Conference misery::feline

    Deb...
    
    I'm not sure if it was caused by the shot...or possibly the
    change in the weather lately.  I just had 6 cats displaying all
    the same symptoms...and all were put on medicine!!   I swear
    it's the change in the weather lately.
    
    Sandy

    Sandy,
    
    what I noticed today was that Niky and Billy were both sneezing. I
    think I am going to buy stock in the company that makes amoxicillian!
    
    I guess I'm really worried because of Jimmy's age, and because of just
    loosing Mikael to FIP, I have that running through the back of my head
    that maybe Jimmy is comming down with FIP (the vet assured me that it
    wasn't; his belly wasn't doughy and the eye wasn't a "FIP eye:")
    
    thanks for the reassurance,
    Deb

    Hi Deb,
    
    No, you're not the only one to notice this type of behaviour.  Last
    year Pumpkin got quite sick after her round of shots.  She ran a 
    temperature, her eyes leaked, and she basically proceeded to curl up 
    in a ball for 2 days and sleep - didn't want to eat or drink a thing.
    
    She *is* prone to upper respiratory infections, but this came on w/in
    an hour of having her shots.  My other cat Sammie was fine.  My vet 
    did say that some cats have reactions to the shots and that this was
    probably a reaction.  
    
    My two are going in tomorrow night for their yearly checkup.  I booked
    a Friday night appt so that I can be home w/them over the weekend if a 
    reaction occurs.  (They were actually due to visit the vet in January,
    but after last year I've been dreading bringing them back...)
    
    I hope that Jimmy feels better soon.  
    
    Sharon

    If my cats react to their shots, it's in one of two ways:
    the respir. shot may give them slight cold symptoms for a couple
    of days (milder than what you describe);  the vet told me that
    was normal.  The FeLV shot makes them very tired for about 12
    hours;  my vet said if it lasted longer than that to call him or
    bring the cat in, as that duration was not normal and the cat might
    need fluids, etc. while it recovered.  There is also the serious but
    treatable if you get it handled promptly allergic reaction to the FeLV
    shot, but my understanding is that that happens within the first
    20-30 minutes of the shot, and it's why I hang around the vet's
    office that long.  Having lost my first cat to FeLV, I feel that FeLv
    shots are worthwhile.
    

    thanks, Sharon. That's exactly what JImmy was doing; curled up in a
    ball in his little bed, and he didn't mind being covered. Usually when
    he is in this position andyou pat him, he purrs up a storm, but he just
    kind of moaned then hissed and growled this time. I'm hoping by tonight
    the drugs really kick and and he is himself again.
    
    Deb

    Deb...NO my crew had their shots over the summer.  I'm sure
    shots could have an affect on the immune system because I 
    have heard that de-worming a cat can also lower the immune 
    system.
    
    Hugs to Jimmy...
    
    sandy 

    Karen,
    
    he didn't get the FELV, just the reguler n-in-1 (5?) that does the
    respitory stuff. We did hang around the vet's for a while, as there was
    a lady right after us that had a cat that was suspected of having
    diabetes and the vet wanted her to see how well Jimmy is doing (seeing
    Jimmy literally saved that cats life, I might add.) He was strutting
    around while we were showing him off, and we were there for about a
    half hour with no problems. It wasn't until after we got home that he
    seemed a little lethargic. 
    
    anyhow, it is good to hear that maybe it is just a reaction to the
    shot. 
    
    thanks,
    Deb

    Deb, I would be sure he has some water, since when Holly
    curled into a ball for a day or 2 after a shot, and I some
    time later discussed it the vet, he seemed
    concerned about the dehydration problem.  I walked out a little
    scared that I hadn't brought her in when it happened, although
    things had turned out all right.
    

    Karen,
    
    he is well hydrated, and is drinking, and it seems to be more than
    normal. And of course, when I see him drinking that much, my mind starts
    wondering if his glucose level is up or if it is just the fevor. And then
    I start wondering if the antibiotics make his insulin injection ineffective.
    
    Hopefully when I get home tonight he will be his old self.
    
    Deb

    Several years ago when I had my cat, Daffy, she reacted in much the
    same way.  About a hour after when came home from having the shots, I
    found her on my bed, kind of hunched down whith her eyes half closed
    and her mouth open and drooling away.  I rushed her back to the vet,
    but by the time I got there she was better and he said it was nothing. 
    By the time I got back home she was pretty much O.K., but it had never
    happened before and it scared the heck out of me.
    
    Marilyn

    The shots do stress the immune system a bit so maybe an opportunistic
    bug took advantage of the lowered defenses.
    
