AT-HOME CARE: FELINE UPPER RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS
This information has not been reviewed by a veterinarian. It is intended to
supplement, not replace, veterinary advice. Please see your veterinarian if you have
health or behavior concerns about your pet.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Upper respiratory infections (URI) may be caused by many viruses. They are highly
contagious among cats, but will not be transmitted to other species from the cat, with the
exception of one variety of Bordetella Bronchiseptica (canine kennel cough).
HOW LONG WILL THE RECOVERY PERIOD BE?
Typically about 3 weeks, but it could be as little as 10 days or more than 6 weeks,
depending on the severity of the infection(s) and the cat’s immune system.
BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE VET’S OFFICE WITH THE CAT:
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Get appropriate medication and instructions from a veterinarian. Be sure to write
down the medication instructions and get syringes if you need them. Ask
questions if you don’t understand.
Sometimes the animal is given a penicillin injection. If this has been done, wait 48
hours from the time this was done before starting a new antibiotic.
Check ears for ear mites; if present, have them treated.
Check for fleas; if present, have the cat treated.
If animal has not been de-wormed, ask that the de-worming medication be
administered.
Animals over 8 weeks old not already tested should be tested for feline leukemia
before you take them home.
Nails should be freshly trimmed--very important when a cat must be given
medication.
THE HOME ENVIRONMENT
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Cats with URI should not be around healthy cats – it is highly infectious. There is
no guarantee that a more serious illness is not present.
Keep the cat in a warm, draft-free, calm environment. Block the airspace under
any door with a bath towel to discourage your curious cats from inhaling airborne
virus freshly sneezed by the ill cat.
Offer plenty of clean water at all times. Do not offer milk, which can cause
diarrhea.
Try feeding a mixture of wet and dry food. Offer wet, dry, treats, whatever you
can get the cat to eat at this point! Some cats do not like dry food and some will
not eat wet food. Try different varieties of each; the stinky foods are sometimes
the best because they are easier for the cat to smell. Slightly warming the food
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AT-HOME CARE: FELINE UPPER RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS
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helps release more odor for congested cats to smell. Raising the food and water
dishes also helps them eat and drink better while congested. If you are
medicating the cat with an antihistamine, administer it at least 30 minutes before
offering food.
Keep clean litter available. Non-clumping litter is best for congested cats. A
hooded cat pan makes it easier to keep your house clean, but some cats are not
used to hooded cat pans.
The cat may be frightened and hide. Usually this does not last very long. Most
cats are quite friendly and happy to get attention, even when they feel bad.
SYMPTOMS TO EXPECT
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Congestion (you can get decongestant pills from the vet that may help)
Runny nose – may be clear or colored mucus
Sneezing
Coughing
Watery eyes, may have crusted matter in them
Cats can develop ulcers on their eyes, noses or mouths.
Sometimes, ear infections can develop – particularly if some ear mites were
present and the cat was scratching at its ears.
Diarrhea is possible as a result of the illness, a medication, unusual food, or an
unrelated infection or imbalance in the gastrointestinal system.
Sick cats often fall behind on their hygiene and start to look “scruffy”. You can
help by wiping their faces with a warm, damp cloth and brushing them.
THINGS TO LOOK FOR AND WHEN TO SEE THE VET
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Make sure the cat is eating and drinking. Sick cats cannot smell food well and
sometimes lose their appetite and ultimately the will to live. If your cat has not
touched food in 24 hours, see the document called “Tips for getting your sick cat
to eat”. If you do not get the cat to eat on its own, you can syringe food,
nutritional supplements such as Nutrical and Dyne, and water into its mouth in
small quantities. After a few days of this, most cats will start eating on their own.
If they do not, visit the vet for assistance to avoid dehydration – they can tubefeed if necessary.
Dehydration can occur when the cat does not take in enough liquid, and is
accelerated by diarrhea. If you pinch a fold of skin on the cat and release it, and it
does not immediately snap back into place, the cat is likely dehydrated. The eyes
of dehydrated cats will start to appear sunken. Dehydrated cats usually stop
eating (if they haven’t already) and will act lethargic (more noticeable in kittens).
