Colostrum

[Jrs4]

Anyone know anything about colostrum and its immune boosting abilities? And dosage amounts?

 

[Hairless Blessing]

Colostrum, is antibodies received from the first milk
of the Mother. For their immune system.
They, have to receive this within 24 hours to survive.
Kittens, usually less than 12 - 18 hours old will benefit
from this. Any older will not.

Could I ask what are you searching colostrum for?
Maybe we could understand your question better.

 

[GoldHazel]

@Jrs4 dosage amounts? Where would you get colostrum from? Colostrum is there before Mother's Milk comes in. Colostrum from a nursing mammal gives their young an important start to their immune system.

 

[Jrs4]

Colostrum, is antibodies received from the first milk
of the Mother. For their immune system.
They, have to receive this within 24 hours to survive.
Kittens, usually less than 12 - 18 hours old will benefit
from this. Any older will not.

Could I ask what are you searching colostrum for?
Maybe we could understand your question better.

 

[Jrs4]

@goldhazel @Hairless Blessing
Sigh, my kitten has had a cough (kinda wet wheezy sounding) since I've had her (2.5 months) we've been to our vet seems like every week since she came home, had antibiotics for uri and that seemed to help a bit, but she continues with this cough intermittently and I've read that colostrum as a supplement (from a health food store) may benefit her. She's on a probiotic and l-lysine and by all accounts is a very normal kitten, eats well, litterboxes well, plays, cuddles, other than this cough that is just hanging around... Athsma? Allergies? Feline herpes? No idea. Back to the vet tomorrow...

 

[GoldHazel]

@Jrs4 what has your breeder said about your kitten being ill since you got her?

I just did a quick Google search and see that some places sell or sold cow's colostrum and there's been cases of e coli because of it. I'm not sure where you read what you read, I'm curious as I've heard of things to boost the immune system before, but never colostrum for a cat.

What medicines has she been on for this cough? I know you mentioned probiotics and L-Lysine, both are very good and the probiotics should be taken especially if antibiotics are ingested.

L-Lysine should be given every day, but when there's an illness like a herpes flare-up and an URI, the dose should be doubled. A kitten gets a different dose than an adult cat, but when illness is present, the dose should be doubled.

Clavamox antibiotic won't help a sphynx unless it's a UTI. It will only make things a bit better for a short while. There are much better antibiotics out there for a sphynx. Most vets don't know about Clavamox and the sphynx breed.

Also, have you used a cool air humidifier with Vick's? You can get something like GNC Brand High Calorie Booster for cats to help with vitamins and supplements good for her immune system. Your vet might have something similar.

GNC Pets Ultra Mega High Calorie Booster for All Cats - Chicken Flavor

 

[Jrs4]

@GoldHazel this is some background, when we got her she was on Clavamox for a suture that was infected from her spay, it was never severe and it healed well. She coughed sporadically during this time. She was X-rayed and I brought a stool sample and they didn't see much to be too concerned about. 10 days later we went back, because she was sounding raspy, the vet gave me metacam to use when she had coughing fits and it did seem to work well. She was also put on chlorpalm for the cough (uti). She seemed mostly better after this treatment and the cough subsided but never fully went totally away. 10 days later, back to the vet, as a follow up as by this point I'm just nervous about it all. The vet thought she'd improved and didn't want to load her with anything more at this point. That was the beginning of July, now she seems to be coughing more often (I also could just be home and seeing it more). I'm unsure of what else to do or what antibiotic to suggest the vet try as my vet is great but I find most vets around here know very little about this breed. I was also told she'd be too young for athsma so I'm looking for advise from people who know the breed. She does take both the probiotic and l-lysine daily. And she is a normal healthy kitten in every other aspect, just this lingers. The colostrum was suggested as this person had very good results using it as an immune booster in her kittens.

 

[Condo commando]

Well I haven't tried colustrum but I did a lttle research - see link. I'm curious to hear if you try it how it works out - always looking to learn new things.

Dogs Naturally Magazine

 

[Jrs4]

@Condo commando thanks! Interesting article, I will do more investigating.

