Roo Sick Again!

[ja&roo]

Hello Everyone,
I feel both frustrated, and sad. My little munchkin isn't feeling well...again
I'll give you guys a little background, and if anyone has input or an opinion to share, I would love to hear it, and greatly appreciate it

I am a first time sphynx owner. I got Roo March of this year, he was 3 months old. When he was about 1 1/2 - 2 mos old and still with the breeder he had an eye infection in his left eye. She treated it with terramycin ointment.
He was sneazing a little here and there when he arrived to me via airline from New Jersey. What a beautiful, amazing, precious sight he was!!!! The next day we saw the vet(not the same vet I see now) he said Roo had a little bit of a cold, also by then his eyes were very red and irritated. He didn't feel it necessary to treat him. I disagreed, but I'm not a vet.

A couple days later his cold was full blown. We went back, they gave him meds, baytril? and eye ointment; bacitracin maybe? The cold got better, but his eyes were still red, runny, and crusty. My breeder sent me some terramycin ointment which worked really well. He continues to have ongoing "flare-ups" with his left eye, I use the terramycin and it clears. I hope that's ok?

During that first appnt. the vet also found a heart murmur. Being so young, he thought it would close. When I took Roo to another vet (now Roo's current vet) for a 2nd opinion she also thought it would. Unfortunatly, not the case for Roo, it's still there
Subjectivly she thinks it is about a grade 3 murmur. Only an ultrsound can truly clarify exactly what is going on in there. I'm saving money to have this done.

In September of this year my parents got Doolie from the same breeder, as some of you may know, he's Roo's half brother. I share a home with my parents so being the loving little sphynxy creatures they are, they quickly became best buds!
On Doolie's journey (via airline) his flight missed it's connection leaving poor little Doolie stranded an extra 6 hrs! Two days from arrival our vet diagnosed him with an upper respritory infection and bacterial infection or something like that in his ears. Our vet put him on clavamox and some kind of ear drops.
That evening Roo started vomiting. It was yellowish bile looking with little red speckles of what looked like blood, the red speckles subsided with each time he got sick until it was just yellow. His eyes were flared-up, but this time with yellow green runnies goopies and He didn't want to eat or drink.
We took him to the vet. She put him on a bland diet. He started to get better from those symptoms, but started to get sick with Doolies cold symptoms as Doolie was now doing great! Then Doolie started getting sick. So our vet put them both on clavamox and eye ointment at the same time.
Two weeks ago they finished meds and were both doing great! Last wk. Roo's eye started,but with the usual brownish discharge, now he's sneezing, yellow green eye discharge, and He's been really tired. Today he started vomiting. My dad has been home with him today because I had to work. I put a call in to my vet.

I just got a voicemail from my vet. I want to listen to it again before I post so that I'm accurate. I'm going to end here for now so I can leave work and get hm see my boy. I will fill you guys in tonight. I'm sorry this was so long.

 

[kiennasmom]

Oh no....I hope your Roo feels better soon!! Best wishes!

 

[Mews2much]

That is terrible.
I have a sick sphynx also but it is from a cat show.
Can yu have your cat checked for herpes ad get a hcm scan.
HCM isheart problem sphynx can get.
I hope he feels better.

 

[Brooke]

Aw, poor little fella! I'm sorry he's not feeling well. A couple of quick things I wanted to mention and then I'm curious to hear what your vet had to say...

First, it's curious that both cats came from the breeder with URI's, and upsetting to hear that he may have been ill when he went shipped to you. At any rate, I agree that your first vet should have treated him right away and glad to hear that you changed vets. If he has recurring issues with his eye, it's possible he's got FHV, and would probably benefit greatly from L-Lysine supplements every day. Lysine is an amino acid that works against the herpes virus and also acts as an immune booster. I would recommend giving him 250-500mg of Lysine every day, and at the first sign of a flare up, increase his dose to 1000mg until he's better. The same recommendation goes for his brother, since they came from the same breeder and would likely both be carriers. Even if they don't have it (and something like 90% of cats are exposed to the virus at some point in their lives) it will not hurt them to take Lysine. The Lysine should help reduce the number and severity of these flare-ups.

