Cat Flu help/advice please.

MaryK666

I have two rescue cats, one of which is FIV+ and two weeks ago, I adopted two more cats (aged 5ish) who were facing being pts. The two new cats have been in quarantine together since they arrved as they had already been penned together prior to my adopting them.
On Tuesday night, Eddie started to sneeze but infrequently so I put it down to the cat litter as my original girl had this reaction when we got her first. Yesterday he was sneezing more, had a clear nasal discharge and was doing quite a bit of mouth breathing so I took him straight to the vet who diagnosed cat flu. He's an awesome vet and has cats himself so he knows his stuff. He said that Eddies lungs were clear so far but prescribed an anitbiotic and told me to quarantine him separate to his mate so we now have one cat in the ds loo and one in the main bathroom. Hurrah for an en suite
He advised me to keep him warm, hydrated and check him regularly and if the symptoms appreared worse, to bring him back quick smart. I have to keep a close eye on his mate (who's not happy about being in solitary) and, especially, my original two but - touch wood and thanks to vaccines - they all seem fine so far.
He's a lovely little cat and is becoming quite trusting and although he wasn't quite sure at first, he's starting to love his cuddles too and purrs like a train. He was very skinny and loves his food so he's just starting to put on a bit of weight too. I've put two cat beds in with him along with a litter tray, toys, wet food, dry food and water and I hand feed him things like boiled chicken and smoked mackerel which he usually adores. I have given him a few sniffs of Olbas oil to try and clear his litle nose and I know that it's working as, by the third sniff, he pulls his head back as the vapor gets through and once he can smell his food, he's happy to wolf it down.
My problem seems to be keeping him warm as he insists on dozing on the window cill which is the coldest spot in the room.
I would appreciate any advice you guys could give me on anything else I should/could be doing to help or anything, either standard or homeopathic, that I might add to his diet to help him fight this virus.

blondie7

MaryK666 wrote: »

I have two rescue cats, one of which is FIV+ and two weeks ago, I adopted two more cats (aged 5ish) who were facing being pts. The two new cats have been in quarantine together since they arrved as they had already been penned together prior to my adopting them.
On Tuesday night, Eddie started to sneeze but infrequently so I put it down to the cat litter as my original girl had this reaction when we got her first. Yesterday he was sneezing more, had a clear nasal discharge and was doing quite a bit of mouth breathing so I took him straight to the vet who diagnosed cat flu. He's an awesome vet and has cats himself so he knows his stuff. He said that Eddies lungs were clear so far but prescribed an anitbiotic and told me to quarantine him separate to his mate so we now have one cat in the ds loo and one in the main bathroom. Hurrah for an en suite
He advised me to keep him warm, hydrated and check him regularly and if the symptoms appreared worse, to bring him back quick smart. I have to keep a close eye on his mate (who's not happy about being in solitary) and, especially, my original two but - touch wood and thanks to vaccines - they all seem fine so far.
He's a lovely little cat and is becoming quite trusting and although he wasn't quite sure at first, he's starting to love his cuddles too and purrs like a train. He was very skinny and loves his food so he's just starting to put on a bit of weight too. I've put two cat beds in with him along with a litter tray, toys, wet food, dry food and water and I hand feed him things like boiled chicken and smoked mackerel which he usually adores. I have given him a few sniffs of Olbas oil to try and clear his litle nose and I know that it's working as, by the third sniff, he pulls his head back as the vapor gets through and once he can smell his food, he's happy to wolf it down.
My problem seems to be keeping him warm as he insists on dozing on the window cill which is the coldest spot in the room.
I would appreciate any advice you guys could give me on anything else I should/could be doing to help or anything, either standard or homeopathic, that I might add to his diet to help him fight this virus.

Ok if he will only sleep on the window sill (i have this problem to with one of my cats who suffered cat flu) you should try get a towel or blanket and cover the window sill, this will be a bit warmer for him.

Is there any chance you could move him to a bedroom or somewhere?? The bathroom is a cold place anyway. You need to make sure he is getting plenty of fluids. If he isnt eating or drinking then get him back to the vets ASAP, they will either keep him there and put him on the drip (costly) or will show you how to do it yourself (its easy) and you can do it at home.

Another piece of advice my vet gave me was to put boiling water in the bath (or sink) and add some vicks vapor rub into it and leave the cat in there for a half an hour or so (this will help with the nose and chest)

My little man had cat flu last year and nearly died but with proper looking after and care he is still with us today and is perfectly healthy (he does suffer with chest infections the odd time) Make sure to watch your other cats, even if they are vaccinated they can catch a mild dose of cat flu.

mymo

You can get those heat pads you put on the microwave, made of wheatgerm or something, try some of those warmed and wrapped in a towel, you could also add essential oils to them.
My cat loves them(daughter has one in a teddy), just don't try a hot water bottle...we did and it resulted in a wet kitty.