    Wishing all a speedy recovery,
    
    Jan 

    well, he was somewhat his old self last night; greeted me at the door.
    He seemed to want to eat, but didn't. I gave his pill a little
    later and while trying to pill him, something seemed wrong; the pill
    didn't go down. I reopened his mouth and found not only the pill but a
    tooth came out; it didn't break, it was a full molar with a piece of root.
    (The vet had mentioned he needed a cleaning but due to his age, we
    don't want to put him under to do it).  I got the pill down with a little butter, but he seemed
    a little under the weather the rest of the night. I did get him to eat
    a jar of baby food last night with no problem, and two small jars this
    morning (all three jars were plain chicken). Anyhow, he is still sneezing
    a bit, but seems a bit better. I think that the shot coupled with the
    tooth problem are making him more miserable than he'd normally be. It
    looks like the antibiotics will help with the tooth, too.

    thanks everyone,
    Deb

    well,Jimmy is better, but  I think a bug is making the rounds.
    I mentioned Niky was sneezing. Now he seems to have a full blown cold.
    last Wed night I put him on amoxie. He had been haning out in front of
    the fire place and was hot to the touch. I took his temp and it was off
    the scale (>106). I kept him away from the fireplace for about 20
    minutes and it was down below 105. After getting an amoxie, his temp
    was normal in the morning, and he felt like eating. That night,
    however, it was back up. I brought him into the vet, and the vet thot it
    was a cold, and put him on amoxie for a week. Last night he was
    sneezing horribly, with a temp of 103.6. I called the vet who wants to
    keep him on one day before deciding to take blood or switch the
    antibiotic. He seems like he wants to eat, but just takes a couple of
    bites and then gives a look like it isn't appitizing to him (I did get
    him to eat some roast chicken last night and this morning, and he
    seemed excited about that). And he is drinking a lot of water. He is
    sneezing a lot (like every time he puts his head down to try to eat),
    but what is comming out of his nose is clear. His eyes look sad but are
    not running.
    
    my questions:
    
    1. Does this sound like the cat URI that is making the rounds (Sandy?)
    
    2. does this sound like it could be FIP? His belly doesn't seem doughy
    
    3. It did take Jimmy a week to shake his cold, but Niky is younger and
       has no known medical problems (except that he does test to have been
       exposed to a coronavirus). How long does a URI take to shake?
    
    4. The vet mentioned that it could be viral, in which case an
       antibiotic wouldn't help. Should I ask for something to bring down the
       fever, if is the fevor necessary to help fight the infection?
    
    thanks,
    Deb
    

    
    Yes, these sound like classic symptoms of a mild URI.  He could have a
    sore throat which would put him off his food.  How's his meow sound?
    Merlin caught a bad cold from the kittens when they first came home,
    and he lost his voice and his appetite.  This led to dehydration and
    bad kidney numbers.  He was treated with amoxycillin and subcutaneous
    fluids.  It was about two weeks before he recovered completely.
    
    Some viral URIs are "permanent", and can flare up at times of stress.
    They don't respond to antibiotics, but the antibiotics (like
    amoxycillin) can prevent complications.
    
    Your best bet for a more authoritative diagnosis is of course to take
    him to your vet.
    
    These URIs seem to have become endemic in shelter cats.  They used to
    be very rare. now they're pretty common.
    
    len.
      

    If the food doesn't taste good to him because he can't smell
    it, perhaps try really smelly food, like tuna or Nine Lives
    Super Supper (if they still make that).  That's what my vet suggested
    for Holly when she had a bad URI she caught in the shelter I adopted
    her from.
    
    

    
    9 Lives DOES still make Super Supper.  Do you think it's exceptionally 
    smelly?  I've never really noticed - I think ALL canned cat food is 
    smelly 8^).
    
    My cats can smell people-food tuna from one end of the house to the other.
                              

    Deb...I had about 6 cats that all were having sneezing fits
    and I put all of them on antibiotics right away to compat
    the cold.   Within a few days of the medicine...the sneezing
    stopped completely and nobody came down with a full blown
    cold.   Of course...I now have 2 other cats sneezing!!!!
    
    Sandy 

    Len,
    
    Since you mention needing fluids,how long did Merlin have a fevor with
    the cold? The fact that Nikolas has had a fevor for a week has me very
    worried, but he is keeping himself very well hydrated (I have fluids
    ready just in case, though). It is interesting you should mention his
    voice. I knew he was really sick last night when I touched him and he
    meowed (he is usually the strong, silent type). Wasn't much of a meow,
    kind of pitiful. The other thing that is interesting is that when I've
    given him roast chicken, if it is a piece right under the skin, he will
    devour it, but if it is underneath (like closer to the bone), he he doesn't 
    seem interested. I do think, though, his sence of smell is causing some
    appitite loss.
    
