# Stuffy nose for almost 2 months



## thesquishie (Nov 5, 2008)

My hubby and I adopted a stray (we think he was pet that was abandoned by his previous owner less than 6 months before we took him in) middle of September. About 2 weeks after we got him we noticed he was really stuffed up and sneezy. I did some reseach online and everything said that with something serious they'd have discharge from their nose and/or eyes, be lethargic, stop eating, etc. Basically some other symptom or symptoms. I took him into the vet about a month ago for what seemed to be constipation or trouble urinating and the vet said to take him home and observe him for a few more days and then call her if it continued. Other than that she said he was fine. The straining didn't continue so I never called her back. But his stuffy nose is still there. It's kind of come and gone, even day to day, but sometimes it's pretty bad. He still plays with my husband (although just lately he has gotten more lazy), still uses the litter box regularly and still eats. Other than the stuffy nose and occasionaly wheezing/sneezing he acts normal. Should I take him in? Or is there something I can try before taking the time and money? Last time I took him in it was for nothing so I really would like to not repeat that. This is my first experience having a cat (I'm not a cat person, my hubby is) so I really have no clue about these things. Thanks!


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## weebeasties (Jul 19, 2008)

Your kitty's behavior sounds kind of like our Othello's. We adopted Othello this spring, and he's had the sneezies and occasional stuffiness off and on since we got him. The Humane Society told us when we got him that he might have an upper respiratory infection, and that seems to be the case - it's dormant most of the time, but flares up occasionally. He's mostly been OK, but we did have to take him to the vet this weekend when that URI flared up bad. He was sneezing and blowing his little nose a lot more than usual, really lethargic, and had a decreased appetite. The vet listened to his lungs, checked for dehydration, and gave us an antibiotic (to prevent any secondary bacterial infections in his weakened state) and a lysine (amino acid) dietary supplement that's supposed to help slow the virus's reproduction, and he's feeling a lot better now - still a little sneezy and stuffy, but much more active again. We're supposed to keep him on that lysine stuff for three weeks or so, until the bottle is gone, so we'll see if it cuts back on his everyday sneezing and stuffiness. If it does, we might just keep him on it on a regular basis.

How "just recently" has he gotten "more lazy" - just the past few days? I'd definitely be on the lookout for any changes in activity level or eating/drinking. I'm not sure if there's a test your vet can do for an upper respiratory infection if your kitty's not in the middle of an outbreak, but it might be worth asking about, so you'd know what you're dealing with.


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## petspy (Sep 11, 2008)

I'm having similar congestion problems with one of the cats I adopted 2 Months ago. She otherwise fine, but sneezes up snot several times each day. other than increasing the humidity, I don't know much more I can do. I'm considering adding 100% pure Lysine supplement powder for horses to their diet, because the supplement for felines is way too expensive. Lysine is supposed to have decongestant benefits. I know many give 12mg of Benadryl to their cats to make them sleepy for grooming and transportation, but I wonder if that would give them temporary decongestant relief as well. I hope experts here can give me the pros and cons of attempting either off label strategy.


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## my5kitties (Sep 13, 2005)

petspy said:


> I'm having similar congestion problems with one of the cats I adopted 2 Months ago. She otherwise fine, but sneezes up snot several times each day. other than increasing the humidity, I don't know much more I can do. I'm considering adding 100% pure Lysine supplement powder for horses to their diet, because the supplement for felines is way too expensive. Lysine is supposed to have decongestant benefits. I know many give 12mg of Benadryl to their cats to make them sleepy for grooming and transportation, but I wonder if that would give them temporary decongestant relief as well. I hope experts here can give me the pros and cons of attempting either off label strategy.


I wouldn't try to give something that's formulated for horses to cats, not unless I knew for a fact that it wouldn't harm my kitties. I understand that a lot of people are having to tighten the purse strings, but I don't think I'd run the risk of using something that might be harmful to my babies. Petspy, I hope you compare both Lysine supplements to see if there's any chance of the horse supplement being too strong for your furries. You don't want to save a bit of money only to have to spend what you saved by rushing your babies to the vet for giving them something that may be too strong for them.


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## katlover13 (Apr 15, 2008)

My cat Tweezer has had a stuffy nose (among other problems) since we got him in September. A few weeks ago he began sneezing blood. My vet put him back on the Doxycycline and told me to get the baby nose drops that are just saline solution and use them. He is no longer sneezing blood but he is still stuffy. I e-mailed the vet this morning to see what the next step should be.