MaryK666

Thanks for that blondie7. I'm hoping he'll be as lucky as yours. Unfortunately the window sill is quite high up and quite small and it's very slippery so I'm afraid to put a blanket up there in case he jumps up and it slips from under him and he takes a fall. I'm going to have a look at home later and see if there's a box or something I can put up there to try and block it off to him so that he can't get up there at night. It's fine during the day as the sun is on it for most of the day so it's really warm. I have the radiator on in there too so it's not too cold for him.

Wisco

The reason he chooses the window sill may be for its height as cats like to observe everything around them. Can you put in any other type of high shelf for him? Might help.
Also, FIV cannot be vaccinated against, so your FIV positive cat has a high liklihood of infecting your new kitties if you let them mix in the future (if they are not already infected).
I'd also recommend feeding good quality food (ie not whiskas, gocat, etc) as any animal that's sick benefits from good nutrition.

MaryK666

Wisco wrote: »

The reason he chooses the window sill may be for its height as cats like to observe everything around them. Can you put in any other type of high shelf for him? Might help.
Also, FIV cannot be vaccinated against, so your FIV positive cat has a high liklihood of infecting your new kitties if you let them mix in the future (if they are not already infected).
I'd also recommend feeding good quality food (ie not whiskas, gocat, etc) as any animal that's sick benefits from good nutrition.

I'm going to move one of the smaller cat trees in there later as the top platform might be more suitable for him and I can place it in a corner away from the window. I have him on Orijen dry food and I feed him a mix of fresh chicken and fish with a few drops of cod liver oil as a supplement. I've had great results feeding my original furbies on Orijen so hopefully it'll work well for the new arrivals.
I haven't had the new cats checked for FIV/FELV yet but that will be done as soon as Eddie recovers and the others have the all clear. My FIV+ cat and his mate were ferals and he lost an eye in a fight. When he was trapped, she wouldn't leave his side even though she was still free so they were both captured, neutered and his eye was removed and the socket closed. It was decided that he may not have survived if he was returned to the colony so we adopted them both. They're now total lap cats and we love them to distraction and get it back in spades.
We had no idea he was FIV positive until we had them tested and we test her every 6 months but so far - two years later - she's still clear. We watch him like a hawk for any signs of infecions or anything out of the ordinary but have been very lucky. It helps that we got a cat fence for the garden so we can let them out regularly for a run around but they're safe and the neighbourhood cats are protected as well.
I plan on taking a week off to monitor the introductions and make sure that there's nothing more than a bit of hissing going on. I'm currently using Feliway - both the spray and the plug-in - and despite the fact that the originals know that there are interlopers in the house, they don't appear unduly concerned. Only time will tell if they get on and I'm keeping my fingers crossed and a spray bottle handy - just in case.

MaryK666

Wisco wrote: »

The reason he chooses the window sill may be for its height as cats like to observe everything around them. Can you put in any other type of high shelf for him? Might help.
Also, FIV cannot be vaccinated against, so your FIV positive cat has a high liklihood of infecting your new kitties if you let them mix in the future (if they are not already infected).
I'd also recommend feeding good quality food (ie not whiskas, gocat, etc) as any animal that's sick benefits from good nutrition.

Thanks Wisco - I followed your advice and have put one of the smaller (5ft) cat trees in there with him yesterday evening. He loves it. He's moved into the little house at the bottom and he's up and down the platforms like a kitten. I checked in on him at 11.30 last night and he was sleeping on the top platform and far away from the cold window sill. This morning he was curled up in the little house at the bottom.
He's still a poorly little man but I can see improvements already. He's on his antibiotics and 1 pulsatilla homeopathic pill twice daily and they seem to be working. He no longer needs the Olbas oil as his nose is clearing and he's eating like a horse. Fingers crossed now that none of the others come down with it.

boomerang

Hey Mary,

When all is back to normal and your new boy is better, I wouldn't worry about letting him mix with your FIV+ cat. So long as your FIV+ boy doesn't bite him, the chances of him contracting the FIV are slim to none. They used to think it could be contracted through saliva in shared foodbowls, mutal grooming etc. but it's now accepted that this is a really small risk - the same as with human HIV. Your ex-feral boy could have the same life expectancy as an uninfected cat - particularly as you take such great care of him and his diet is so good! I know of one ex-stray FIV+ cat that lived to be 22!

Re: the cat flu - it's possible he picked up at the shelter, or more likely, he had it in the past and with the stress of the move the symptoms are flaring up again. A couple of tips for you:

Feed him a good quality wet food like Applaws or Nature's Menu, warmed slightly in the microwave to release the aroma. This will encourage him to eat if his nose is blocked or his appetite isn't great.

To encourage him to drink, make up some chicken stock by cooking a few pieces of chicken in a pot of water with some vegetables, and then give him the chicken stock to drink (again, slightly warm) instead of water.

