Snotty kitties **UPDATED POST VET TRIP!

[CityGirlintheCountry]

I adopted two barn cats back in August. They've been living in the chicken coop at night and ranging about in the daytime. They were sneezy and congested when I got them. Both had green stuff coming out of their little noses. In addition, one had a weepy eye. It was very watery.
I took both to the vet. We did two and a half runs of anitbiotics (and it was a half run because one of them knocked the bottle over before I could get teh cap on!). It seemed to clear up with the last dosings. I took them in to be fixed and two days before they started sneezing and wheezing again. The vet finally said it wasn't a huge deal and that it would clear up on it's own.
It hasn't cleared up. It comes and goes, but they are still periodically sneezy and wheezy. The wheeziness really concerns me. You can hear it down in their chests. The one with the watery eye still has a watery eye.

What should I do? The antibiotics helped for about a week each. They don't act sick. Both are active and eating and drinking. Will it just go away or do I need to find another vet?

Thanks!

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

It sounds like a URI or an infection with the green snot.

 

[glowworm]

did the vet use the same antibiotic both times? Also, was the "half-run" the first round of antibiotics?

 

[Katy]

Some of my wild barn cats have what sounds like the same thing. It comes and goes, but never goes away entirely. Some seem to build up some immunity to it and keep going while others just slowly waste away from it. I think mine are passing it to the kitten in utero since most of the kittens seem to start displaying symptons of it within the first couple weeks of their lives. These are wild barn cats...I wish I could at least catch them to get them neutered so I wouldn't have to watch kittens dying every summer. The vet said even the ones who aren't showing signs of it are probably carriers.

 

[chickbea]

Good for you for adopting these little ones!
I would absolutely get a second opinion from a different vet. The answer you were given by yours sounds uncaring and ignorant - obviously the problem isn't clearing up on it's own!

 

[chickbea]

Quote:
Have you tried catching them in a Hav-a-heart (sp?) trap? We've caught feral cats this way to bring them in to be spayed/neutered.

 

[monarc23]

Quote:
sounds like rhinovirus, normally doesnt kill kitties but it can cause secondary infections. The cats may keep reinfecting eachother, since they're together. I see this most of the time where therse a large number of barn cats together.

 

[monarc23]

Quote:
that sounds like feline leukemia (sp?) which is very bad

It wiped out my whole towns cat/kitten population all in one summer. Only cats that werent affected was indoor cats with shots it was really scary.

 

[Katy]

Quote:
that sounds like feline leukemia (sp?) which is very bad

It wiped out my whole towns cat/kitten population all in one summer. Only cats that werent affected was indoor cats with shots it was really scary.

It's not that...or at least it hasn't been on the ones I've managed to catch and tame down a little bit. The vet thought it might be too, but the ones they've tested have all came back negative.

 

[toletiquesbysam]

I don't know how to help you but it reminded me of why I don't care for cats...............Grandma had a gazillion cats/kittens running around the farm and they all had this "cold" coughing/snotty/etc. They were never fun to pet or look at or nothing when they were this way, so my growing up and memories included the Snotty Kittens and now I can not have a cat around. I don't mind other peoples cats but I just don't want any in our home. I hope you get it figured out and get them well!