# Ever have a cat with a respiratory infection?



## mydaddysjag (Dec 17, 2008)

Those of you who have had cats with URI's, what did your vet prescribe? I think in the past our vet has used amoxicillin or cephalexin (common brand names keflex or celexin)

Did you notice if either seemed to work better?


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## Barbie (Dec 17, 2008)

Not too bad - clavamox. Bad one either Baytril or Tribrissen. Haven't had to deal with one in a long time.

Good luck!

Barbie


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## LowriseMinis (Dec 17, 2008)

Our vet's always given us Clavamox, too.


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## sphynx~n~minis (Dec 17, 2008)

[SIZE=10pt]Best antibotic for that is Zithromax. It is expensive but well worth it. It usually clears it up pretty fast. Sometimes if it is really bad infection might have to keep them on it for 20 days.... works much better than Calvmox. You might have to ask for it, some vets don't use it. Good luck Kathy[/SIZE]


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## mydaddysjag (Dec 17, 2008)

Our vet ended up doing claxamox .25mg twice a day, along with an eye ointment that I have to check the name of, a thin smear twice a day, and we have a recheck in 10 days. Kitty is a "rescue" that I'm not really financially prepared to take on, but would have died where he was. (Hes 6-7 months old, and 2.75 lb, not super skinny, just seems growth stunted, he has a nasty URI, and he was literally shivering, and there was no cat food) A family member spotted me the money for the vet today, because this little guy is sneezing and out comes green snot. I got an earful from hubby, and I called the rescues and shelters in my area just to find out that they are all over crowded (no news to me) and he would be PTS because he is so sick and they dont have room. All of the no kill shelters are full and not accepting any more animals. I'm going to do the best I can to take care of him. There's a low cost spay neuter clinic in my area that neuters for $28 (that includes the office call fee) and they will also test for FIV and Feline leukemia and give the shots for $60. So In retrospect, hubby was right, I shouldnt have brought kitty home, however I couldnt leave him there to die while we had a winter weather advisory and he was shivering and it was still supposed to get 20 degrees colder.

Right now he is in "quarantine" which means hes in my heated basement in an extra large dog kennel with a box with fleece receiving blankets for a bed, a small litter pan, food and water. Don't want to give him a big area because we don't want him using a lot of energy, and because I have to disinfect the area, and wash all bedding material daily, and I cant do that to my whole basement. We are changing clothes and washing our hands before touching any other animals. He is getting out of the cage and handled though, I didnt just throw him in a cage and walk away. On the bright side, he is very friendly.


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## Barbie (Dec 17, 2008)

Hoping for a quick recovery for the little one - I'm so glad you were there.

Barbie


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## White Socks Miniature (Dec 17, 2008)

zithromax is the best but clavaseptin (clavamox) or amoxicillin can be used as well. For those really hard to pill cats we have also used convenia which is a long lasting (14 days) injectable.

A cat that has URTI can also be put on L-lysine longterm to help flare ups as it can be brought on by stress.

Cheers


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## HGFarm (Dec 17, 2008)

Oh poor baby!!

I agree, I could not have left the kitty there either!! I have never been able to leave something that is sick or suffering- I would have nightmares the rest of my life if I did. And I bet kitty is VERY happy and grateful!!!!


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## MinisOutWest (Dec 17, 2008)

We have 8 indoor / outdoor cats. When one gets something, they all get something. A good thing to get is called L-Lysine, lots of name brands carry it- called Viralis, Enisyl-F, but just say L-Lysine. It is an immune booster and works great to help get them thru a sickness. I can't believe the vet didnt give you some for your kitty. It lasts in the fridge for like 2-3 yrs, so good to have on hand.


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## mydaddysjag (Dec 17, 2008)

Are these what your talking about?

http://www.healthypets.com/vetvigel5oz.html

Does it have to be l-lysine specifically for pets or could I use human l-lysine ?


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## Minimor (Dec 18, 2008)

I'd have brought kitty home too!

I keep amoxycillin and Chlor-Palm 250 on hand; also have clindamycin and enisyl-F for one cat that has a chronic problem with mouth ulcers. I have one cat that didn't respond to anything, so took him to the vet & got some Baytril...which didn't help him at all. However, the Baytril did work on little Andy, who had been having recurring bouts of respiratory infection...he's been fine now for weeks and weeks so I'm HOPING that the Baytril actually cured him.


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## White Socks Miniature (Dec 18, 2008)

Yup thats what we have!

It also comes in a powdered form which is tuna flavored that you can just mix into wet food. It is a bit more economical that way.

The dosing is a bit different for pets and people. We had one of our clients try to use human but the dosing was so small that it was very inaccurate.


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## chandab (Dec 18, 2008)

White Socks Miniature said:


> A cat that has URTI can also be put on L-lysine longterm to help flare ups as it can be brought on by stress.Cheers


The L-Lysine does seem to help.

We have a siamese-x we brought in from the barn last year; tiny,pathetic and with an upper-respiratory infection (at least that's what we thought it was). About a week after we brought him into the house, we took him to the vet, and we started him on antibiotics, I think it was clavamox to start, poor little guy went through several courses of antibiotics. Vet did say, sometimes they just don't get over it, and recommended the L-lysine to help boost his immunity. So, we've gone up and down with him for months. Had him neutered last January or February, at a different clinic than looked at him for his URTI (that clinic lost two vets right before christmas, they moved); this vet said he has a chronic upper respiratory fungal infection and that anti-biotics would do him no good, slow it down, but not get rid of it. Well, evidently, he finally has pretty much out-grown it; as he's hardly had any issues for months now. He went from a scrawny little 8 week old, 1# kitten to a 18 month old, 10.5# gorgeous cat. Attached is a picture from this summer, don't have any on-line


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## mydaddysjag (Dec 18, 2008)

This little guy is perking up quite a bit. It seems I may have stumbled on the most overly affectionate kitten known to man. My bedroom is in the basement of the house, in the room next to where he is kept, and all night I heard meowing. So, finally around 3 or 4 am I gave in and went in the other room, and got "tiny" out to hold him for a few minutes. I go in there and he runs to the front of the cage. Open the door and he hops out on me. I held him for probably about an hour while he purred like crazy. Finally, when it was time to put him back into his cage he made me feel like suck a jerk. He cried for at least an hour. I feel terrible having to keep him inside the dog kennel, because he wants to be with people, but it's the only way to quarantine him. I have a cat who is currently staying in my bedroom (because the little guy is in the other room in the basement, and my cat will do ANYTHING to get to him and visit, and my mom has 2 cats upstairs. Through the day I take my cat upstairs, but he tries to escape out the dog door, and hes an indoors only cat. So, at the moment, this is the only way to quarantine tiny, because the room he is in has no door, it has a curtain type of door. On the bright side, its the warmest room in the basement, my parents put a brand new electric heated in there last winter.


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