When you notice dehydration, you can contact the shelter to see if someone is
available to give fluids to the cat, or make an appointment with a vet to have
fluids administered. The smaller the kitten, the more urgent it is to treat
dehydration.
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AT-HOME CARE: FELINE UPPER RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS
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Diarrhea that is present for more than a few days may indicate another problem.
You can take a fecal sample to a vet for analysis. Fresh samples are best; keep
them refrigerated. One of the first suspects is always a parasite, such as
tapeworms. You can try de-worming the cat again if it has been a couple of
weeks since this was initially done; sometimes a second dose is needed. The
diarrhea may also be from an upset stomach. Sometimes active culture yogurt
will help, and many cats like to eat it.
Weight Loss is a signal that the animal is not eating well. For kittens especially,
weight should be monitored, as they do not have much room to lose weight.
Postal scales are useful for weighing kittens.
Difficulty breathing – sounds bad, but usually due to congestion. You can try
the following:
o Either put a humidifier in the room, or try putting your cat in a closed
bathroom with a hot shower running for 10-15 minutes to get the effects
from the steam. Repeat several times per day.
o Try nebulizing the cat. This involves special equipment, which is to treat
the animal with a fine mist of antibiotics. The equipment is typically used
to help asthmatic humans.
Difficulty opening eyes due to discharge – visit your vet. There are numerous
useful medications but getting a proper diagnosis is important to selecting the
right medicine. Avoid medications with cortisone until you have a diagnosis!
Lethargy in kittens: see veterinarian soon. Kittens with URI who are eating and
drinking are usually still active and trying to play. Lethargic kittens may be
dehydrated; this can be very critical for kittens.
MEDICATION INFORMATION
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The antibiotic medication you will get from the vet is to fight off the secondary
infections that occur along with the virus only. You will be alleviating the
symptoms and providing supportive therapy by way of a healthy diet and a nice
home environment for the cat’s own immune system to fight off the viral
infection
Many medications require refrigeration after mixing. Keep in the fridge so they
do not lose their potency.
If the cat is given a penicillin vaccination, wait 48 hours before giving other
antibiotics.
Some medications must be thrown out after a certain time period (for example 14
days for some antibiotics).
Give medications on a consistent time schedule and understand how often the
medication should be given (once/day, 2x , 3x, and so on).
If you have questions about the dosage, ask your vet. Anyone can make an error,
so don’t be afraid to ask if the information sounds incorrect.
If the animal is not well after 10-14 days, contact the vet and tell them which
medication you were using. They may give you another medication to try. Don’t
panic. URI recovery often takes more than 14 days!
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AT-HOME CARE: FELINE UPPER RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS
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If someone else in your household is helping you, make a chart or other system to
make sure medication is administered by one of you (and is not administered
twice). If you leave town and have a pet sitter or friend helping out with your
animal, make sure she understands the medication instructions.
If you have any trouble giving the medicine, contact the vet or bring the cat in for
help in learning what to do. There are some meds available in liquid form if you
encounter one of the “unpillable” cats.
L-lysine is a nutritional supplement that can be helpful in fighting off the feline
herpes virus. You can try mixing 250 mg two or three times per day into the cat’s
food. It can be purchased in pill form in the medication section of most grocery
stores.
RECORD-KEEPING YOU SHOULD DO:
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Keep a record of the medications given: dosage and when started.
If you can weigh the cat or kitten, keeping a weight record will help you monitor
progress.
Take note of new symptoms and when they occur (such as diarrhea) so you will
know how long they have been present if you need to discuss it with a
veterinarian.
WHEN IS THE CAT WELL?
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There must be no sneezing for 24 hours.
Congestion should be gone.
No eye or nasal discharge.
Cat should look healthy in general.
To confirm – check with your vet!
Sources:
The Well Cat Book, by Terri McGinnis, D.V.M. , Random House, Inc., 1993.
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