The kitten is sneezing: reasons, what to do at home

Kitten sneezes - reasons

Sneezing is a natural defense mechanism to clear the airways. In most cases, cats sneeze several times a day, especially after washing themselves. Statistically, the most common cause of sneezing is irritation of the nasal passages, but the full list of causes is very extensive. You need to worry if your kitten's sneezing is chronic.

If you suspect a disease in your pet, it is better to immediately contact a veterinarian. If this is not possible, it is necessary to carefully monitor the development of the clinical picture. Unfortunately, one of the most common causes of sneezing in kittens is an infection or viral infection. When contacting a veterinary clinic, to determine the pathogen, a sample from the mucous membrane is analyzed.

Note! The development of a viral, bacterial or fungal infection can be prevented or controlled by early vaccination or immunostimulating therapy.

How to put drops in a cat's eyes and nose?

Cats are wayward animals and may simply refuse to carry out any procedures, and during illness it may be more difficult for them to bear such stress.

Below are a few steps to complete the procedures without much hassle.

Drops in the eyes

1. It is better to perform the procedure together, so that one drips and the other holds.
2. Secure your pet's head with a towel.
3. Clean any discharge from your eyes using a damp cotton pad.
4. Pull back your eyelid and apply.
5. Do not let go of your pet for several minutes so that the drug is absorbed.

Nasal drops

1. Fix the muzzle vertically. Your left thumb should rest on the chin, and your index finger should rest on your pet's forehead.
2. With your right hand, take the medicine and inject or drop it.

Carry out the manipulations calmly, your behavior will affect the pet. Afterwards, be sure to praise your pet and give him a treat.

Concomitant and side symptoms

If you suspect that your kitten is sneezing for some reason, you need to identify side symptoms that will indicate a diagnosis. The difficulty is that at an early stage of development, almost all respiratory, bacterial and viral infections have similar symptoms.

In addition, small kittens do not tolerate cold well, so the cause of sneezing may be hypothermia.

The kitten's eyes are watering

Practice shows that most often sneezing in kittens with a clinical complication is caused by the feline herpes virus. Small kittens become infected from adults who have access to free range and catch infected rodents. An infected kitten may be visually healthy until severe stress or another reason causes a weakened immune system.

With the feline herpes virus, the kitten's eyes become watery and there is extensive irritation of the mucous membranes and swelling. After infection, an atypical plaque may appear on the mucous membranes. However, plaque may be a symptom of herpes or a sign of secondary infection.

Note! The feline herpes virus is not dangerous to humans.

Eyes fester

Rhinotracheitis is one of the most common viral diseases in small kittens, especially those living on the street. The nature of the disease is viral, so rhinotracheitis affects the entire population of cats living in a certain area. Theoretically, a kitten can recover from rhinotracheitis without treatment and develop lifelong immunity. However, the surviving animal remains a carrier and infects other cats through airborne droplets or contact.

Important! A kitten that has had rhinotracheitis can live a long, fulfilling life. However, if you decide to adopt another pet (even an adult), it will become ill if it does not receive its initial vaccinations before moving into your home.

The primary symptoms during the development of the clinical picture of rhinotracheitis are very similar to a cold: the kitten sneezes, his eyes are watery, there is apathy, and a slight increase in body temperature.

How to alleviate the course of the disease?

1. Make sure that the cat feels safe: there should be no loud noises, drafts, excessive heat and low or high humidity. The cat should be able to go to a secluded place.
2. The cat must drink. If this does not happen, the owner must feed the pet with a syringe or pipette.
3. The cat must eat.
4. Do not deviate from the chosen course of treatment and be sure to complete it.
5. Be patient, calm and give your cat more attention and affection.

Possible diseases if a kitten sneezes

In addition to the above viral infections, possible diseases that cause sneezing in a kitten can be of a different nature. Unfortunately, the range of diseases is so wide that only a veterinarian can cope with the diagnosis.

The most dangerous are viral diseases, against which the kitten must be vaccinated.

If you pick up a baby on the street or buy it at a poultry market, the resulting viral diseases can cause its death.

Possible diseases of which sneezing may be a symptom are:

• Infectious peritonitis occurs without symptoms for a long time, and at an early stage of the clinical picture it is similar to a cold.

• Feline immunodeficiency virus is a slowly and secretly developing disease that adversely affects the body's immune system. When the cat's immunity level declines, it becomes vulnerable to any, even basic respiratory infections.

• Feline viral leukemia - in the first stages of development, is similar to a respiratory infection, in fact, it is a serious viral disease, which most often leads to death.

• Chlamydia - gives a complete picture of an acute viral respiratory infection complicated by bacterial infection. Unfortunately, chlamydia is highly contagious and common. One of the first symptoms of chlamydia is acute conjunctivitis.

• Mycoplasmosis is common, like chlamydia, contagious, and deadly. Mycoplasmosis progresses more slowly, but leads to more severe consequences: bacterial pneumonia and swelling of the respiratory tract.