The other thing that is of concern to me is his murmur. I'm sure you're aware of the risk of HCM in the sphynx breed and a murmur is often times the first indication. (though it can be present without a murmur, and a murmur can be present without HCM). Does his breeder scan her breeding cats for HCM? When you get Roo's ultrasound or echocardiogram, if you do find that there is a problem - please have your parents take his brother for an echo when he's a year old, because it is hereditary.

That's all for now. Best of luck to your sweet boy! It's so hard to see them sick.

 

[Haji the Sphynx]

What a nightmare - I'm so sorry for your sick little kitties and my heart goes out to you and all the worry you must be going through.

 

[Maggies mommy]

feel better little buddy!!!

 

[ja&roo]

Aw, poor little fella! I'm sorry he's not feeling well. A couple of quick things I wanted to mention and then I'm curious to hear what your vet had to say...

First, it's curious that both cats came from the breeder with URI's, and upsetting to hear that he may have been ill when he went shipped to you. At any rate, I agree that your first vet should have treated him right away and glad to hear that you changed vets. If he has recurring issues with his eye, it's possible he's got FHV, and would probably benefit greatly from L-Lysine supplements every day. Lysine is an amino acid that works against the herpes virus and also acts as an immune booster. I would recommend giving him 250-500mg of Lysine every day, and at the first sign of a flare up, increase his dose to 1000mg until he's better. The same recommendation goes for his brother, since they came from the same breeder and would likely both be carriers. Even if they don't have it (and something like 90% of cats are exposed to the virus at some point in their lives) it will not hurt them to take Lysine. The Lysine should help reduce the number and severity of these flare-ups.

The other thing that is of concern to me is his murmur. I'm sure you're aware of the risk of HCM in the sphynx breed and a murmur is often times the first indication. (though it can be present without a murmur, and a murmur can be present without HCM). Does his breeder scan her breeding cats for HCM? When you get Roo's ultrasound or echocardiogram, if you do find that there is a problem - please have your parents take his brother for an echo when he's a year old, because it is hereditary.

That's all for now. Best of luck to your sweet boy! It's so hard to see them sick.

My sweet boy is snuggled in his blankie in my lap now
Well Brooke you pretty much nailed it! My vet suggested the possibility of FHV and recommended trying lysine as well, it brings some relief to have a direction to go in.
After the message from my vet, my mum and I poked around on the internet for info on "feline herpes virus ." So far much of what we've read tonight, coinsides with what has been happening with Roo thus far, as well as what you just said.

I didn't realize heart murmurs and HCM had a connection. That is certainly enlightening information. Thank you.
I have read some of your posts on the forum and they have been very knowledgable and helpful, so I was excited to see your name on my thread tonight Thank you again Brooke

 

[Mews2much]

Lysine does help if it is herpes.
My Meeko has herpes and a grade 2/3 heart murmur.
She is not a sphynx though.
What does the breeder say about the problems?
You need to check the lines of your cat in the HCM database.
I can check for you if you want me to.

 

[gizmo6370]

Sound like both the cats are suvering from herpes or chlamydia

And then about the murmur....didn't the breeder tell you that Roo had a murmur ?? I guess that the vet from the breeder should have heard it before when he went there for his shots when he was younger.....the breeder should have told you and ask you if you still want to buy him....and in my opinion the breeder should pay for the echo now.....( I know i would ).....
How old is Roo now ?? He should be scanned around 8 months....the murmur can be caused of a hole in the septum.....and it still can be closed when he grows.....and indeed....not every murmur has to be hcm.....

I hope that Roo soon wil be feeling better....

 

[ilovemysphynx]

Stinks that you are having these problems and glad to see you are an your way to A treatment plan!
You say they came from New Jersey if you don't mind sharing can you PM me the breeder, I am from here and have researched and talked to all the breeders here, maybe I could help you with some back ground info and let you know if they had problems in the past.

 

[PitRottMommy]

Ja, I'm sorry to hear that Roo isn't feeling well.

