Help! My Kitty's Sick!

[Brad_W]

Poor lil guy is coughing! I have to wait until Monday to take him to the vet. He's sooooo cute, but his coughing has rendered him inactive.
Is there anything I can do until Monday?
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[Jack Briggs]

Brad: Are there no emergency rooms in your area? Please start making some calls; the constant coughing is a bad sign--you must get him to a vet immediately. Immediately! Do not wait until Monday.
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[Edited last by Jack Briggs on November 17, 2001 at 03:40 PM]

 

[Rain]

Check to see if there is an emergency clinic that will treat him. They are generally open on weekends. If not, you could try your local Humane Society for advice--they also may be open on weekends.
Is Kitty eating? If so, that's a good sign that it's nothing serious.
By the symptoms you are describing, I would offer 2 possible diagnoses, though I point out I'm not a vet, just a cat-lover:
- Hairball - Make sure Kitty has plenty of water. If you can find a pet store that has some, buy him some grass to chew on--it helps to expell the offending wad.
- Common cold - Yeah, cats can get it too. Ditto on the water thing. The grass won't hurt--he probably won't touch it if he doesn't feel like it.
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"Imagine all the people, living life in peace..." - Imagine by John Lennon

 

[Brad_W]

Lil kitty is eating. He even attacked our Big kitty. I'm just a nervous parent. It could be a hairball, but he twitches and shakes when he coughs. My wife thinks he could have Kennel cough, but I don't think so. I don't believe we have an emergency room vet.
As for water, I gave him plenty.
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"People = Sh*t" - Slipknot
My Home Page:
http://www.geocities.com/masternix/DVD.html
My List O' DVDs:
http://www.dvdaficionado.com/dvds.html?cat=1&id=meshuga
[Edited last by Brad_W on November 17, 2001 at 03:50 PM]

 

[Julie K]

Does he seem to be getting enough oxygen? Check his gums to see if they are a nice pink or a not-so-nice blueish color. That's what I would worry strongly about with a constant cough.
If you can't find an emergency room, still call around to see if any vets are on-call for the weekend.
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"Some people think I'm over-prepared, paranoid...maybe even a little crazy. But they never met any pre-Cambrian life forms, did they?"

 

[Rain]

Lil kitty is eating. He even attacked our Big kitty.

That's a good sign.

 

[Brad_W]

Well, right now his gums are pink and his nose is cool. He's also purring a lot, but now that I think about it, cats purr even when they're in pain.
------------------
"People = Sh*t" - Slipknot
My Home Page:
http://www.geocities.com/masternix/DVD.html
My List O' DVDs:
http://www.dvdaficionado.com/dvds.html?cat=1&id=meshuga

 

[Jack Briggs]

Pink gums are a good sign. But please call some vets' offices now. Log off HTF, get on the phone, and get the little tiger to a doc. Then check back in with us re the results.
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[Brad_W]

I hope so. I feel like an over-protective parent right now.
------------------
"People = Sh*t" - Slipknot
My Home Page:
http://www.geocities.com/masternix/DVD.html
My List O' DVDs:
http://www.dvdaficionado.com/dvds.html?cat=1&id=meshuga
[Edited last by Brad_W on November 17, 2001 at 04:02 PM]

 

[Jack Briggs]

That's the very least a cat deserves. But get thee to a telephone now, kind sir.
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[Brad_W]

Okay, I called my Vet and they were only open until two, but I was transferred to an Emergency Vet. Clinic (which I didn't even know we had). She told me that if he continues to keep coughing that I should bring him in.
Right now he is relaxed and seems okay, but if he continues with his coughing, I will take him in... tonight.
Thanks for all your help.
When I first got Lil Kitty (then named Ash after the Evil Dead hero) from the pound, I had to nurse him to health. He was sick and had eye gunkies and a little cough. god he's cute!
------------------
"People = Sh*t" - Slipknot
My Home Page:
http://www.geocities.com/masternix/DVD.html
My List O' DVDs:
http://www.dvdaficionado.com/dvds.html?cat=1&id=meshuga

 

[Brad_W]

by the way, I've got a seperate phone line for my internet connection and home phone. Just in case you all were wondering why I didn't log off.
Right now he sleeping next to me so I can keep my eye on him.
------------------
"People = Sh*t" - Slipknot
My Home Page:
http://www.geocities.com/masternix/DVD.html
My List O' DVDs:
http://www.dvdaficionado.com/dvds.html?cat=1&id=meshuga
[Edited last by Brad_W on November 17, 2001 at 04:21 PM]

 

[Jack Briggs]

You've done well. (Though I would take him in now. BTW, have there been any changes in your environment? Have repainted? Excessive pollution in the air?)
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[Brad_W]

My wife and I have been horribly sick for two weeks. We are on antibiotics and are starting to feel better.
No other changes other than that.
------------------
"People = Sh*t" - Slipknot
My Home Page:
http://www.geocities.com/masternix/DVD.html
My List O' DVDs:
http://www.dvdaficionado.com/dvds.html?cat=1&id=meshuga

 

[Rain]

quote: My wife and I have been horribly sick for two weeks.[/quote]
Well, that could explain it right there. Kitty can catch certain minor germs from people.
Since that is looking like a likely cause, I second Jack's advice...take him in now...he may need an antibiotic as well.
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"Imagine all the people, living life in peace..." - Imagine by John Lennon
[Edited last by Rain on November 17, 2001 at 04:28 PM]

 

[Brad_W]

Jack, do you have cats? How many and how old?
Lil kitty is 7 months
Big kitty is 4 years
Orange Puppy is 4 years
------------------
"People = Sh*t" - Slipknot
My Home Page:
http://www.geocities.com/masternix/DVD.html
My List O' DVDs:
http://www.dvdaficionado.com/dvds.html?cat=1&id=meshuga

 

[Brad_W]

Rain, I thought that there was this whole Animal/Human thing that couldn't cross over. Like they couldn't catch what we have and we can't catch what they have.
I could have sworn I learned that in my Pathology class, but I could be mistaken.
------------------
"People = Sh*t" - Slipknot
My Home Page:
http://www.geocities.com/masternix/DVD.html
My List O' DVDs:
http://www.dvdaficionado.com/dvds.html?cat=1&id=meshuga

 

[Brad_W]

Now he's laying in my lap and snuggling me.
------------------
"People = Sh*t" - Slipknot
My Home Page:
http://www.geocities.com/masternix/DVD.html
My List O' DVDs:
http://www.dvdaficionado.com/dvds.html?cat=1&id=meshuga

 

[Rain]

quote: Like they couldn't catch what we have and we can't catch what they have.[/quote]
I think that is true for anything serious. For example, a person couldn't get HIV from an FIV+ cat.
However, I was once told my a vet that minor germs, such as colds, etc. can be transmitted from human to kitty. Likely, though, the effect will not be exactly the same.

Now he's laying in my lap and snuggling me.

Kitty colour commentary.

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"Imagine all the people, living life in peace..." - Imagine by John Lennon
[Edited last by Rain on November 17, 2001 at 04:33 PM]

 

[Julie K]

There's not a lot of things that cross species boundaries, but when they do it gets pretty rough for all those concerned. Rabies of course can cross, and so can toxoplasmosis, but I can't recall any others that go between human and feline folks. Vets I've talked so have said that the various 'colds' can't cross.
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My DVDs
"Some people think I'm over-prepared, paranoid...maybe even a little crazy. But they never met any pre-Cambrian life forms, did they?"
[Edited last by Julie K on November 17, 2001 at 04:34 PM]