Why do my kittens have nasal congestion and strange nose scabs?

Hello, Many kittens can suffer from viral respiratory infections that progress to secondary bacterial infections with pneumonia. As they both are experiencing decreased activity, I'd recommend having your kittens both seen by a veterinarian. They can guide you best after a physical exam. I hope this is helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Saline nose drops can actually be helpful along with humidified air to clear the nose. This kitten probably has an upper respiratory infection and may need antibiotics for the eye and nasal discharge. The kitten might also be dehydrated and could have other problems like intestinal parasites. Since young kittens can become hypoglycemic very quickly when they are not eating I would recommend seeing a veterinarian as soon as possible to help get this kitten on track. They can give you an estimated age and discuss how to properly bottle feed and can also treat dehydration and upper respiratory infections. Good luck!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. If these kittens are exhibiting signs of a respiratory infection, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine them so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. They may need a short course of an oral antibiotic. The sooner they are seen and treated the better as infections can become quite severe in a short period of time in young animals. 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.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Nomi. It sounds like she could have a respiratory infection. You should have her seen by a vet for this, and I can give you some things you can go at home for her. Please know that what I'm giving you at home cannot replace a vet visit. 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!

I would recommend a vet visit. The picture is a little blurry but it may be infected. It could possibly be due to ringworm. The vet may want to do a skin scraping or fungal culture to determine what it is in the best course of treatment.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It sounds as though he might be congested. An upper respiratory tract infection (URI) due to a viral or bacterial infection is the most common reason for congestion in kittens. Common signs of a URI are: congestion, raspy throat breathing, nasal or eye discharge, sneezing and coughing. Herpes virus is the most common cause and usually runs it's course but it can lead to a secondary bacterial infection. If the nasal discharge is yellow or green, he is lethargic and not eating well that indicates a need to be seen by your Vet. If he is eating and drinking then you can watch him since it has only been 2 days since you adopted him. If his symptoms persist for a week or more then he should be seen. Have a good day!

Aw poor Socks! It's pretty common to have a rescue kitten develop upper respiratory infections. I'm glad to hear he's acting normally otherwise. You can try to run a hot shower and steam up the bathroom while Socks is in the room. Sometimes this will help break up congestion. Make sure he continues to eat and drink normally. Warming some canned food up will often encourage a cat to eat more as they will eat more if they can smell the food. If Socks continues to be congested or at any point he stops eating, develops an eye issue, or becomes lethargic he should be examined by a veterinarian. It's best not to wait too long as kittens can develop pneumonia or labored breathing if the respiratory infection progresses. If necessary antibiotics can be prescribed or a supplement like lysine can be used. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Wishing Socks a speedy recovery!