Disclaimer: the information provided below is not intended
to replace or override the advice of your veterinarian. Both the author
and the site owner assume that this information will be used to work with
your vet in planning the best treatment plan for your cat
My vet told me my cat has a URI. Is this a serious condition?
Upper respiratory infections in cats "range from mild and barely noticeable to severe and persistent" (Pitcairn 319). Common symptoms include runny eyes and nose (sometimes with thick discharge), sneezing, coughing, increased temperature, and loss of appetite. Many URIs are self limiting and clear up in two to three weeks; however, if a cat's immune system is compromised, she may develop a chronic infection (Scott and Richards 240). For example, when I adopted my FeLV positive cat, George, in July 1998, he had already developed a nasty URI . Because George's system was already weakened by the FeLV, the vets were concerned that it would turn into a chronic case, which would be difficult to treat allopathically (or holistically).
Why don't antibiotics seem to help my cat's URI?
URIs in cats are most commonly caused by viruses, usually either the herpes virus or the calici virus. Although some URIs are caused by bacterial infection, in viral infections, antibiotics are prescribed for possible secondary bacterial infections which may result from the virus weakening the cat's system and tissues (Scott and Richards 242); however, antibiotics will do little if anything for the primary viral infection. George was initially treated with a two-week course of Baytril, but this did nothing to clear up the infection, and my vets and I decided to stop the antibiotics. After stopping the antibiotics, I noticed an improvement in George. All the natural treatments I had used from the beginning seemed to finally be taking effect. I now believe the antibiotics were not only not helping George heal, they were interfering with the process by stressing George's kidneys and destroying beneficial bacteria in his digestive tract.
What holistic treatments are helpful for URIs?
Give your cat the best diet you possibly can. Consult our articles on raw, cooked, and premium commercial diets for suggestions. Diet is the cornerstone of all healing. Typically, a cat with an advanced URI will fast himself because his sense of smell is diminished and he may be running a temperature. In fact, many holistic animal practitioners and authors recommend fasting a cat with a URI for one to two days, but it is very important to keep your cat hydrated during this time. One way to do this is by feeding chicken broth during a fast. Boil chicken in purified water with a little tomato juice until the meat is falling off the chicken. Drain the liquid; let it cool. You may then supplement the broth with vitamin C (see below), feed a portion to your cat, and refrigerate the remainder (to be used several times during the day). This is a very simplified version of Anitra Frazier's recipe (223).
With your cat's meals, give him/her vitamin C, preferably as sodium ascorbate (recommended by Pitcairn and Schwartz) or calcium ascorbate powder, as these buffered forms of vitamin C will be easier on your cat's stomach. Most of the books I consulted suggested giving vitamin C to bowel tolerance, but I never gave George more than 500 mgs. of sodium ascorbate per day, and he recovered well.
Other useful supplements that CJ Puotinen (285), Schwartz (170-72), and others listed below mention are
During much of George's URI, his regimen consisted of a raw food diet, trace minerals, sodium ascorbate, echinacea, and grapefruit seed extract. His URI cleared up in two weeks, and he has only developed mild symptoms since then. When George developed a runny eye after his initial severe URI, his vets concluded the likely cause of his first URI was the herpes virus, as the herpes virus affects mostly the eyes, nose, and upper respiratory tract. If your cat is infected with the calici virus, he is more likely to have mouth ulcers and in some cases develop pneumonia and will have less involvement with the eyes and nose (Pitcairn 319-20). The vet suggested I begin giving George L-Lysine, 500 mg per day, while the virus is active. L-Lysine is an amino acid which inhibits the growth of the herpes virus virus ( Balch & Balch 318). This clears George's runny eye almost overnight.
Is there anything I can do to make my congested cat more comfortable and encourage her to eat?
If your cat is heavily congested, Frazier and Pitcairn also suggest using a saline solution to clean the nose and eyes several times a day, especially before feeding, as an enhanced sense of smell will often spark an ill cat's appetite. To make a saline solution, mix 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt in one cup of purified water (no chlorine). Let the mixture heat to body temperature. Use a cotton ball to drip solution into the cat's nostrils to encourage sneezing. Put several drops in your cat's eyes and then clean away the discharge. Schwartz notes that using a vaporizer in a small enclosed space (5-30 minutes, several times a day) will also help the cat breathe more freely. This treatment works particularly well before meals as the cat will be more likely to smell the food.
To prevent URIs, feed a high quality, well-balanced diet. At the first sign of illness (runny eyes, sneezing, nictating membranes showing), increase your cat's vitamin C and give her any of the supplements listed, as a preventative measure. If your cat is infected with the herpes virus, immediately begin supplementing his diet with L-Lysine.
If you have a multi-cat household, you should attempt to isolate the affected cat and wash your hands thoroughly after handling him/her. As both the herpes virus and the calici virus will survive in the environment for varying amounts of time-- from one day to two weeks (Scott and Richards 240), it is a good idea to wash bedding, clothing, water and food dishes, litter boxes, and all exposed smooth surfaces with a mild soap and/or bleach solution, one part bleach to 32 parts water (Scott and Richards 243).
Sources Consulted:
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