part of the treatment, because a major cause of upper respiratory infections like this is a Herpes virus that is brought out by stress. Try to identify any stressors in the household and do your best to eliminate them. You can also buy a cat pheromone product like Feliway at the pet store, which also helps to reduce stress. If they are very congested, then you can do a steam bath at home. Below is a link to an article that explains this and has helpful info about cat upper respiratory disease. http://www.wikihow.com/Help-Your-Cat-Breathe-Easier Outbreaks like this are common amongst cat colonies. Make sure you continue treatment past the resolution of clinical signs (coughing, sneezing, discharge, etc.) and give the medication as prescribed. With good care, these outbreaks clear-up within the population over a month or so. I know it's tough to look at them like this, but stick with it and they should get better eventually. I hope that helps and all gets sorted soon.