My question is about my 9 year old cat. She has been to the Vet. for sneezing, coughing, etc.?

Question

She had a perscription for antibiotics. It helped, but now we have no meds, the symptons are back. We can't afford to take her to the vet. The receptionst at the Vet said "it seemed she had allergies, and that animals get allergies just like humans. She suggested I get an over the counter "human allergy" medicene and just give her a tiny amount and see if it helps her. My cat is also very congested. I would like to know what you think about that, and if thats a bat idea. Does anybody have any suggestions? Thank You, Reed-L

Answer 1

Maybe the antibiotic the vet gave you was strong enough to control the infection but not get rid of it. Call and ask for a stronger antibiotic for the same thing he saw your cat for to begin with. That could be why it was better on the antibiotic but came back when it was gone.

Answer 2

First of all let your vet know that the receptionist is on crack. If your cat had an allergy problem, the vet wouldnt have given you antibiotics! Sometimes a first round of antibiotics doesn't clear it all the way up. Just like people. Call and ask to speak to the vet and see if maybe he will sell you some more medication without seeing the cat. That will save you some money and alot of vets will do that for you since your cat was already there...just explain your money situation and hope he is understanding. Dont give the cat human medications, and in the future, don't listen to the receptionist.....WOW

Answer 3

FYI. Even though it is true that cats and dogs do get allergies it is very unusual if not unlikely for allergies in dogs and cats to present as coughing and sneezing as they do in humans. Animals with allergies usually present with skin problems such as itching and hairloss, NOT with sneezing and coughing. This is a common incorrect assumption that many pet owners seem to make. So the receptionist was wrong in saying animals get allergies just like humans. If your cat is coughing and sneezing it is likely that she has some type of infection that needs to be diagnosed. So unfortunately for you this means you cat really needs to see a veterinarian in order to get better. If not her signs will continue to progress leading to potentially a more severe illness which may be harder to treat meaning a higher vet bill. Also it is against the law for veterinarians to prescribe drugs to any animal they have not seen because there needs to be a veterinarian client relationship established first so that is not an option to get medications without seeing a veterinarian.

Answer 4

Hi, one of my cats suffers from hayfever. I give him the contents of one capsule of echinacea a day mixed in his food. Also to help, give him a third of a can of sardines three times a week for his Omega 3.
This was advised by my animal herbalist.

Their website is:
www.brownsanimalherbals.com.au


ADDITION
Needmorelove, my cat sneezes and wheezes with hayfever.
He had a bad bout of cat flu (he had to have two courses of antibiotics) before I brought him home, and it was after this that the hayfever sneezing presented itself. This has also been confirmed by a vet. There are certain days - dry windy days (it is spring here) - that his hayfever is worse. Also on those nights he snores.
Allergies do not always show up in their skin.
My dog's bee sting allergy shows itself the same way as a human - he swells up and has problems breathing. Havent you come across a dog or cat who has had an anaphylactic reaction to an insect/bee sting or injection?

Answer 5

If the vet's secretary gave you that information over the phone the vet would probably fire her if he knew. Or he should, that is highly unprofessional.

Do you have any ideas about what she might be allergic to? Sounds like it is atmospheric. Dietary allergies usually manifest themselves by itchy skin, hair loss, stomach upsets, etc.

I certainly can't help you get at the root of the problem. That's what vets can do based on their training and experience with other cat patients.

Answer 6

Ask if your vet can just prescribe another round of antibiotics without seeing your cat again. I work for a vet and he sometimes does that. I wouldn't use any human products unless they were specifically recommended by your vet. Cats are not small humans. Some things that don't hurt us can cause a lot of damage to them.

Answer 7

Could be a viral upper respiratory disease, could be asthma, could be bacterial and the first course of antibiotics wasn't strong enough. I DO NOT recommend giving ANY cat ANY human medications without an exact dosage prescribed by a vet, there's just too many things that aren't safe for them to take.

Answer 8

Get Baby Benadryl and give her 2 ccs of it and see if that helps her . She will get sleepy just like kids and adults do . And don't give it to her more than 2 times a day , so you don't give her to much . 1 time in the morning and 1 time at night and try to keep it around the same time to ensure that it can work effectively . And do not use it for more than 7 days , cause after that you do need to take her to a vet and get something else to use long term if she still has syptoms . Good luck and enjoy your kitty.

Answer 9

A cat allergic to humans?! Wouldn't that be funny!

I wouldn't give a cat any human meds unless a vet (not a receptionist!) tells me to. Look on the Internet. Cornell University has a good site on feline health. http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/

Answer 10

My cat got puffy eyes and puss draining from them. I used to put a warm cloth over them. Took her to the vet and it was expensive. To I tried human allergy drops and it cleared right up for real cheap. So yeah, I sure would. Just watch your dosage, don't go overboard.