I have a six day old kitten who was abandoned by his mother and has been thusforth raised by me. He has responded well -- Healthy weight, healthy appetite, facilities work well, well hydrated, active and very vocal. Lastnight I went to get a soda, came back and he was suffering from labored breathing, audible congestion in his chest and he's been sneezing up a clear fluid. He breathes through his mouth and still has a healthy appetite (He takes short drinks before stopping to breathe). His facilities still work, and he's still active. I have tried placing *tiny* drops of 4-way nasal decongestant near his nasal passages via a q-tip. Is there anything I can do to help ease his pain and/or ease his congestion?
2006-12-02 09:21:25 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Cats
The 4-way decongestant only works for a tiny amount of time. I don't want to keep subjecting him to the medicine.
2006-12-02 09:22:22 · update #1
I am hesitant to take him to the vet only because I took a kitten (About a week older than Stewie is now), and they told me they could not administer medication to a cat so young.
2006-12-02 09:27:23 · update #2
I found a litter of kittens, just a few days old, and rescued them. They all ended up with that congestion. I took them to the vet and was told it's very common for kittens to get colds. They build their immune system by nursing from mama, so without mama around it's harder for them to build up.
My vet did end up giving us drops for the kitties, even though they were so young, and it cleared it up very quickly and we had no issue's with them after that.
2006-12-02 10:14:14 · answer #1 · answered by AB 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First, stop giving him human nasal spray. I know you really want to help him breathe and its very hard to see him like that, but you may end up irritating his sinuses (it's too strong) and causing him to produce even more mucus. If you want to do something like that, try a saline nasal spray, and when he's extremely congested, try (believe me I know this sounds SO stupid) holding him with his head down, tail up so his nasal passages drain out, or using a baby aspirator.
Secondly, I'm going out on a limb here and guessing at his age, he MAY have chlymidia. It's very common in new kitties. They get it coming through the birth canal. You should take him to the vet to be checked. Even if it isn't chlymidia, a respiratory infection, especially at his age is dangerous for cats. He sounds like he's just a doll! Good luck!
2006-12-02 09:23:28 · answer #2 · answered by Lisa E 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
At six days old, that kitten has probably aspirated something into its lungs. It needs to see a vet. Putting drops by his nose, that he uses to breath, could be enough to cause aspiration pneumonia.
It may also have something to do with the way you are feeding it. It takes some skill to hand feed a kitten that young.
Please go to a vet before the kitten dies.
2006-12-02 09:36:56 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Upper airway disease is really common in cats, mostly due to recurrent
attacks of herpes virus or damage to upper airway defenses from severe
herpes virus infections as a kitten. Since you don't know much about the
history of your cat, it would be hard to tell for sure which of these
problems was more likely, if herpes virus is the problem. Administration of
corticosteroids can alleviate the symptoms of this problem, even though
they don't do anything to treat the underlying cause. Antibiotics are often
helpful in upper airway disease because secondary bacterial infections are
often present. Antibiotics are less helpful in asthma.
Hope your cat will be better soon!
2006-12-02 09:26:42 · answer #4 · answered by ? 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm sorry but the kitten really needs to have a vet see him. If the vet you went to won't treat him, go to another vet. The chest congestion is dangerous.
2006-12-02 11:31:09 · answer #5 · answered by Phoebhart 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
vet for possible antibiotics. cats/kittens are well known to suffer respiratory illness affecting breathing and eyes. shouldn't let go at that age, can get worse quickly
2006-12-02 09:26:01 · answer #6 · answered by blueJean 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Upper respiratory ailments are very common in kittens. If you have a cool vaporizer it might be of some help.
2006-12-02 09:31:02 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
If he has an infection, he may benefit from erythromycin.
I had a similar situation with a kitten I rescued and got the erythromycin from the vet.
You can administer it yourself with an eye dropper.
2006-12-02 09:31:21 · answer #8 · answered by flywho 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
It's not uncommon at all for any living mammal to come out of the womb and have a stuffed up nose. get a babies nasal syringe a suck out the boogies with it.
2006-12-02 09:27:24 · answer #9 · answered by leftinthedirt2 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
oh please take him to the vet, or at least call them. we lost 2 kittens to upper respiratory infections, they're nothing to play around with.
2006-12-02 15:04:50 · answer #10 · answered by whoops :) 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