Lysine is only effective against the feline herpes virus which mostly affects their eyes. I mix lysine with my cats food every day. They sell a powdered kind on the internet that is flavored for cats.


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## Jack&Harley (Nov 2, 2008)

Your vet can run a test to see if your cat has the Feline Herpes Virus.

L-Lysine doesn't just help their eyes, the herpes virus is basically an upper respitory infection--so the L-Lysine (which is different than Lysine alone) will help all symptoms.

80% of cats are infected with feline herpes--they just don't all show symptoms--stress often brings them out. Stress is a big trigger for flare-ups in our house. Jack and Harley both have the virus.

I use the regular L-Lysine for humans for the cats--I take it everyday myself since I get cold sores (which is oral herpes). I just crush a tablet into their water.

Leslie


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## petspy (Sep 11, 2008)

it would make sense there would be an ordinary dry cat food
with extra Lysine amino acid supplements already baked in.
if anyone knows of such a product, please chime in here.


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## Jack&Harley (Nov 2, 2008)

my understanding is that cat foods do--it just isn't an amount sufficient enough to help cats with the herpes virus.

Leslie


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## thesquishie (Nov 5, 2008)

So what I'm gathering is that it's most likely symptoms of the Feline Herpes virus showing itself and that L-Lysine really is the only way to treat it? A vet visit for me is $46, would it be cheaper to get some L-Lysine (someone referred to buying it over the net) and see if that clears it up? Or is it something that a doctor REALLY should check out? I'm not too scared that it's going to become life threatening (unless his symptoms drastically change) so I'm not worried about taking a little longer to get him to the vet if it means trying a treatment first that probably will work. He has just recently gotten more lazy, but he seems to be eating and drinking just fine. I'd really rather try the Lysine before taking him to the vet.


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## petspy (Sep 11, 2008)

pure Lysine in moderate dosage cannot harm your cat.
(we should discuss a MG per cat Pound dosage here)
any Lysine the cat can't use will simply pass through 
it's digestive and circulatory system under utilized.

however the Danger of off label dosing Lysine are any
additives that may be in the supplement from processing.
so if you can find something 100% pure and unprocessed
your cat should be safe. ironically, over priced Feline
Lysine probably has more flavoring and additives in it,
than pure human Lysine supplements do. 

if after a Month the congestion symptoms have not
subsided, you should probably stop using Lysine and
see the vet after all, if congestion still concerns you.

before running out and buying anything, wait a few days 
for cooler heads to chime in as this discussion evolves.

*animal grade;*









*human grade;*


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## thesquishie (Nov 5, 2008)

Good idea. I did google L-Lysine powder for cats and it seems pretty cheap (one site I went to had 100g for 12.99). Even if I just get a little at first, it's cheaper than taking him to the vet and if it doesn't work then I haven't spent a ton on it in bulk. But I'll wait a few more days to see if anyone else has any better ideas or more information.


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## Jack&Harley (Nov 2, 2008)

I would not use the L-Lysine without consulting a vet.

Will it hurt your cat probably not but I myself wouldn't add something to my diet without consulting a doctor.

Your vet can give you the dosage for your cat. 

We aren't vets and shouldn't be considered vets.

I would think that a phone call to the vet would suffice--my vet is more than happy to answer questions over the phone that don't require a vet visit.

Leslie


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## petspy (Sep 11, 2008)

Vets are useless, and Lysine is a harmless amino acid supplement.
Vets are in the business of selling you tests, exclusive drugs and foods.
as for the right dosage, it's easy to divine from feline Lysine packaging.
I just haven't gotten around to figuring it all out just yet...


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

I've got to stick up for my vet here.

I've been given free vet visits and lower-priced vet visits since being laid off. Plus, even when I was working, my vet recommended things I could do at home for Cinderella before running expensive tests and prescribing medications.

Sorry, off-topic, but they're not all out to make a buck.


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## thesquishie (Nov 5, 2008)

I wouldn't say vets are useless although I'm more in the category of giving away (first choice) or putting down an animal if something medical were going to cost a lot, even if would totally heal him. But since the supplement won't harm him I'll try it first. its not life threatening and he's not really in pain.


