Why is my kitten's voice scratchy and sounds like snoring after URI?

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Other than infections or asthma, noising breathing can be caused by an obstruction of the nasal passages. This can be due to a mass such as a polyp, which are common in middle aged cats or a foreign body. You can make an appointment at a specialty hospital that has the capability to do rhinoscopy, which is basically a procedure that puts a small camera into the nasal passages and airways. I hope this helps!

Depending on what type of upper respiratory infection Gotham had as a kitten, he may have some damage to his nasal pathways that will cause him to snore or wheeze when he is sleeping. Usually this is not a problem, but if it is getting worse or you notice any other clinical signs, I would certainly contact your veterinarian to make sure it is not something that needs treatment. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Upper respiratory infections in cats are caused by viruses as well as bacteria, so if Jade has a respiratory infection caused by a virus, antibiotics will not help. In addition, some cats have ongoing problems with these infections, and will have bouts of illness throughout their life. You can take her back into the vet for a health check, as she may benefit from some medications, but I will also give you a few things you can do at home for Jade as well. 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.

Hello, sorry to hear about Gimli. It is really dependent on what kind of infection you kitten has. Most upper respiratory infections are viral which antibiotics cannot treat. Therefor, you must await for the virus lifecycle to end. You may talk to your vet about using lysine gel or topical anti-virals to help shorten the virus life cycle. Hope this helps.

Batman may have some residual inflammation in the nose from the previous infection. I would recommend using a supplement called duralactin with lysine to help treat a viral infection such as herpes virus. This could have been the cause previously but could be lingering and causing continued symptoms. I would also recommend an anti inflammatory drug short term and see how he does. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

Since there are still symptoms of the infection then he needs to be rechecked for further treatment. Some cats need pulse therapy medicine to help keep it under control. Also a lot of upper respiratory infections in cats are viral induced and take time to fully resolve. They do make anti virals you can add to the food to help clear the infection also

I am sorry to hear that! It sounds like he has had a good work up so far. I suspect your vet may want to recheck imaging (if not done already) to ensure the foreign object is no longer present. If there is a concern the infection has never fully resolved, you could ask for a referral to an internal medicine specialist (https://www.ecvim-ca.org/specialist-listings/internal-medicine-specialists-list). If the infection has been cleared but keeps recurring, you could ask to review the pros and cons of therapies such as anti-viral medications, probiotics, Cerenia or long-term antibiotic courses. I hope this helps!