Symptoms and Medication for Cat Respiratory Illness

Cat owners who notice that their cat has a nasal discharge, sneezes constantly, has mouth or nose sores, exhibits lethargic behavior or seems to have lost its appetite should consider the possibility that the cat is suffering from a respiratory illness. Viruses, environmental factors or the cat's immune status may cause the respiratory illness and the cat must receive the appropriate treatment, depending on the cause, as prescribed by the veterinarian. The veterinarian will observe the symptoms that the cat presents and, based on those signs, will prescribe the appropriate medication.

  1. Viral Infections

    • Observe to see if the cat has a discharge from its nose, together (possibly) with mouth/lip ulcers, temperature and low appetite. A viral infection of the cat's respiratory system may cause these symptoms. Veterinarians may treat a viral infection with oral antibiotics such as cephalosporins, clavamox, amoxicillin, doxycycline or clindamycin to reduce symptoms and prevent a possible development of a secondary bacterial infection. If the cat takes these medications over a long period of time, the veterinarian may change the prescription since each medicine may lose its effect over time. When a cat fails to respond to any of these antibiotics, the veterinarian may prescribe a broad-spectrum medication such as fluoroquinolones or trimethoprim sulfa.

    Bacterial Infections

    • Check with a veterinarian to determine if the respiratory illness in the cat has been caused by the Staphylococcus bacteria. Symptoms include abscesses, oral or eye infections, difficulty swallowing, coughing, arthritis and bacterial blood infections. Veterinarians may prescribe tetracycline to treat staph infections in cats.

    Related Eye Symptoms

    • Watch for eye discharge/conjunctivitis together with other signs of respiratory illnesses (sneezing, mouth ulcers or nasal discharge). Veterinarians may prescribe broad-spectrum topical eye ointments such as neomycin-polymixin-bacitracin, terramycin or chloramphenicol to treat ocular inflammations that often accompany respiratory illnesses.

    Asthma in Cats

    • Take a cat that has trouble breathing or that wheezes and coughs to a vet to check for cat asthma. Veterinarians treat cats that have asthma with either corticosteroids, to control the inflammatory response in the lungs, or bronchodilators, to keep the air passages of the lungs open during an asthma attack.

    Treatment of Symptoms

    • Treat the symptoms of a respiratory illness with fever reducers, decongestants, pain killers and appetite stimulants. These medications do not address the underlying cause of the respiratory illness but help to ease the cat's suffering and improve its quality of life.