Recently adopted an 8 week old kitten who seems to be having a huge number of health problems?
Stacey M asked:
He had his first vet check up and all of his vaccinations are up to date at this point. He had fleas, so I applied Advantage on him. We also have two other cats already and they were treated also. A day or so later I realized his ears had brown stuff in them. The vet thought these may be earmites, so I am treating them with a gel like ear drop every other day and cleaning them with a cotton ball. He seems to be shaking his head a lot after the first cleaning and one of his ears even tucks down close to his head. He is also sneezing/coughing making a gruff noise when he is lying down, almost like he’s been smoking for years. My question is, are all of these things normal? How contagious are earmites? Does he have an URI? What can I do for him? He seems to still be eating and drinking well and there is no sign of conjunctivitis or a lot of nasal discharge yet. Please help. I’m a little overwhelmed.
He had his first vet check up and all of his vaccinations are up to date at this point. He had fleas, so I applied Advantage on him. We also have two other cats already and they were treated also. A day or so later I realized his ears had brown stuff in them. The vet thought these may be earmites, so I am treating them with a gel like ear drop every other day and cleaning them with a cotton ball. He seems to be shaking his head a lot after the first cleaning and one of his ears even tucks down close to his head. He is also sneezing/coughing making a gruff noise when he is lying down, almost like he’s been smoking for years. My question is, are all of these things normal? How contagious are earmites? Does he have an URI? What can I do for him? He seems to still be eating and drinking well and there is no sign of conjunctivitis or a lot of nasal discharge yet. Please help. I’m a little overwhelmed.
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February 5th, 2009 at 10:33 pm
As cute as the kitty is, what I would do (sadly) is give him back =(
February 6th, 2009 at 7:00 am
Sounds like cat flu, if he is just sneezing it hasn’t gone too far, try steam therapy (either humidifier or take him into bathroom and steam it up with hot water from shower). If he starts to get eye/nose discharge will need vibravet paste (doxyclycline).
Normal for his ears to go flat when had drops put in it because it feels weird.
Ear mites are contagious to other pets. Its easier to treat with revolution (spot on treatment for fleas, ear mites, worms and heartworm) can put it on now as different drug to advantage and treat all cats now and then again in one month.
February 9th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
get him checked by you vet. he sounds like he has got an upper respiratory infection due to stress and being overwhelmed with problems. the ear mites if being treated corectly should clear up but keep him away from you resident cats as both problems are contagious. it is hard but keep going he will get better with some medication and lots of tlc. especially if he is still eating and playing as these are good signs.
February 11th, 2009 at 2:20 am
sorry to say but you might need to make another vet visit. write down questions you have so that you will remember to ask them when you get to the vets office. you might even try and calling to ask, but i think they will tell you to come in anyway. don’t worry about asking the vet all these questions. any good vet would be happy to answer any and all questions you have, to make sure your pet is healthy
February 13th, 2009 at 4:42 am
I’d be curious to know which agency adopted out a cat with this many problems. Kennel cough I can understand just because so many animals are sheltered in a small area, but ear mites and fleas are a big no-no at a humane society.
Thankfully, all of the issues you mentioned are fairly easily resolved and treated. Please give this kitty a little bit of time. He may turn out to be your best friend and after all, nobody’s perfect.
February 14th, 2009 at 10:11 pm
You just need to relax a little. You are taking very good care of him. Earmites are quite common and they will go away. They can jump from cat to cat. If the other cats get them you will know what to do.
As far as the “cold” goes that is also common in a kitten. There is an underlying stress in his adjustment to his new home which is normal and his immune system may not be up and running as strongly as it will be.
You just need to watch that he is eating, functioning normally, etc. If he develops any breathing problems or stops eating then that’s the time for the vet to decide how best to handle it.
February 17th, 2009 at 6:42 am
stay calm these are all minor problems…earmites are highly contagious…but can be treated with just hydrogen peroxide and qtips on all your cats just keep them as clean as you can and as soon as you finish with one qtip dispose of it asap so no mites will travel (keep a plastic bag nearby as you are cleaning) you will need alot of qtips because as soon as one gets dirty you will need more…obviously the vet didnt hear anything wrong with his breathing when you had him there so dont worry about that but ask the vet the next time you go…stay calm its nothing that cant be fixed it will just take a little time and patience you can do it….
February 18th, 2009 at 8:14 pm
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