I need advice please....my baby girl *kitty* is soo sick.....

[jus_the_facts]

...had her and her brother fixed week before last...they did fine..but my boy got sick last week with sneezin' and snots...then yesterday my baby girl started sneezin' and she's just lathargic and pitiful...she's still eatin' and drinkin' but is movin' around slow and her eyes will hardly open...and I can't afford to take her to the vet...just isn't possible....any suggestions? :cry:

[Dookus]

1. awww

how old are they?

My little girl Molly, in my avatar, had a nasty cold for a long time after I got her. Every cat I've gotten from the pound came with the creeping crud.

She may need antibiotics. Please call a vet and explain your situation and see if you can't set up a payment plan or some other option. Most are more than willing to help - perhaps they can forgo the visitation fee.

I hope she's all right - I felt so bad for my girl when she was that sick. We thought she'd never get better, but she eventually did. We had to put an antibiotic ointment in her eyes every day for awhile, though.

[jus_the_facts]

6. I don't even know how old they are....saved 'em from the bushes...

...starvin' and about to freeze to death back in mid December...had to get a local organization to pay for the spay/neuter for 'em as I've been unemployed and just got a part time temp position last week...I'll call this vet back and see what he says...I'm pretty sure they picked this up from havin' to spend the night up there at his office. x(


I'm so worried about her...she'd been so fiesty and talkative since bein' spayed...rebounded better than I expected actually...now this..sigh...I read online that a little vitamin C would help...ever tried that..or heard of it? :hi:

[Dookus]

10. I would be very cautious

about giving supplements to kittens. The dosages could be way off.

Furthermore, Vitamin C isn't known to cure anything. I wouldn't do it.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

2. Do you have an animal shelter in your town?

Ours will do free care in these types of situations.

[jus_the_facts]

9. Our shelter is hurting....they did steer me to an organization....

..that paid to have 'em fixed but didn't pay for anything but the surgery itself...guess I'll call back tomorrow to see what if anything else they can help with...just beside m'self with this poor baby....thanks! :hi:

[Dookus]

3. another suggestion

if she's eating and drinking, that's a good sign. Try turning on the shower full-blast at high heat and sit with her in the bathroom - give her a good steam-room visit. That'll help ease her symptoms.

[jus_the_facts]

12. thanks..

..yeah she's eatin' and drinkin' still...will try to get her to *humidify* ;-)

[blackcat77]

4. That could be a lot of things

If you possibly could get the pet to a vet, that would be best. If you let it go on, the results could be bad. Maybe you could work out a deal where you'd make payments or something. Sometimes the Humane Society has a deal where if you work through them, you get discounts.

[joeybee12]

5. Allergies? And an addition to the shelter advice...a local Human Society

perhaps? They could give you the name of some vet who might do it gratis. Good luck.

[ccjlld]

7. Call your vet and ask

if they've had kitty's coming back in after a visit with colds or the kitty flu. My kitty has picked up the kitty flu several times at his vets. At minimum, they will tell you whether or not you need to bring her in. If both your kitty's got sick at the vets, they may be willing to get you some antibiotics without having an office visit. The fact that she's still eating and drinking is a very good sign. She may just be able to ride it out without any meds.

[salin]

8. I know nothing about cats/kittens

but my heart goes out to you... tough to try to discern what is wrong and what to do when our beloved pets are not themselves.

[KittyWampus]

11. Get Kitty To A Vet Who Has A Sliding Scale PRONTO

call every last one of them in the book tomorrow morning til you find one who will give you a break and let you pay over time.

It sounds like an upper respiratory infection which requires antibiotics.

And you're right, they very well might have picked up the bug in the vets office.

[MidwestMomma]

16. I second this suggestion

Lethargy in any animal is usually a symptom that needs the attention of a vet. Sneezing and runny eyes in a cat otherwise acting normal might be something they can get over. But anytime lethargy sets in, you really need to see the vet.

She might be running a fever and cats get dehydrated very easily. Is she still urinating? That's something else to look for. If she's drinking water but not urinating, that could be another sign of a fever. And a fever could mean an infection that would need antibiotics.

I know you're already worried and I don't mean to add to it but I'm sure you can find a vet to help you out. I'm pretty sure once you get the cat in the office, if it's something that needs treating, tbey will treat it and work something out. At least I hope so.