Most viral infections cannot be diagnosed with guaranteed accuracy. To detect infection, blood is taken from the cat and examined for the presence of antibodies.

With viral infections, everything is a little more complicated; the causative agents of the disease must be found in the blood sample. This diagnostic method is called PCR. Unfortunately, PCR diagnostics are not available in all clinics and cost a lot of money, so most veterinarians, suspecting a viral infection in a kitten, begin complex, aggressive therapy.

In what cases is a visit to the veterinarian necessary?

You will not be able to handle treatment on your own if your kitten has contracted a viral infection. Your ward can survive if his immunity is strong enough to cope with the infection on his own. However, survival of kittens during viral infection is the exception rather than the rule.

In what cases is a visit to the veterinarian necessary:

• You know that your kitten has been in contact with virus carriers - it was picked up on the street, taken from a shelter, bought at a poultry market and does not have a vaccination document.
• The kitten has severe swelling of the eyes and ulcers on the mucous membranes.
• Against the background of loss of strength and severe depression, fever is observed.
• Constant drooling, copious nasal discharge, purulent discharge from the ears and eyes.
• Weight loss while maintaining appetite or a decisive refusal to eat.
• Enlarged lymph nodes.
• Wheezing or whistling when breathing, cough with or without phlegm.
• Breathing problems.
• Severe problems in the digestive system.

In addition, you should contact a veterinarian if the kitten does not have a severe clinical picture, but the sneezing continues for more than 3-7 days. Some viral infections develop secretly.

Immediately after infection, the kitten exhibits some symptoms, however, the immune system fights them. Under pressure from the immune system, the virus weakens, but remains in the body until the opportunity arises.

Therapy

Treatment of purulent discharge is primarily aimed at eliminating the cause of the pathological process. Further treatment measures depend on how correctly it is established. Treatment for purulent eyes in a kitten also depends on the causes of the pathology:

1. If the cause is a bruise, the injured area is cleaned with a gauze swab soaked in a solution of hydrogen peroxide. The same applies to wounds of the eyelids.
2. If the problem is blepharitis, they look for and remove the cause. It is worth knowing that blepharitis in a kitten can occur due to a lack of vitamins, so if the doctor has diagnosed it, it is necessary to provide the pet with a balanced diet with vitamin supplements.
3. When a kitten has snot and purulent eyes due to a cold, the doctor prescribes eye drops and antibiotics. It is important to provide your pet with comfortable living conditions. The baby's crib should be dry and warm, and there should be no drafts in its location. Adding vitamins to your pet's diet will be an additional benefit for the baby's health.
4. If the kitten's eyes cannot open due to pus, the exudate crusts are softened before removal. Vaseline oil is used for this purpose. The softened crusts are removed, and the area around the eyes is treated with hydrogen peroxide. The eyes themselves are washed with nitrofural, also known as furatsilin. After treatment, eye drops are instilled or ointment is applied.

Some kitten diseases cause not only discharge from the eyes, but also pain. In such cases, the veterinarian prescribes novocaine with an antibiotic, which is injected into the conjunctival sac.

If the disease is advanced, the bacteria have time to take root firmly in the deep layers of the eye. In this case, the doctor prescribes general antibiotic therapy.

For purulent or phlegmonous conjunctivitis, general and local therapy is used. The course of treatment includes periodic washing of the eyes with boric acid - 3%, and their subsequent treatment with syntomycin ointment or any other eye emulsion with antibiotics. In this case, novocaine blockade with an antibiotic is also used. In addition to the pronounced “freezing” effect, the procedure is useful in general therapeutic terms. Antibiotics can also be administered intramuscularly. In addition, your veterinarian may recommend oral sulfonamides.

Prevention of colds, infectious and viral diseases in kittens

Prevention of viral diseases is considered an essential aspect of kitten care. It is important to understand that even the highest quality vaccines do not guarantee that the kitten will not get sick. However, statistics show that vaccinated animals infected with a viral infection tolerate the disease much easier.

Note! According to generally accepted recommendations, the kitten should be kept in quarantine until it receives basic vaccination.

The mother’s immunity protects the baby only until the age of three months, after which the kitten’s body will have to fight pathogens on its own. Prevention of colds and bacterial diseases includes high-quality care and comprehensive protection of the pet from contact with sources of infection. The source of infection can be stray animals, places where garbage accumulates, wild rodents, etc.

How to prevent such a situation?

Treating is always more difficult than preventing a disease. Because in reality, not much is required from the owner:

• treat your pet carefully and monitor for possible changes in behavior and appearance;
• carry out regular vaccinations;
• keep your cat's toys and litter box clean;
• rinse eyes and clean if lumps form;
• carry out deworming once every three months;
• feed correctly and prevent “table food”;
• provide access to clean and fresh water;
• Visit the veterinarian at least once a year and promptly contact the veterinarian for any changes.