First things first, I'll cover concerns I have as I go down your message. Try to take them with a grain of salt, I'm rip-snorting mad at some of the stuff you've posted and I'll try to keep it as mild at possible:

First, if I were the person in your situation when Roo arrived---I would have given the breeder a piece of my mind. And that would be: DO NOT SHIP SICK KITTENS! Whether its an occasional sneeze or boogers flying everywhere...NO SHIPPING! It's a stress that only makes things worse (as you saw, twice) and young kittens often do NOT have the full capability to over come upper respiratory problems. I also smack your breeder's hand for not even bothering to tell you that herpes is a problem in cats--especially when both the eye and the upper respiratory tract were affected. Any standup breeder would have not only mentioned this but also told you that they were going to keep the kitten until all signs were gone (or replace with another kitten). In addition, I surely hope that Baytril was not given to your 3 month old kitten upon arrival. He was far too young. Baytril comes in two tablet forms: a brown taste tab that has 4-part scoring across the top and a purple tab (not often used in cats because the taste tabs are preferred by most felines) of the same size with no scoring. Hopefully you were sent home with Amoxidrops or Clavamox drops, instead. Baytril can stunt (or even stop) bone marrow growth in young animals. Generally speaking, the earliest we give Baytril is 10 months to cats, when most of their growing has been completed. Most veterinarians are cautious to use it before 15 months, unless absolutely necessarily and (again) not much before that 10 month mark.

I'm seconding Brooke's notation about herpes. Which is likely going to keep you treating URIs and eye problems well into his adulthood (if not his entire life). L-lysine, as its been mentioned, is going to be your biggest help in that department. Although antibiotics will help you greatly with full blown URIs.

I'm going to ask a question here that leaves me quite upset: Why in the world would you guys buy a second kitten from this breeder that sent you a sick kitten to begin with...with a heart murmur?! HCM has been mentioned, but more importantly...what about all the other cardiac diseases that happen? A grade 3 heart murmur is not something to fool around with (even if it was noted after the second kitten was obtained). A grade 3 is something we see everyday with small breed dogs in congestive heart failure (the highest grade is a 6). A murmur that is getting worse as time goes on does not signal good things for your baby, I'm so sorry to say. I pray that you have the echo done and, if something is wrong, time remains to treat it. Shall I mention that this is a 9 month old kitten? As owners, we should hope to have pets that live to be 15 or 20 years old...not have problems at less than a year of such severity. I seriously urge you to cease your purchasing of animals from this breeder.

As far as Doolie's layover and then subsequent "cold", you must understand that "colds" are mild forms of upper respiratory tract infections (URIs). This means that whatever was going to cause the flare (bacteria, herpes virus, etc) was present before he left the breeder's home. I stress again, this is your second sick kitten from this breeder. I would advice heavily on having Doolie's heart evaluated upon his next appt---and an echo schedule all the same. Not all cases of HCM have murmurs, but that still leaves tons of other heart problems that do.

So, with Roo contining to get sick...herpes virus is suspect. Start the L-lysine and give it regularly like many of our members do (and give it to both cats) who battle the virus and see if improvements are made. As a general rule, you cannot over do it. So, double up if you see a URI or eye flare up coming on. Keep an eye oint on hand that works for him, it seems to be terramycin. Speak with your vet about FHV and do some internet research. I've also posted somewhere here about a solution my vet uses for herpes outbreaks. It might not be a bad idea to take down ingredients in case the terramycin ever stops working for you guys.

http://www.sphynxlair.com/showthread.php?t=1040&highlight=betadine&page=2

 

[Brooke]

My sweet boy is snuggled in his blankie in my lap now
Well Brooke you pretty much nailed it! My vet suggested the possibility of FHV and recommended trying lysine as well, it brings some relief to have a direction to go in.
After the message from my vet, my mum and I poked around on the internet for info on "feline herpes virus ." So far much of what we've read tonight, coinsides with what has been happening with Roo thus far, as well as what you just said.

I didn't realize heart murmurs and HCM had a connection. That is certainly enlightening information. Thank you.
I have read some of your posts on the forum and they have been very knowledgable and helpful, so I was excited to see your name on my thread tonight Thank you again Brooke

You're very welcome!

There are quite a few of us here that have FHV kitties, and a couple of us that have had HCM kitties, too (if that turns out to be the case with your boy) so please, don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions!