Sorry for your baby. Hope she's better soon.

[Lauri16]

13. If there's an ASPCA or HSUS

shelter near you, see if you can volunteer as a dog walker or someone in the cat kennels in exchange for them treating your kitty. A friend of mine did that when her dog got sick, and they were more than happy to have the extra help. She even eventually wound up getting a paid job there.

I hope your kitties are okay! My kitties will be thinking about your kitties!

[distantearlywarning]

14. Sounds like the upper respiratory virus that a lot of cats get

at the Vet's office or at shelters. Can't remember what it's called right now, but it can be severe enough to cause ulcers in the mouth which inhibits eating and drinking. Adult cats usually get over it in a week or two, but I think I would take a kitten to the vet.

[sleepyhead]

15. Most upper respiratory infections

Are self-limiting - but they can last as long as 2-3 weeks. Can you get in touch with the vet that did the surgery? Maybe there was a virus passing through the facility. They may be able to give you some information on how the other cats handled it and what to expect. These infections are usually viral, so antibiotics won't do much to shorten the course of the illness, but they will prevent or treat any secondary infections.

Try the hot shower trick - get some nice steam going in your bathroom and let it break up the snots. See if you can find a pediatric decongestant in your local pharmacy (there's a very mild one called "Little Noses" that might help) and put one drop in each nostril once daily for 4 days if they are congested. Then stop for 4 days (to avoid a rebound effect) and resume for another 4 days if needed. Wipe their eyes with warm water on a cotton ball and make sure they don't stick shut.

Most kitties who continue to eat will do OK. You may need to get some stinky flavored canned food, as the sense of smell may be impaired, and if they can't smell it they won't eat it. Try warming the food for a few sec. in the microwave to make it even smellier.

If you have a health food store in your area, pick up a bottle of L-lysine capsules and put 125-250 mg in each meal (125 for small cats - under 5 lb, and 250 for larger cats). The lysine competes with the natural food source of the herpes virus (which accounts for about 70% of upper respiratory infections in cats) and may help shorten the course of the illness.

I have to say, though, that you will be much better off in the long run if you can find a veterinarian in your area and establish a relationship with their hospital. That way, if you have a problem like this in the future, you will have someone to call (and they will perhaps then be able to work with you financially). You should also have the cats tested for feline leukemia and FIV, and make sure their vaccines are up to date when they are feeling better.

Also (for long term purposes) consider applying for Care Credit, which will provide you with a line of credit for emergencies. You do need to have a good credit history to get approved, but I have found that they are fairly lenient. Good luck!

[EC]

17. Didn't the vet tell you to call if there were any problems?

I would figure there would be some sort of follow-up if needed... It sounds like kennel cough, they usually rebound okay, if she is eating and drinking that's a good sign...

[havocmom]

18. Do you have an eye dropper you can clean out well?

If so, do that. Boil some water, add a bit of salt, about 1/4 tsp to a cup of water should be about right. Let it cool. Wrap each kitten, feet and body snugly in a towel to keep from getting scratched, and drop a few drops of the room temp saline into eyes. If you have someone to help, all the better, a towel AND holding the skin at the scruff of the neck will help kittens be still and calmer.

Be careful not to contact the eyedropper with the eyes. The saline will help clean the eyes. Eventually, when the eyes get opened, some of it will get into the sinuses via the tear ducts. It is a hassle, but with no $$ for vet (and I understand completely), the eye washes can be a help if it is not a serious virus. Do it several times a day. Keep the saline in fridge, covered and let warm to room temp before each wash.

The fact that they are still eating is a VERY good sign. Really sick cats stop eating as a rule. They could take a bad turn at anytime, but we will hope for a good outcome.

If you have one of those holistic pet care places or something like that, look into echinacea/goldenseal drops made for cats. They can be put in water, broth and can help the cat's system fight the bug. I got 3 older cats through a very bad virus that the vaccinations did not fight, some feral cats in the area were very sick and it was something the normal shots did not prevent my cats from getting.

Let us know how they are doing. Good food, really best nutrition you can give them, good water, saline drops, patience. Good luck.

There are some good pet care books out there to have for future. I love Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats. It has helped me help a lot of dogs and cats over the years.