Tiger�s Trip To The Vet�s

Tiger was still sneezing a little last night and his appetite isn’t fantastic, so I thought a trip to the vet’s might allay my fears.

Cow has been keeping him company ever since the day of the attack (for the record, Cow attacked Tiger and Tiger landed up with several puncture wounds on his paw). Tiger was on one week’s antibiotics (Amoxycillin and Metronidazole) and on the very next day after the 7-day course, his left eye started tearing and he was sneezing.

I had earlier thought he might heal with just Vetri DMG and the immunity supplement, but it’s been two days now and there is still some sneezing.

Bunny’s been antagonising him too, but not too aggressively. Just the normal bullying.

Cleo, the disciplinarian keeps an eye on everything. She whacks the bullies.

Pole is non-aligned while Indy is slightly mad, and…

Why can’t I be a PatioCat?�

Why can’t I live outside with those nice and friendly cats?

Why do I have to live inside here with these titans?

So, I got Tiger ready by putting him into the carrier…

Everyone was curious…inside and outside.

Don’t worry, ol’ friend. We’ve been inside this carrier too. You’ll be home soon. Don’t worry!

Tiger whined all the way to the clinic, which was, thankfully, only 10 minutes away.

Now, I learnt a lot today, and I hope I can repeat all the facts correctly. Any mistake in the next few paragraphs is entirely mine, of course. So please do check the facts with your vet if your cat has similar symptoms.

Cat flu is caused by

(a) Calicivirus
(b) Herpes virus
(c) Chlamydia

By the way, while (a) and (b) are viruses, (c) is not a bacteria nor a fungus. It is an “in-between” organism (So hah! We think we are smart? We’re not. We cannot even classify Chlamydia!). 90% of the flu is caused by the Calicivirus or Herpes virus while 20% is caused by Chlamydia and 10% is caused by all three. I’m not sure why this totals up to 120%, though. But those are the statistics.

Vaccination reduces the chances of contracting flu. Vaccinated cats can still get it but the chances of recovery will be good.

If the flu is caused by the first two viruses, there is no medication; only Vetri DMG to boost the body’s immunity to overcome the viruses. If it is caused by Chlamydia, the recommended antibiotic is Doxycycline.

Now, Amoxycillin prevents cell walls from being built while Doxycycline prevents the division of cells. Hence, the two are not used together as Doxy will render Amoxy redundant. Makes sense? Cells have to divide before they can built walls. So, cells can still be built with the use of Amoxycillin but not with Doxycycline.

Now, I (finally) understand why Doxy is more potent than Amoxy.

A quick disclamer: The above is only based on my layperson’s understanding on how these drugs work.

One symptom of a Chlamydia cat flu is the watery eye, but only in one eye.

Hey, Tiger has that! It is only the left eye. So maybe it’s caused by Chlamydia.

The vet took Tiger’s temperature. It was normal: 38.8 degrees. Now, that’s a relief. His flu looks extremely mild and there could even be a chance that the excessive tears from that one eye is causing congestion in one nostril (on the same side) and that is why he sneezes. His sneeze is clear, so there may not be any infection…yet.

Another symptom of Chlamydia infection is ulcers on the tongue. Tiger didn’t have this.

I had the option of putting Tiger on a course of Doxycycline (if I’m paranoid about it) or letting his body heal by itself. The other consideration is that Tiger is FIV+ so (a) he may need the antibiotics to heal or (b) it may be wiser to keep these stronger antibiotics (like Doxy) for more serious infections like blood parasite infection, etc.

We decided on (b) with the option of reverting to using the antibiotics should his condition worsen in the next few days.

So, it’s just Vetri DMG for now.

And to keep the fan off, I suppose.

The vet showed how I could also use salt water to squirt into his nostrils to help clear the congestion.

So we came home, greeted by Ginger.

See, I told you you’ll surely come home. No worries, right?

Looks like the PatioCats were more friendly in welcoming Tiger home because Pole whacked Tiger…poor guy.

Right now, Tiger seems to have madman Indy on his side, so that may be a good thing…I think?

 

Source: http://myanimalcare.org/2014/01/08/tigers-trip-to-the-vets/

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