    Anyhow, he went to the vet when the sniffles started last week. If he
    is no better tonight, I think I am going to be firm and insist on
    bringing him in. (The vet that owns the practice is out sick with a
    cold!)
    
    thanks,
    Deb

     by the way, Len, Sandy and Karen,

    just how badly were the cats "congested"? Niky sounds like he is
    breathing through a stuffed nose, but given how he is spraying when he
    sneezes, I'm afraid it might be pneumonia.

    Deb

    Deb...my crew never got to the congested part and was only
    in the sneezing stage.   BUT..do be careful because I remember
    when Ziggy had pneumonia I could literally hear his chest
    rattle.  (he wasn't sneezing)   
    
    Sandy

    Holly actually stayed at the vet's shortly after I adopted her, because
    the vet didn't want to URI to spread to Sweetie.  I visited her every
    day.  She was -miserable-, sheets of slime coming out of her nose and
    eyes.  It lasted -three- weeks.  However, she is now a carrier of the
    URI,so she may have displayed worse symptoms than a normal kitty. (All
    I have to do to protect my other cats is their respir. shots are every
    six months instead of once a year.) Holly's eyes still tear a little
    bit most of the time but it doesn't seem to bother her or cause any
    irritation.
    
    I would call the vet about Niky;  I figure it's better to bother mine
    than worry, and he never seems to mind. He says owner's intuition
    often catches a situation early.
    

    
    My guys' noses have never been congested, just runny.
    
    Merlin didn't have much of a fever; he got dehydrated because he
    stopped eating and drinking.  We assumed that his laryngitis (which was
    quite obvious - Merlin has a deep, resonant Siamese voice, and he lost
    it completely) meant a sore throat.
    
    len.
     

    re: chest rattle
    
    that was the other phrase I was searching for when talkin gto the vet
    last night (but I couldn't come up with it). thank you.
    
    Deb

    Len, was he sneezing?
    
    Deb

    Karen,
    
    do you mean to say that since she had one bad cold, she is prone to
    getting them worst? Niky had a cold when I first adopted him.
    
    Deb

    well, Niky seemed a lot better last night, so I've held off to bringing
    him in to the vet until tonight (he has an appointment at 6:30). I've
    found that he likes Tender Vittles, and he gobbled them up. Also, his
    temp was down to 103.2, which was down about 1/2 a degree from
    yesterday. I didn't have time to take it this morning, but his ears
    felt cool, which is a sign that the fever might have broken.

    Last night I made him some "chicken soup" (really a watery chicken/rice
    stew), and he ate that real well. He also sneezed out a mucus plug last
    night, but he was much more active, alert and hungry, which I think are
    good signs. 

    On the down side, Jimmy is sneezing again, and Billy has started to
    sneeze (luckily the vet gave me a stash of amoxie so I was able to
    start Billy on it last night).

    Deb

    
    Merlin didn't sneeze much; Floyd, when he's having a recurrence, sneezes
    frequently, but his appetite seems unaffected.  Merlin hasn't had a
    recurrence, though he's got a bit more eye-gunk than he had before
    being exposed.  This could just be his advanced age.
    
    len.
    

    Niky saw the vet last night. His cold has turned into a pnemonia of
    sorts. The discharge from his nose is no longer clear, and his temp was
    up to 104.2.
    
    He is now on cefatabs and got fluids. The good news is that this
    morning his ears were absolutely cool (I didn't have time to take a
    temp, but hot ears usually indicate a fevor), and he wanted to eat. 
    This is encouraging, but still in the back of my mind I fear FIP.
    
    Jimmy is back on amoxcillian, since he started sneezing, but I think
    that we have caught things before a relapse.
    
    BIlly is also on amoxie, and while he looks horrible, atleast he ate
    this morning and his ears were cool again. Again, in the back of my
    mind I do fear FIP, because he used to "hang out" with Mikael.
    
    Thanks eveyone for the advice and info. Keep your fingers crossed that
    things continue to go well. 
    
    Deb

    Deb....don't let yourself worry like crazy over FIP.  I truly
    beleive when the weather starts to change..many cats are 
    proned to catch the bug.
    
    I recently had 6 sneezing kitties on meds...and they are fine..and then
    2 other ones start sneezing....and so on!!!!!  
    
    Hugs to all of yours....
    
    Sandy 

    Niky is definatly starting to feel better. He is eating again, and
    while he is still sneezing, his nose doesn't seem plugged. I'm finally
    beleiving that he is going to be ok. 
    
    thanks all for your words of encouragement and advice.
    
    Deb