Conference misery::feline

    
    Bob, I am experiencing the same thing with Callie.  I increased the 
    amount of Laxatone and decided this a.m. that I would take her to the
    vet if she has not improved by Monday.  Her food has not been changed
    for 3 years and there is nothing new in the environment.  Did your
    friend's vet take an xray?  I'll let you know if I learn anything.
    
    Marlene
    

    Based on my experience just two weeks ago...my little Ziggy was
    doing the same thing and I gave him Laxatone, but after a few days
    it became worse and off to the vets he went.  WELL...what I thought
    was hairballs was really pnemonia.   They also said Asthma could
    cause the same symptoms as well.
    
    I'd say if it's not better...off to the vets!
    
    Sandy

    Worms can also cause this.  It happens when the larva migrate up from
    the lungs in order to be swallowed.  A cat can pick up worms if it goes
    outside or if it is inside and eats a bug.  You never know!  Try doing
    a fecal flotation first to see if anything shows up.
    Karen

    
    Sandy, was Ziggy showing any other symptoms that would have led you to
    believe that it was something as serious as pneumonia?  Callie has
    shown no changes in her eating/drinking patterns, level of energy, etc.
    However, I did notice this a.m. that she started the wheezing/coughing
    after she had chased Kisa off the cat tree.  I'll pay close attention
    to that this evening to get a sense of it being a pattern or if this 
    a.m. was an isolated incident.
    
    Marlene
    

    On Thursday all Ziggy did was hack a few times and was showing
    know other sickness symptoms.   On Friday he was still eating,
    drinking and very active, but he again hacked a few times.  On
    Saturday again there was no other symptoms, but the hacking
    started sounding more like a cough or as if he was going to
    throw up. (down low to the ground with his neck stretched out
    as far as possible).  So off to the vets we went and they said
    upper respitory problem and put him on meds. He was still eating,
    drinking and very playfull.  When he woke up Sunday he
    didn't eat much at all and I noticed he was acting "slow", by
    Sunday night you could hear his chest wheezing, you could
    see he was breathing hard and he stopped eating completely.  
    As soon as he jumped off something or attempted to excercise in
    anyway.....it would start a coughing fit.
    
    We brought him back to the vets on Monday because his breathing
    was getting worse.  He spent the night in the Oxygen tent and
    we brought him back home Tuesday night and ever since then he has
    very quickly recovered.   I think what helped was getting him on
    the meds Saturday before we even knew how sick he was going to get.
    
    Ziggy is my positive Feluk kitty who's immune system is a bit low,
    so I'm sure this sickness probably hit him faster then it would a
    non-positive kitty.   BUT...for it to turn into phenomia, he had
    to have an upper respitory problem for awhile, but yet there
    was no visable symptoms.  Cats amaze me how they can HIDE things...
    and I'm amazed how fast Ziggy pulled through it.   He's still on
    Meds...but he is feeling great once again.
    
    Sandy 

    ONe other thing comes to mind that could be associated.  The virus for
    what is called "kennel cough' in dogs is also caught by cats. 
    Bordatella is the name for it and I think there is a note in here on
    it.  A friend of mine lost a couple of cats to it.  You have to treat
    it with the apropriate antibiotic or nothing happens.  Baytril, I
    believe is it (if not then it's the Ditrim).  It does turn into 
    pneumonia.
    I hope Ziggy is doing better.  He certainly doesn't need these sorts of
    challenges!!
    Take care,
    Karen

    I have never heard of "kennel cough" but it makes sense and I did	
    experience the same thing the first few weeks after we adopted
    Ashley (our now 18 mo. old tiger).  She had a terrible cough and runny	
    nose which was cleared up in a week with Clavamox.  Even though it	
    is "just a cold" it still breaks your heart to hear a little 3 pound
    12 week old kitten cough like a chain smoker!!!
    
    Susan.
    

    Well, my friend's cat, Greta, is an indoor cat who seems otherwise
    healthy. However, she may take her in this week to the vet again
    if things don't improve. I'll mention some of the other possibilities
    suggested here. Thanks.
    
    - Bob

    Hello all -
    
    I have a cat that has experienced symptoms very close to this every
    fall and spring for the last 3 years. This fall she's much worse, and
    doesn't seem to be getting over it at all. Usually it lasts about 2
    weeks, and then she's suddenly better. The vets here in CA are stumped.
    
    Heretofore she's been diagnosed with upper/lower respiratory virus, but
    she never runs a temp, and Clavamox (and other antibods) seem to have
    no effect, she usually gets over this all all on her own in spite of
    us.  This time we've treated her with Clavamox, aminophyilline,
    and cortisone (for possible athsma) to no avail and
    put special humidifiers (warm) in the room. Nothing seems to help.
     
    Xrays show an enlarged heart, so now the vet is thinking heart disease.
    Before I have her ultra-sounded and start her on other meds, I want to
    eliminate simple stuff like worms (although 3 fecals have come back
    neg.) She does have tapeworms, though, and is being treated for those
    today. 
    
    What worries me is she's going on 3 weeks with this awful "smoker's
    cough, and we have her on a diruetic to help the fluid. 
    She still has no temp, although she sure
    sounds congested when she coughs, the vet says her lungs are clean.
    I'm sure it's wearing her out, and I don't want her stressed any more
    than is absoulutely necessary. Does anyone out here know about
    ultra-sounding, or kitty heart disease?
    
    

    SHOW/KEY FULL CARDIO* brings up the following notes on
    Cardiomyopathy (sp?):   29.2, 138.*, 416.38
    
    Check them out and see if there's anything there that will help in your
    quest for information.
    
    I lost my cat, Bailey, to Cardio.  When she finally showed symptoms 
    of having a problem it was too late to do anything.  We spent 3 days
    at the emergency vet before finally letting her go.  She did have an
    ultrasound which showed an enlarged heart.  She had thrown a blood 
    clot and lost use of her legs.  She was regaining use when she threw
    a second clot that blocked the spinal cord.  There was no help for her
    after that.  At least she wasn't in pain since the clot blocked the
    nerves.  I think back now and remember her doing some panting when 
    she was younger.  But, it was always after lots of exercise and I 
    didn't equate it with a heart problem but that I had let her play 
    to hard and get overheated.
    
    Jan

    
    I brought Callie to the vet yesterday (see .1).  Preliminary diagnosis
    is possible bronchitis.  She is on a run of Baytril for 7 days (one of
    the only antibiotics she responds to) and the xrays were sent out
    to the radiologist.  I'll be talking to Rhonda tomorrow after she gets
    the report back.  Everything else appears normal.
    
    Sandy, thank you for responding to the note.  Hearing about Ziggy
    helped push me over that line of self diagnosis vs. professional 
    expertise.
    
    
    Marlene