I don't think eucalyptus is safe for cats as a decongestant? But my vet swears by sage. I put the cat or kitten in a carrier (a wire one works best)
and I put a bowl of steaming sage tea next to it, and then cover the whole lot with a towel and leave the cat relax there so long as the steam is warm. You can buy loose leaf sage tea in the health food shop, or fresh sage would be even better, if you can get it. Another alternative is to take the cat into the bathroom with you when you shower!

L-Lysine is a great supplement for cat flu as it inhibits the replication of the virus. You can give 1000mg a day very safely. You can buy Lysine tablets in the health food shop or chemist - they're available under the "Sona" brand. Or some vets stock a tasty lysine paste. With the tablets you can crush them and sprinkle over wet or dry food - they have a bland, slightly salty taste that cats don't seem to mind. I'd be giving the lysine to his pal too, as a precaution. Actually it's a great immune booster and safe to use in the long term so you could consider giving it to your other two kitties two - especially the FIV+ fella. You can get 80 or 100 Lysine tablets in Holland & Barrett for about a tenner.

Watch the amounts of cod liver oil you're giving - definitely no more than half a teaspoon per cat per day and give them a rest week from it every 3-4 weeks. If they get too much of it, it can cause more harm than good.

As others have said, keep him warm and lots of tlc will also help the process! If he has gunky eyes or nose you can clean the area gently with some cotton wool soaked in a solution of hottish-water and salt. My foster kitties always appreciate this as they hate to feel bunged up or dirty!

MaryK666

boomerang wrote: »

Hey Mary,

When all is back to normal and your new boy is better, I wouldn't worry about letting him mix with your FIV+ cat. So long as your FIV+ boy doesn't bite him, the chances of him contracting the FIV are slim to none. They used to think it could be contracted through saliva in shared foodbowls, mutal grooming etc. but it's now accepted that this is a really small risk - the same as with human HIV. Your ex-feral boy could have the same life expectancy as an uninfected cat - particularly as you take such great care of him and his diet is so good! I know of one ex-stray FIV+ cat that lived to be 22!

Re: the cat flu - it's possible he picked up at the shelter, or more likely, he had it in the past and with the stress of the move the symptoms are flaring up again. A couple of tips for you:

Feed him a good quality wet food like Applaws or Nature's Menu, warmed slightly in the microwave to release the aroma. This will encourage him to eat if his nose is blocked or his appetite isn't great.

To encourage him to drink, make up some chicken stock by cooking a few pieces of chicken in a pot of water with some vegetables, and then give him the chicken stock to drink (again, slightly warm) instead of water.

I don't think eucalyptus is safe for cats as a decongestant? But my vet swears by sage. I put the cat or kitten in a carrier (a wire one works best)
and I put a bowl of steaming sage tea next to it, and then cover the whole lot with a towel and leave the cat relax there so long as the steam is warm. You can buy loose leaf sage tea in the health food shop, or fresh sage would be even better, if you can get it. Another alternative is to take the cat into the bathroom with you when you shower!

L-Lysine is a great supplement for cat flu as it inhibits the replication of the virus. You can give 1000mg a day very safely. You can buy Lysine tablets in the health food shop or chemist - they're available under the "Sona" brand. Or some vets stock a tasty lysine paste. With the tablets you can crush them and sprinkle over wet or dry food - they have a bland, slightly salty taste that cats don't seem to mind. I'd be giving the lysine to his pal too, as a precaution. Actually it's a great immune booster and safe to use in the long term so you could consider giving it to your other two kitties two - especially the FIV+ fella. You can get 80 or 100 Lysine tablets in Holland & Barrett for about a tenner.

Watch the amounts of cod liver oil you're giving - definitely no more than half a teaspoon per cat per day and give them a rest week from it every 3-4 weeks. If they get too much of it, it can cause more harm than good.

As others have said, keep him warm and lots of tlc will also help the process! If he has gunky eyes or nose you can clean the area gently with some cotton wool soaked in a solution of hottish-water and salt. My foster kitties always appreciate this as they hate to feel bunged up or dirty!

Cheers for that Boomerang, I really do appreciate any advice I can get. I'm all in favour of going down the homeopathic route as I think it's probably better for them in the long run but I'm not so dumb as to just assume that it's better than conventional medicine alone when it comes to serious illnesses. I'll be popping into Boots on the way home to pick some L-Lysine up and I'll start all four of them on it tonight. Hopefully it will help. Actually, I might just benefit from taking some myself I'm on the lookout for some Sage too and will give that a try. I'll also pull back on the cod liver oil. He's only getting a few drops a day but better to be safe than sorry. And if there's any chance that he stops drinking, I'll try the chicken water as I have tons of it after I boil up the chicken for their dinner anyway.