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## Smirkitty (Apr 19, 2008)

I get L-Lysine at the local drug store and give it daily to both my cats on the advice of my vet. One is FIV+ and the other has chronic URIs which manifest in wheezing and snuffly nose. 
I get the 250 mg uncoated tablets and crush them each night into their wet food. 
My chronic URI cat has done much better with this since his initial URI outbreak when we first got him (did a few rounds of antibiotics to clear up a secondary infection). 
Easy, cheap, vet-recommended, and it is helping to keep his outbreaks under control. 
Oh, and welcome to CF!


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## weebeasties (Jul 19, 2008)

Yeah, our vet gave us the L-Lysine gel (I think the brand name was Enisyl), but it's the same dosage, 250 mg per cat. Well, 500 mg per day for the actively sick kitty, and 250 for the healthy one who's been exposed to all his germs. I might have to check the drugstore for the "human" variety, since Othello isn't fond of the taste of the Enisyl - though he will at least take it mixed in his wet food.


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## petspy (Sep 11, 2008)

I just wanted to point out that those considering buying Lysine powder
should NOT get the Horse Lysine which is only 79% pure,
compared to human supplement grade which is >99% pure.

Here's the one I'll be buying; *
http://purebulk.com/llysine-hcl-250g-p-169.html
250,000mg is an 18 Month supply for my 2 cats.
$8.50+$4.80 s/h
a powder form is about 50% cheaper than tablets,
and it's much more convenient than crushing pills.
one 250mg dose is about a 1/8 level teaspoon.
a 16oz grocery salsa jar is a good way to store it.

Keep in mind Lysine has a 2-3 year shelf life
so don't stock up on more than you will 
be consuming over the next two years.

_* this seller has good prices on Stevia,
in case you also use that sweetener._


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## thesquishie (Nov 5, 2008)

Let's see, 18 month supply for 2 cats would be a 36 month supply for one cat, which is 3 years. But that's cheaper than the 100g for $12.99+$4.95 S&H I found. What determines whether it's a 2 or 3 year shelf life? How do you know when it's expired?


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## petspy (Sep 11, 2008)

the purebulk batch expires in January of 2010,
but most human supplements are still effective
well past that date; just not at it's full potency,
so you may have to dose a bit more by 2011.
remember, there is no danger in this as Lysine
is a harmless amino acid, so dosing more than
may be needed will not harm a healthy cat.

I'm still trying to nail down the dose in teaspoons.
it's definitely between 1/4 and 1/8 per 250mg,
but I won't know till I have the powder in hand
sometimes next week when I can weight each
teaspoon'ed portion on my Jewelers scale.


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## thesquishie (Nov 5, 2008)

I found a 100g jar at www.luckyvitamin.com for $4.48+S&H. Not as cheap but pretty good. I think I'm gonna go with that.


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## petspy (Sep 11, 2008)

keep in mind cheap no name supplements often use
fillers and binders to press into tablets more easily.
this is no threat to your cat, however, you may find
the volume of pill powder larger in order to deliver the
same 250mg dose, only making it harder to hide the
additional mass of tablet powder in your cat's food.
so a 250mg dose of 99% purebulk powder may be 1/8tspn
while a 250mg dose of generic tablet dust may be 3/8tspn.

also, make sure to double check the "serving size".
often 1,000mg 100tablets is really 100 500mg tablets
you'll need to double dose for it's "serving size" of 2,
to achieve the labels 1,000mg human dose. so you
end up buying half the total volume you thought of.


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## thesquishie (Nov 5, 2008)

It's a pure powder so it should be the same. I made sure to search for PURE or 100% L-Lysine powder.


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## petspy (Sep 11, 2008)

OIC, nice find :thumb
http://www.luckyvitamin.com/item/itemKey/59207


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## petspy (Sep 11, 2008)

Hi, I've been dosing 100mg of Lysine per cat per day for the past 6 weeks.
The amount of congestion and eye stain accumulation is half what is was,
so I would attribute the improvement to the Lysine since no other diet or
environmental factors have changed. So it's not a cure, but it does help.


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## kcipp (Jan 29, 2009)

My cats have Feline Herpes. My vet told me to give them L-Lysine at the first sign of an outbreak and continue it for a week after the symptoms go away. It really cuts down the length and severity of the outbreak.


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