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MeatballsMom

Lairian
Joined
Jun 29, 2021
Messages
5
Points
4
Hello! I have a 7 week old Sphynx kitten who got sick the day after he came into my care. I thought it was an upper respiratory infection, and he has been on antibiotics but no change. One of his eyes has been watering (clear, no yellow or green), and he has sneezing fits often. His breathing is labored because he is too congested to breathe out of his nose well and has been mouth breathing. I took him to the vet and they told me they thought he may have bronchitis/asthma and was given a steroid injection. I was told he should be feeling better within a day, but he still sounds exactly the same. He is eating fine and using the restroom, still playful, but I’m worried. I read from the drug manufacturer that it could take a few days to see results. Should I give it a little more time or take him back to the vet for further testing? Has anyone else dealt with this? If so, what ended up being the problem, and what helped? TIA!
 

Sheldon13

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Sep 2, 2014
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Is he eating and drinking normally? Eliminating normally? Otherwise behaving normally?

It is very common for kittens to get a little respiratory bug (just like human children). You just want to make sure he’s able to get oxygen.


Love and Sphynx ~ It’s all you need
 

MeatballsMom

Lairian
Joined
Jun 29, 2021
Messages
5
Points
4
Is he eating and drinking normally? Eliminating normally? Otherwise behaving normally?

It is very common for kittens to get a little respiratory bug (just like human children). You just want to make sure he’s able to get oxygen.


Love and Sphynx ~ It’s all you need
Yes, he is acting completely normal other than his breathing. He had an X-ray and the vet said his lungs looked a little abnormal. Can this happen with just an URI? I’m just very worried with as young as he is and want to make sure I’m doing everything I possibly can to make sure he is doing well and developing like he is supposed to!
 

Catzzzmeow

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With a 7 week old kitten I would go back to the vet immediately. That is a very young kitten and they are so fragile at that age and should have stayed with their mother longer until their immune system developed more. Your might want to do a PCR test to try to better identify the root cause. Please keep us updated…kudos to you for trusting your gut and getting proper care. @MeatballsMom
 

MeatballsMom

Lairian
Joined
Jun 29, 2021
Messages
5
Points
4
I called the vet and they told me that they already did everything they could, which I’m highly annoyed by because all they did was give him an X-ray and steroid injection. I asked specifically if I could bring him in for a PCR test. They told me to go see a specialist because the steroid “should have worked”. I’m at a loss. He’s doing very well otherwise, so I’m not sure where I should go from here.
 

Condo commando

Gold Lairian
Notable Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2014
Messages
4,067
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568
A kitten that age can crash quickly so I would see a vet since you're not seeing improvement. It sounds to me like the vet you took him to just took a guess but who knows if it even did any good.

Your best bet is if you live near a university with a vet school, make an appointment there. Vet schools have every kind of specialist and state of the art everything. They usually tend to cost less also.

If you don't have a vet school close enough, then look for an Internal Medicine Specialist. Search in this link:
 

MeatballsMom

Lairian
Joined
Jun 29, 2021
Messages
5
Points
4
Hello! I have a 7 week old Sphynx kitten who got sick the day after he came into my care. I thought it was an upper respiratory infection, and he has been on antibiotics but no change. One of his eyes has been watering (clear, no yellow or green), and he has sneezing fits often. His breathing is labored because he is too congested to breathe out of his nose well and has been mouth breathing. I took him to the vet and they told me they thought he may have bronchitis/asthma and was given a steroid injection. I was told he should be feeling better within a day, but he still sounds exactly the same. He is eating fine and using the restroom, still playful, but I’m worried. I read from the drug manufacturer that it could take a few days to see results. Should I give it a little more time or take him back to the vet for further testing? Has anyone else dealt with this? If so, what ended up being the problem, and what helped? TIA!
Thanks for all the info! My little Meatball is doing much better! I’m in the process of looking for a new vet (I am by a school and didn’t even think about vet students—thanks for that suggestion!). I have been giving him l-lysine, and I’m not sure if they steroid finally kicked in or he just had an URI he needed to get over but he’s pretty much back to 100%! Bouncing off the walls and eating much better! I’m so relieved. Thanks again, everyone!
 

Willow Blackwel

Lairian
Joined
Aug 16, 2022
Messages
13
Points
4
To my knowledge there are 7 main causes of cat tears:
1. The eyes are stimulated by foreign objects
2. Eye infection caused by bacteria
3. Eye infection due to conjunctivitis
4. Eyes with respiratory infections
5. Cats with allergies
6. Effects of glaucoma
7. Race prone to tears
If you want to treat your cat, you must first find the cause. Some examples of treating cat tears can be: A home remedy for cat watery eyes is to use a cotton swab to get rid of the source of the irritation. Medications such as anti-inflammatories to stop swelling and Antibiotics to treat infections
 

Willow Blackwel

Lairian
Joined
Aug 16, 2022
Messages
13
Points
4
To my knowledge there are 7 main causes of cat tears:
1. The eyes are stimulated by foreign objects
2. Eye infection caused by bacteria
3. Eye infection due to conjunctivitis
4. Eyes with respiratory infections
5. Cats with allergies
6. Effects of glaucoma
7. Race prone to tears
If you want to treat your cat, you must first find the cause. Some examples of treating cat tears can be: A home remedy for cat watery eyes is to use a cotton swab to get rid of the source of the irritation. Medications such as anti-inflammatories to stop swelling and Antibiotics to treat infections
If you want to treat your cat, you must first find the cause. Some examples of treating cat tears can be: A home remedy for cat watery eyes is to use a cotton swab to get rid of the source of the irritation. Medications such as anti-inflammatories to stop swelling and Antibiotics to treat infections
 
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