cat dying of flu !?

Question

my 4 years old cat caught cold almost a yr and a half now .. I took him to different Vets they all gave him different medicines he used to get better for a couple of weeks and then get all the sneezing and running nose again ... the last vet told me that it doesn't have a cure and that he will live with this flu forever ... now i took him to another vet because he got worse .. the vet told me that they made him special kind of antibiotic and that the dosage is 3 times daily .. and they have to give him some kind of vitamins after the each dosage ... i saw the cat today he got really skinny and dizzy !! ... the vet said that if he survived this week he will live but if he didn't then he will die ... i just want to know is it normal that cats die out of flu !! and is it true that some kind of cat's flu dont have any cure !?

Answer 1

There is no cure for any type of cat flu, it's caused by viruses, and viruses can only be fought off by the body's immune system, preferably with the help of vaccination.

Cat flu can be fatal in cats. The meds your vets have been giving you are not a cure, they are symptomatic treatment to support the cat while his body tries to fight off the illness - like the treatments you take when you have a cold.

Once cats have cat flu, they carry it for the rest of their lives, so they continue to have flare-ups of it that need to be supported with medication. They can also pass the illness to other cats even when they themselves are not showing symptoms.

I think this cat needs to be hospitalised for supportive treatment, like an IV drip for starters. I'm not sure about this 'special kind of antibiotic' that the vet 'made' for you - you can't just whip up new antibiotics at vet surgeries!! Keep going with the meds the vet gives you, the cat needs them. I hope he gets over this bout, but do be aware that he may have flare ups throughout the rest of his life, but they won't be as bad if treated early.

Chalice

Answer 2

GREETINGS, you need to find another vet possibly at a larger clinic or vet hospital, what you describe is NOT normal. Cats can have allergies but they don't have "flu" or "colds" which are virus's forever, that's BS. What I suspect your cat has is probably some type of heart condition at this point possibly coupled with hyperthyroidism, have the new vet test for that, it's virtually unknown and it has killed so many cats when it could have been prevented with medications and worse scenario, surgery to remove the thyroid and medications for life.

PS there is no such thing as whipping up a new antibiotic nor is there lifetime cat flu, there are virus's that can last awhile and herpes type virus's in cats which are coupled with mouth ulcers that can cause sneezing and runny noses, it will flare up from time to time over the course of their life but you would see an ulcer in the mouth. Ulcers are also present with hyperthyroidism too.

Answer 3

I'm not a vet,but I have been around animals all my life and seen many illnesses. From what you're saying it sounds like cardiomyopathy not the flu. This will also cause a cat to have a runny nose and it looks like the flu or a cold. At this point there is nothing you can do but love your cat and do what's best for him. I'm so sorry;^(

Answer 4

Sound horrible. I've had cats all of my life and never had this happen. Usually, it was cat cancer or they can also get distemper. Here's a link I found about the cat flu and no there isn't any cure apparently. http://www.fabcats.org/catflu1.html

Answer 5

The flu is a virus and just like human's there are some strains with no cure. All you can do is treat the symptons. I would watch him carefully and make sure he gets plenty of fluids. I am sorry he is suffering from this.

Answer 6

I don't know. I wish I could help you. I'm a big cat fan.. I love cats. i just wanted to give you my deepest sympathy.

Answer 7

its not normal, go to the vets office NOW

y do people ask emergency questions on line??