 

[admin]

@GoldHazel this is some background, when we got her she was on Clavamox for a suture that was infected from her spay, it was never severe and it healed well. She coughed sporadically during this time. She was X-rayed and I brought a stool sample and they didn't see much to be too concerned about. 10 days later we went back, because she was sounding raspy, the vet gave me metacam to use when she had coughing fits and it did seem to work well. She was also put on chlorpalm for the cough (uti). She seemed mostly better after this treatment and the cough subsided but never fully went totally away. 10 days later, back to the vet, as a follow up as by this point I'm just nervous about it all. The vet thought she'd improved and didn't want to load her with anything more at this point. That was the beginning of July, now she seems to be coughing more often (I also could just be home and seeing it more). I'm unsure of what else to do or what antibiotic to suggest the vet try as my vet is great but I find most vets around here know very little about this breed. I was also told she'd be too young for athsma so I'm looking for advise from people who know the breed. She does take both the probiotic and l-lysine daily. And she is a normal healthy kitten in every other aspect, just this lingers. The colostrum was suggested as this person had very good results using it as an immune booster in her kittens.

As far as antibiotics, many use Doxycline for more severe cases/remedies as it covers a wider spectrum.

 

[GoldHazel]

@Jrs4 is your kitten the runt of the litter?

Your vet can do a PCR test and see exactly what this is and find out which antibiotic will work to clear this up. Azithromycin is excellent for a sphynx and so is Doxy, but if Doxy is not the necessary antibiotic for a kitten, then it's a good idea not to just use it until they get all their adult teeth IF the possibility of stained teeth is an issue. The liquid is better than giving a pill only because the pill can cause esophagus issues if not completely swallowed and sits there for a while.

Don't get me wrong, Doxy is an excellent antibiotic and if the test comes back that this is the only antibiotic that will clear her up, no questions asked, she must be on it to get well.

If you have been told that the colostrum has been successful with other kittens, then I suppose you would really want to try it out. I haven't taken a look at the linked article yet, but I will later when I have a bit more time. I'm interested in reading it.

 

[Jrs4]

@GoldHazel thanks for all this advise, it helps just wanting to do whatever it takes of course.

 

[GoldHazel]

@Jrs4 I certainly understand where you are coming from. I've brought home two sick kittens at two different times and I went through hell pulling the hair out of my head!

Was your kitten the runt of the litter?

 

[Jrs4]

@Jrs4 I certainly understand where you are coming from. I've brought home two sick kittens at two different times and I went through hell pulling the hair out of my head!

Was your kitten the runt of the litter?

You know, I'm not really sure, she's a Bambino, one of three with two standard Sphynx (so 5 in total) siblings. I can ask the breeder but unfortunately my perception is that she's fairly uninterested in my concerns! But this group is amazing, saved my sanity! Thanks

 

[GoldHazel]

@Jrs4 I've been down that road too with a breeder!

My thought is that it's going to take more than one round of antibiotics (the right one, NOT Clavamox), to rid whatever your kitten is fighting. Just my thoughts from my experience too with a kitten that's been on medicines and didn't get better so quickly.

 

[Jrs4]

@HoldHazel yes I think so too, I will ask the vet this afternoon about a PCR test and Azithromycin, I am a bit weary about Doxy with a kitten but will consider it if it's the only option. Thank you again for giving me these med names. I will discuss it with my vet.

 

[Jrs4]

As far as antibiotics, many use Doxycline for more severe cases/remedies as it covers a wider spectrum.

For a kitten as well? I'll discuss it with my vet today

 

[GoldHazel]

@Jrs4 when a PCR test comes back saying what the kitten is suffering from and that Doxy is the antibiotic to use, there is no question that it SHOULD be on Doxy if you want your kitten to get better.

It's just that Doxy is never my first choice with a kitten when trying out an antibiotic or two playing around without a PCR test. My vet totally agrees with me and he too would never just Rx Doxy without a PCR test. It's an excellent antibiotic. So have an open mind. If Doxy is prescribed for your kitten, ask for the liquid (it's a compound).

Hold off on all vaccines until your kitten is all better. Don't worry about any vaccines already given though.

 

[Condo commando]

How is Feline Asthma Diagnosed?

A cat presenting with a history of coughing, wheezing and/or respiratory difficulty will usually need the following tests to determine what is going on:⁶

• A thorough physical examination, including listening carefully to the lungs and heart.
• Chest radiographs, commonly known as x-rays. These help rule out other causes of respiratory symptoms like heart enlargement, fluid in or around the lungs, tumors or pneumonia. Many cats with feline asthma have prominent airways and hyperinflated lungs, which means too much air is trapped in the lungs. It is important to note that cats can be severely asthmatic and have normal chestradiographs.⁷
• A complete blood count: a blood test which looks at red and white blood cell numbers and helps determine if a patient is responding to inflammation or infection. Many cats with feline asthma have an increased number of eosinophils, a white blood cell type that responds to allergic and parasitic inflammation.
• A heartworm test. Heartworm disease can mimic the symptoms of feline asthma.
• A fecal test for intestinal parasites. Some intestinal parasites have life stages that migrate through the lungs and can cause inflammation and respiratory symptoms.

