Cats can have episodes of sneezing for a variety of reasons. For instance, dust or pollen can get in a cat's nose, causing him to react. In most cases, sneezing is nothing to worry about.
-
Causes
-
Many things can trigger unusual amount of sneezing in a cat, including allergies; irritants; an obstruction in the nose from a foreign object or a nasal polyp; an abscessed tooth; a viral, bacterial or fungal infection; or even cancer.
Diagnosis
-
Determining the cause of the sneezing is the key to deciding what treatment, if any, is needed. Before you make an appointment with the veterinarian, you can look at other factors and symptoms.
Keep track of when the sneezing is occurring and look for a pattern. If it is happening during a certain time of year, it could be an allergic reaction to pollen. If it happens at certain times of the day or in certain locations, it could also be an allergic reaction or a reaction to irritants in the air, like dust or cigarette smoke.
The most common cause of excessive sneezing is a bacterial or viral infection. Watch for other symptoms, such as a runny nose, watery eyes, fever, loss of appetite, or even sores in the mouth.
Look closely at discharge from the nose. It can be clear, grey and cloudy, thick and green, or bloody. Clear discharge usually indicates an allergy or perhaps nasal mites. Grey and cloudy, or thick and green discharge could indicate a foreign object in the nose, an abscessed tooth, a fungal infection or cancer. Bloody discharge, if it is not caused by violent sneezing, most likely indicates a fungal infection or cancer.
If there is nasal discharge that is anything except clear, your cat should be taken to the vet for a prompt diagnosis and treatment.
Treatment
-
If the cause of sneezing is just a minor bacterial or viral infection, the only necessary treatment is rest and fluids, unless the cat has a high fever, excessive cough, difficulty breathing, or the cat's condition hasn't improved after a few days. In those cases, a trip to the vet is in order. If it is caused by allergens or irritants, minimizing the cat's exposure to them should take care of most of the sneezing. Otherwise you will want the cat to see the vet.
A dental abscess will likely mean the use of antibiotics and possibly the removal of the tooth. If there is a foreign object, then the vet will need to remove it if the cat can't sneeze it out.
A fungal infection can be treated with drugs.
If there is cancer in the nose, it will need to be given radiation therapy and be surgically removed if it is in an area where it can be operated on.
-