 

[ja&roo]

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
First, I want to thank everyone for their posts. VERY HELPFUL

I am happy to report that Roo is doing much better today His eye is almost back to normal, activity is up and he's eating and drinking well. He did vomit very small amounts twice today I'm not sure what that means?
Tonight we started he and Doolie on the lysine and Roo has an appointment for his heart scan on Dec. 23rd. I hope for the best scenario, and will face whatever may come, with positivity and love.

Roo would say hello but he's sleeping....

 

[Marnasobsession]

So glad to hear roo is getting better...where did you get your lysine and what forms does it come in? Mine have been fighting colds and have been on Amoxicillan. Maizie is still sneezing and last dose was today

 

[ja&roo]

I got it from my vet today. It's called "viralys" it's an oral gel. $13 for 5 oz. I don't know if that's expensive or not, but I wanted to get them started on it right away then see what other choices are available to me.
I'm sorry to hear your babies have been struggling with being sick.

 

[ja&roo]

So glad to hear roo is getting better...where did you get your lysine and what forms does it come in? Mine have been fighting colds and have been on Amoxicillan. Maizie is still sneezing and last dose was today

...Also, I think it is over the counter so maybe something will be open tomorrow? I would do a little internet search first though because i read something about being careful about which one you get?

There are members on here that have a lot of knowledge on this subject. Maybe they could offer you some advice?

 

[Mews2much]

That is the one I use.
I put it on the paw and they lick it.

 

[harley]

Glad your baby is feeling better, we will be praying the scan comes out well..

 

[PitRottMommy]

So glad to hear roo is getting better...where did you get your lysine and what forms does it come in? Mine have been fighting colds and have been on Amoxicillan. Maizie is still sneezing and last dose was today

Maizie may require another dose of antibiotics or a different kind. Amoxicillin is good, but you might try having your vet go to Clavamox to see if the change helps. The ideal is to battle the bacteria that's causing the problems. Amoxi may not have done the job since she's still sneezing.

Viru-lys comes in two forms: Gel and Powder. Both work wonderfully. It would be wise to try adding Lysine to your regimen for your pets, Marnasobsession.

 

[Maggies mommy]

Happy Thanksgiving to u too!!! I'm so happy that my little buddy Roo is feeling better! I have my fingers crossed for his heart scan! Have an awsome turkey day!

 

[Brooke]

I got it from my vet today. It's called "viralys" it's an oral gel. $13 for 5 oz. I don't know if that's expensive or not, but I wanted to get them started on it right away then see what other choices are available to me.
I'm sorry to hear your babies have been struggling with being sick.

So glad to hear roo is getting better...where did you get your lysine and what forms does it come in? Mine have been fighting colds and have been on Amoxicillan. Maizie is still sneezing and last dose was today

L-Lysine is available in a gel/paste, powder, or in treat form. You can get them from your vet or you can buy the same brand online (It was cheaper from Amazon until I told my vet, and then he lowered his price for me!).

The Viralys gel is good because you can mix it in their wet food or, like Mew2much, put it on their paw, the powder is great because you can dissolve it into their drinking water, and I love the treats because they're really easy to give - my cats go nuts for them and they think they're getting treats (not realizing they're getting "medicine").

Here are some links to the different kinds:
gel:
http://www.amazon.com/Vet-Solutions-Viralys-L-Lysine-Powder/dp/B0013LLHW0/ref=pd_sim_k_5

treats:
http://www.amazon.com/Enisyl-F-Enisl-F-Lysine-treats-6-35oz/dp/B001TEGPL4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1259255390&sr=1-1

 

[Brooke]

I don't know why the link for the powder didn't show up... here it is:

http://www.amazon.com/Viralys-Oral-Powder-Cats-100/dp/B000FULBT4/ref=pd_bxgy_k_img_b

 

[heather]

Get better Roo!

Sophie is on Viralys gel and the vet said to put it on her paw since it would be her instinct to lick it off like M2M does. Sophie decided not to lick it off and it dried to her arm and later peeled off. Well, now it goes in her wet food.

 

[Marnasobsession]

TYSM for the info Brooke.

 

[kiennasmom]

Get better Roo!

Sophie is on Viralys gel and the vet said to put it on her paw since it would be her instinct to lick it off like M2M does. Sophie decided not to lick it off and it dried to her arm and later peeled off. Well, now it goes in her wet food.

LOL What a cutie!!