I have some non-shed cotton wool pads and lots of salt at the ready should he become eye or nose gunky but - touch wood - so far he's been ok. I've been washing with Hibiscrub before I touch any of the other cats to try and minimise the risk of transferring the virus.

I've heard a lot of stories, some of which are very far-fetched, about FIV+ cats but I'm glad to hear that you know of one who had a long and happy life. He hasn't passed it on to our other girlie in the two years we've had them or the time they were together before that so I know that the transferrence through shared food bowls and litter tray theories are pure fairytale. As like any other disease, ignorance can be a bigger danger than the disease itself. I've been in touch with some of the vets out in UCD who have given me some great information and advice on living with an FIV+ cat and, touch wood, everything's been rosy so far.

boomerang

Bless you Mary, it's not everyone that will care for an FIV cat. There's so much prejudice out there - even amongst vets! But I do believe if you care for them well, feed them well and boost their immune system as much as you can, they can live in perfect health for many, many years.

I've just rehomed a gorgeous male ex-stray with FIV and he is as fit as a fiddle! Gone to a lovely indoor-only home. And two years ago I rehomed an FIV girl who was ten then - she is still going strong and coming back to me for holidays in about two weeks' time!

Another great nutrient which boosts the immune system and is safe to give in the long term is dimethylglycine, or DMG for short. It's naturally-occuring and is found in grains and meat. You just add a generous pinch to the food every day. (It's tasteless.) A 750g pot is about €23 and would last you at least a year! My vet recommended it to me. Any chemist that has a veterinary section should stock it. It's distributed in Ireland by a company in Louth called Vita-Flex.

My vet also said good quality, cold-pressed olive oil is a great immune booster - feed instead of the cod liver oil, in the same quantity. (Half a teaspoon, tops.)

MaryK666

boomerang wrote: »

Bless you Mary, it's not everyone that will care for an FIV cat. There's so much prejudice out there - even amongst vets! But I do believe if you care for them well, feed them well and boost their immune system as much as you can, they can live in perfect health for many, many years.

I've just rehomed a gorgeous male ex-stray with FIV and he is as fit as a fiddle! Gone to a lovely indoor-only home. And two years ago I rehomed an FIV girl who was ten then - she is still going strong and coming back to me for holidays in about two weeks' time!

Another great nutrient which boosts the immune system and is safe to give in the long term is dimethylglycine, or DMG for short. It's naturally-occuring and is found in grains and meat. You just add a generous pinch to the food every day. (It's tasteless.) A 750g pot is about €23 and would last you at least a year! My vet recommended it to me. Any chemist that has a veterinary section should stock it. It's distributed in Ireland by a company in Louth called Vita-Flex.

My vet also said good quality, cold-pressed olive oil is a great immune booster - feed instead of the cod liver oil, in the same quantity. (Half a teaspoon, tops.)

I know what you mean about prejudice. There's one vet in my local surgery, who shall remain nameless, who offered me the pts option when my babies results came back positive. I'd hate to be their child and have to come home and tell them that I'd caught some kind of disease. They'd probably just take me out in the back yard and shoot me :mad:

Luckily, my vet is a real cat man and knows his stuff so I trust him completely.

I firmly believe that every animal, even those with potentially life threatening diseases should be given a chance at a decent life - for however long they have - whether it's a month or 20 years. How anyone can look at those little faces and not have their hearts bleed for the poor little things is beyond me. And the love you give out, you get back 100 fold. Our little FIV+ man is part cat, part dog, part human and the most affectionate little cat you'll ever meet. I always thought he'd make a great therapy cat for people who are ill as, despite originally being a feral, he loves people and never makes strange with anyone. He comes when called, he talks on command, he rushes to the door when you come in each evening, loves cuddles, sleeps under the duvet with his head on the pillow and is a total curious george.
I hate to think how much we might have missed out on if we'd let prejudice get in the way of our adopting him.

sophie1234

my cat gets cat flu nearly every winter and i feel so sorry for her! her eyes swell up and she just looks miserible she has weak lungs also just under two years ago my parents got a homopatic powder and drops from the states(ill check the name when im home) and we gave them to her while she had flu and then continued for a few weeks after! but this winter being one of the coldest she was free from any flu or chest probelms it was amazing stuff!! when it starts to get cold again im going to give it to her again and hopfully we will have another winter free from cat flu

Miss Lockhart

FIV+ cats can definitely have a good life! I had one that lived to 14 having tested positive aged 6. She only got sick in the last few months. She also lived with 3 other FIV- cats and they were never infected.

At the moment I have a 4 year old that is FIV+.

I agree that vets can sometimes be a bit hasty in suggesting PTS. However, I think that this is because it is considered unethical for an outdoor FIV+ cat to roam due to the risk they pose to other cats. Indoor cats are another story though, and PTS shouldn't really be a consideration then unless the cat is very sick.