Dealing with a sneezing cat? Don't know what to do? Read on!
First of all, the advice on this page is no substitute for veterinary care. If your cat is experiencing congestion, or any of the symptoms below, please consult your veterinarian first and foremost. Some cats experience chronic congestion due to Feline Herpesvirus or other bacterial or viral infections, and struggle with the symptoms lifelong. Prolonged congestion could mean prolonged inflammation, and cause more issues later down the road. The purpose of this page is to provide resources and knowledge for your sneezing cat to ensure your cat is living his or her best life- and is as happy and healthy as possible!
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Causes of congestion in cats:
There are several potential culprits when it comes to congestion in our feline friends. It could be cause by allergies, a viral or bacterial infection, or respiratory infection. We won't get into all of the causes, but if you have spent thousands at the vet, and feel like you have exhausted all of your options, you are in the right place.
Symptoms may include coughing, sneezing, loud breathing, yellow, green, or brown discharge from the nose, or watery eyes.
As we suggested, if your cat is experiencing any of the above, you should have your cat properly examined by a veterinarian. They may prescribe antibiotics, antihistamines, or other medications such as a steroid, to help your cat feel better.
For me, personally, I adopted my black cat Lucy from the local Humane Society, and she has struggled with these issues since she was a kitten. She has been on many rounds of antibiotics, antihistamines, and even steroids, and still has flare-ups. I wanted to try a holistic approach as it seemed like we were repeating the same cycle over and over of giving her antibiotics, seeing improvement, and then having a flare-up again. If your cat is like mine, read on.
I feel as though we have tried almost everything under the sun to get her better. We have consulted with conventional vets, holistic vets, acupuncturists, virtual vets, etc! Below are some options that we have found were the most helpful:
Humidifier- these are available on Amazon, or you could even bring them into the bathroom with you and close the door while showering. We use this one.
Supplements- some of the ones we use are Veterinary Immune Powder, Goldenseal and Lysine (consult your veterinarian first)
Sterile nasal saline spray (if they will tolerate it)- I tried this infant kind and she didn't tolerate it great, but maybe you will have better luck with your cat
SUN!- Even if your cats are indoor, ensure that they have a sunny spot to lay, or see if you could safely bring them outside, or on a porch where they can get some fresh air and sunshine. I honestly feel that this is one of the most effective things for her. One time I brought her outside and several minutes later, she immediately sneezed out some yellow discharge. The sun is so healing!
Acupuncture or acupressure- Acupuncture should always be administered by a licensed veterinarian; however, you can use your fingers to put pressure on certain points that may help alleviate symptoms for continued at-home treatment. After her acupuncture treatments at the vet, she usually sneezes up a lot of discharge by the time we get home!
Red light therapy. Our acupuncturist does this in the office, but I bought one for home after reading all of the benefits in humans. I found this article about how red light therapy three times daily (I know that is a lot! But some is better than none!) improved symptoms after just a single treatment. Consistency is key here. This is the one we use and when done daily (I was doing it 2x daily at least), we definitely saw some improvement in congestion.
Some other tips:
Be sure you are feeding a species-appropriate, anti-inflammatory diet. Check out our latest review on food here.
Make sure your cat is getting enough exercise. It is just as important for them as it is for us, to ensure all bodily functions are working and their lymph systems are moving along! See our post on some of our favorite cat toys for exercise here!
Ask your veterinarian which supplements may help your cat's immune system
Keep a journal of symptoms to see if you can track symptoms and time frames. This may help your veterinarian to find the root cause.
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