In general, the diagnosis of asthma is made by ruling out other causes of coughing and respiratory difficulty, as there is no one test that determines with 100% assurance that a cat has asthma or not.⁸

Read more at Another Furball? It Might Be Feline Asthma - Feline Nutrition

 

[Jrs4]

Well they think she has pneumonia! her left lung has fluid, we had her on chlorpalm in early June and thought it was cleared (maybe didn't quite clear?) so she going on Azithromycin. My vet just sent her X-rays to a specialist and they are supposed to get back to us within an hour. Not done this stress yet! Poor baby.

 

[Condo commando]

Good thing about x-rays is they can email them anywhere; it doesn't have to be a vet in the area. Hopefully they will give you a definitive diagnosis. Smart move going to a specialist; regular vets are all about their wellness checks and they don't know what they don't know.

 

[GoldHazel]

@Condo commando yesterday I thought of and wondered about worms in lungs too.

@Jrs4 let us know what the specialist says. I just hope whatever it is, it will be treated with the right antibiotic. She is so beautiful and I know how much you must love her. You are a great mommy.

 

[Hairless Blessing]

Well they think she has pneumonia! her left lung has fluid, we had her on chlorpalm in early June and thought it was cleared (maybe didn't quite clear?) so she going on Azithromycin. My vet just sent her X-rays to a specialist and they are supposed to get back to us within an hour. Not done this stress yet! Poor baby.

Praying for your baby. Will be watching for more updates.

 

[Jrs4]

Update... we've been through so much!
The last few weeks lily seems to be ok, she's wheezy sometimes in the morning but hasn't coughed in over a month... until today

It's a long read, but this is where we've been.
-Clavamox to start- that was for stitches at 15weeks in June from spay. (Has a bit of a cough too).
She was xrayed and it showed her lung cloudy so they started treatment.
-Chlorpalm at 16 weeks with metacam for cough attacks
She seemed pretty good until July when she was only a bit raspy but re-xrayed and found her lung partially collapsed.
She was taken to a specialist, due to the extremely high cost to do the testing (3500) (insurance wouldn't pay -pre existing- as she had a cough when we picked her up). We decided to do the recommended antibiotic treatment.
-Azithromycin liquid and zeniquin pill and prednislone pills twice a day.
We re xrayed and it showed improvement so the zeniquin was dropped but we continued with Azithro and prednislone.
That treatment went on for a few weeks, antibiotics were stopped but kept the prednislone.
Tried to wean off the prednislone but she got raspy again, restarted a round of doxycycline with decreased amount of prednislone and also introduced two inhalers.
She seemed pretty normal again, yay! Now this week we're weaning the prednislone and now at day two I have a cough going again (it was just one and just two hack hack) wasn't a bad sound just worried me to hear again after so long without it.
She's always been on l-lysine and probiotics.
And I've recently changed her food to see if allergies to chicken could be a factor... aggg
Lost as to what to do next

 

[celsei]

Hmm, I would maybe e-mail/contact a bunch of different vets with her test results/x-rays/history and see if anyone has a different treatment plan/a better idea of what's going on with your baby. Look for vet reviews in your area to sort out the best ones. Even if they aren't particularly experienced with sphynxes good cat vets will do a good job, a lot of vets aren't good at dealing with cats in general

What was the expensive test they wanted to do?

It seems to me like this is more than an infection or anything that can be sorted out with antibiotics if it keeps coming back, has she been tested for viruses? FIV, FIP, calicivirus, etc? I have a kitten who had been vaccinated for calicivirus twice already so the vet didn't think of that but turns out he's had it from birth/before first vaccine and it just wasn't showing symptoms..

Or checked f0r any physical deformities that could cause this? Could the cloudiness be a growth? Liquid in chest (Chylothorax)? Possibly a laproscopic surgery if they can't figure anything out?

Heart problems also cause respiratory problems

If it's not one of those and is bacteria related I would have them get a sample of the bacteria and do an antibiotic sensititivity test but since she's been on doxy and other antibiotics already it seems unlikely, it seems like even if infection is flaring up there's something else causing it/keeping her weak

Has she been tested for allergies? It is possible for them to be allergic to just about everything in the environment including a bunch of things at once but I kind of doubt allergies would be enough to cause this many problems, not 100% sure thoughˇ

Also, does your contact with the breeder have any health guarantee/have you talked to them about this? They might be liable to cover health costs if she came to you coughing already or might at least have some helpful advice