return to main index

  mobile - desktop
follow us on facebook follow us on twitter follow us on YouTube link to us on LinkedIn
Southwestern Center for Herpetological Research  
click here for Rodent Pro
This Space Available
3 months for $50.00
Locate a business by name: click to list your business
search the classifieds. buy an account
events by zip code list an event
Search the forums             Search in:
News & Events: Herp Photo of the Day: False Coral Snake . . . . . . . . . .  Herp Photo of the Day: Bearded Dragon . . . . . . . . . .  Greater Cincinnati Herp Society Meeting - Apr 02, 2024 . . . . . . . . . .  Calusa Herp Society Meeting - Apr 04, 2024 . . . . . . . . . .  Southwestern Herp Society Meeting - Apr 06, 2024 . . . . . . . . . .  Hamburg Reptile Show - Apr. 13, 2024 . . . . . . . . . .  St. Louis Herpetological Society - Apr 14, 2024 . . . . . . . . . .  San Diego Herp Society Meeting - Apr 16, 2024 . . . . . . . . . .  Suncoast Herp Society Meeting - Apr 20, 2024 . . . . . . . . . .  DFW Herp Society Meeting - Apr 20, 2024 . . . . . . . . . .  Colorado Herp Society Meeting - Apr 20, 2024 . . . . . . . . . .  Chicago Herpetological Society Meeting - Apr 21, 2024 . . . . . . . . . . 
Join USARK - Fight for your rights!
full banner - advertise here .50¢/1000 views
Layne Labs - Natural Diets for Pets & Wildlife
pool banner - $50 year

RE: 10 yr old cat suddenly sneezing . Any ideas?

[ Login ] [ User Prefs ] [ Search Forums ] [ Back to Main Page ] [ Back to Cat Discussions ] [ Reply To This Message ]
[ Register to Post ]

Posted by: LisaS. at Tue Jan 27 11:03:08 2004  [ Report Abuse ] [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by LisaS. ]  
   

virtually all cats have been exposed to the herpes virus, and as stated, the virus will stay dormant until stress or some trigger brings it to the surface. People with cats carry the virus around on their clothes (it lives for roughly a day or so, so when you pick up your babies it's all over you). It's also possible to get it at the vet as you wait in the waiting room with all those other kitties. Since I doubt vets change their clothing after each patient, I suspect it's on them too (they do wash their hands and clean the table after each patient). To avoid contamination of the waiting room and to reduce stress on poor kitty, we wait in the car until the last minute when we go to the vet (one of mine has herpes). Think of it this way: you have a broken finger, go to the doc office, wait in the office, notice that two of the people in the room are also waiting and they have colds. They sneeze, little droplets are flying about the room, and boom, a week later you have a cold. Did it come from the doc office or when you went shopping, or when your family members went to the store, etc.? The virus is virtually everywhere, and in most cats it's just a minor sneezing fit on occasion. I happen to have a cat with herpes whose eye issues are a bit more complicated. His brother was herpes free I thought, but when his immune system crashed, boom, he had herpes too-it could have been dormant, or he could have developed it recently.

anyway, it's not a reason to avoid the vet (not trying to bash vets, they're my cats' best friends), just as you wouldn't avoid the doc just to avoid the office germs. The vet can give you antibiotics to prevent secondary infections, which is important.

And as mentioned he could have an allergy. I have one who has a sneezing allergy, which clears up with doc prescribed antihistamine, showing it's not herpes but allergy. Go figure.

anyway, just my opinion based on my experience. The vet can give you his/her opinion on what to do. And if the kitty's congested, a vaporizer/humidifier can help too.

Take care and please keep us posted,

LisaS.


   

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Subscribe to this Thread ] [ Show Entire Thread ]


<< Previous Message:  10 yr old cat suddenly sneezing . Any ideas? - icequeen, Mon Jan 26 07:26:40 2004