Upper respiratory infections are a severe matter for cats. They can cause a lot of discomforts and even lead to the death of your pet if not treated in time. The virus, bacteria, or fungi that affect the upper respiratory tract can be transmitted from one animal to another, but they often occur due to weakened immune systems in cats.
The vet will diagnose your cat by examining the symptoms and performing tests. This article will discuss what causes this illness, how it affects your pet’s health, and how you can treat and prevent it from happening again if possible.
What Is an Upper Respiratory Infection?
An upper respiratory infection, or URI, refers to any infection that affects the nose and throat of cats. According to the Web MD, viruses cause some 90% of these infections. They also cause about 80% of cat colds. Cats can get a URI from other cats or dogs, so if you own multiple pets, it’s essential to keep their interactions limited when illness strikes one pet.
If your cat is showing signs of URI, such as sneezing and coughing, you should take immediate action, like giving them Amoxicillin capsules; think “preventive care” here.
Amoxicillin capsules are a common antibiotic used to treat cats’ upper respiratory infections. It works by stopping the growth of bacteria that can cause infection, and amoxicillin capsules also help reduce the symptoms of an upper respiratory infection in your cat. Amoxicillin capsules can be taken with or without food. Amoxicillin should be given for 10-14 days, depending on the severity of the infection.
Why Might My Cat Have an Upper Respiratory Infection?
Cats are more prone to URI than dogs for quite a few reasons. The majority of colds and flu that humans catch come from viruses that can infect cats. Viruses cause upper respiratory infections by attaching themselves to cells in the nasal passages or throat and releasing toxins or replicating. This causes inflammation in your cat’s nose, leading to sneezing and coughing, as well as other symptoms.
According to an article published on the Cornell University website, around 97% of felines are exposed to the herpes virus. Moreover, this virus can result in a long-term infection in around 80% of the exposed cats. On the other hand, only 10% of cats housed in small groups, like inside your home, are exposed to the calicivirus. However, the numbers increase in crowded places like pet shelters. Data shows that around 25-40% of cats may be carriers in these places.
Bacteria can also cause upper respiratory infections in cats because they have ways of getting inside their bodies. Unfortunately, these bacteria can be highly hardy for felines everywhere if they manage to get inside yours.
How Are Upper Respiratory Infections Diagnosed in Cats?
Studies show that in some areas, the chances of upper respiratory infections in cats are as high as 60%. This indicates that your cat might be suffering from URI, and you are probably unaware of it since such a disease often shows no symptoms. Hence, you must check if your cat has one to ensure the treatment before it’s too late.
The first step in diagnosing the cause of your cat’s symptoms is a physical examination, during which the vet will check for any abnormalities. This includes listening to its respiratory rate and pattern, checking its temperature, and observing how it breathes when resting.
The next step is to look inside your furry friend’s mouth and nose with an endoscope. It is a long tube equipped with a camera that lets the vet get an up-close look at things inside the body cavity. They may also swab some mucus samples around the nose or throat area for testing at a lab.
If there are signs of inflammation or infection in these areas, they’ll run tests on any collected mucus samples and blood samples taken from your pet’s ear veins. In addition to testing blood counts and levels of white blood cells, they’ll also check levels of various antibodies related to fighting off viruses and bacteria. If necessary, they’ll perform X-rays or ultrasounds that provide more information about what might be happening within those delicate lungs.
However, if the disease is asymptomatic, it is best to diagnose it on time by getting regular health check-ups of the cats. This will also help you diagnose any other conditions your cat might have.
How Can I Prevent Upper Respiratory Infections in My Cat?
According to Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, 80% of all cats over the age of 3 have upper respiratory infections. If your cat has been diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection, there are a few things you can do to help prevent it from happening again.
- Keeping your cat indoors. Outdoor cats are exposed to several infectious diseases, including those that cause upper respiratory problems.
- Vaccinating your cat against feline distemper and the feline herpes virus (FHV-1). The vaccines will not wholly prevent upper respiratory infections, but they help reduce their severity and frequency. Vaccines are essential if you have more than one kitten at home as they spread these viruses quickly within groups of cats.
- Cleaning the environment regularly includes litter boxes and other places where cats spend time together or alone, such as grooming areas, food bowls, water dishes, etc. It’s also essential to clean away any waste material so it doesn’t accumulate around the house. This helps prevent infections from spreading through contact with infected materials like saliva droplets on floors or other lower surfaces, which can then get into an open wound when touched again later on down the line when cleaning isn’t done correctly first thing off today’s agenda list.
- You should also make sure that you brush your cat’s teeth once a week so that you don’t get any tartar buildup on them. This will prevent them from getting gum disease which can lead to further problems like tooth loss or even death from heart failure if left untreated for too long.
That’s all you need to know about upper respiratory infections in cats. If your cat shows any signs of a URI, it’s best to take them to the vet immediately. The vet will be able to diagnose the problem and help with early treatment to prevent the infection from getting severe.