What to do if your cat has a stuffy nose? Rhinitis (runny nose) in cats The cat’s illness went away but the runny nose remained

Content:

A runny nose in cats rarely occurs as a result of a cold; more often it is a symptom. serious illness. Although the well-being of pets and the state of human health during a runny nose are comparable. Nasal discharge washes away viruses, their metabolic products, and pollution from the mucous membrane, preventing mechanical damage and drying. Therefore, rhinitis should be considered as an attempt by the body to cope with the disease on its own.

Causes

A runny nose in cats occurs due to the following circumstances:

Hypothermia. Cats are not afraid of frost, but of dampness and drafts. Feeding your pet a frozen delicacy promotes an inflammatory reaction to temperature changes rather than to hypothermia.
Violation of housing and feeding rules.
Inappropriate response to stimuli. A cat's sense of smell is more sensitive than a human's. Therefore, the effect of household chemicals - powders, aerosols, solvents, dust, beebread on a cat causes hypersensitive defensive reaction.
Contagious diseases.
Symptoms of chronic diseases.

Hypothermia

Cats' susceptibility to colds of non-infectious etiology is associated with weakness immune system caused by human breeding activities. The development of new breeds with specified properties had a negative impact on the body’s resistance to negative factors. environment. The cause of hypothermia is the owner’s neglect of the pet’s living conditions.

Violation of maintenance and feeding

A cat runs the risk of catching a cold if kept in a damp, insufficiently heated room. The lower limit of comfort for cats is considered to be 20° C. During transitional periods of no heating in apartments, it is recommended to insulate the cat’s bed with a warm blanket. Animals do not tolerate windy, damp weather well.

Excessive care by the owner may have Negative influence on the pet's health. In low temperatures, it is better to avoid swimming. If, after taking a bath, your pet is exposed to cold drafts from an open window, then she runs the risk of catching a cold. Therefore, it is necessary to dry the six cats with a towel and close all the windows.

The owner's careless attitude towards the cat's nutrition becomes one of the reasons for its defenselessness against hypothermia. The use of high-quality ready-made feed containing sufficient concentrations of vitamins, minerals, and taurine significantly increases resistance unfavorable conditions.

A cold suppresses the body's protective functions, making it defenseless against infectious agents. Most dangerous complications colds are inflammation of the bronchi and lungs, which can spread to the kidneys and joints.

Allergy

In such cases, in addition to a runny nose, drooling is observed. The discharge has a watery, transparent consistency. With hypersensitive manifestations, swelling, severe dermatitis develop, and breathing becomes difficult. The allergic response occurs immediately or after a long time. The condition can be fatal.

Contagious diseases

Most dangerous reasons Rhinitis occurs due to viral diseases. Symptoms of a runny nose accompany calcivirosis, rhinotracheitis, panleukopenia, and other diseases.

The body, weakened by the invasion of the virus, is attacked conditionally pathogenic bacteria and fungi are permanent inhabitants of the cat, which do not harm it in the presence of a strained immune system.

Chronic diseases

Any disease if left untreated can lead to rhinitis. Diabetes, nephritis, urothiasis weaken the body's immune defense, allowing secondary microflora to develop in the nasal mucosa.

Inflammation affecting the ears reflexively spreads to the nose and throat. In such a situation, the runny nose disappears if the ears are healed.

Tumor processes cause rhinitis with blood clots. The cat constantly sneezes and rubs its nose with its paws.

The leakage of nasal fluid is caused by foreign objects - dust, sand, a blade of grass.

Genetic abnormalities can lead to the birth of a kitten with a crooked nose, which is accompanied by incessant nasal discharge. If a secondary infection occurs, the discharge becomes cloudy.

Symptoms

There are runny noses of primary and secondary origin. Severe hypothermia and allergic irritants cause initial rhinitis in the cat.

If rhinitis is caused by penetration of a foreign object into the nasal cavity, a unilateral runny nose is recorded. It is accompanied by hemorrhage; after five days, the discharge becomes purulent. The cat rubs the affected side of its nose with its paw.

Treatment and prevention

Eliminating a cold begins by providing the cat with a warm, dry place to live. If you have a runny nose, use nasal drops.

If a cough occurs, antibiotics are prescribed.

The development of fungi is stopped with antimycotic agents.

If viruses are the cause of nasal discharge, use symptomatic treatment and immunostimulants.

Prevention of infectious rhinitis is achieved by regular vaccinations. Vaccinations cause the production of antibodies to the pathogen and the growth of general immune defense.

Cat runny nose is not the same as rhinitis in humans. If the animal begins to sneeze and discharge appears in the nose, then there is a possibility of developing serious infections. There is no point in waiting for everything to go away on its own. Rhinitis refers to an inflammatory process in your pet's body and must be treated.

Causes and symptoms

Sneezing and discharge in an animal can be caused by infectious and non-infectious causes. Depending on this, you need to build treatment.

Colds and hypothermia

Cats have a very high immunity, and colds - so frequent and even commonplace for humans - are rather an exception to the rule for an animal. Colds and runny noses are more common in homeless cats during periods of cold and rain. Colds occur for several reasons:

The room is too damp, drafty.
High humidity.
Lack of vitamins, poor nutrition.
Sudden temperature changes.
The animal is hypothermic or wet (this can happen if the cat, for example, is not dried well after bathing).

Symptoms that will indicate a cold:

Dry or, conversely, hot nose.
Hair loss or dullness.
Great lethargy.
The cat sleeps for a long time or gets very scared of something that didn’t bother her before.
Weakness (the animal stands well on its feet, but is apathetic), increased fatigue.
Decreased appetite.

With a cold, breathing becomes difficult, the snot is clear and not viscous. The cat sneezes and coughs heavily, and the eyes may water. If discharge sticks to the muzzle or crusts appear, this means that the disease is becoming serious and may progress to the pathological stage.

An animal can breathe through its mouth to facilitate the process of obtaining oxygen, but if this happens constantly and the nose is not involved, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Allergy

If the animal sneezes, tries to constantly rub its eyes and nose, and discharge of a transparent texture appears from the eyes, most likely, we are talking about an allergic rhinitis. Snot in in this case liquid, transparent color (odorless), may be accompanied by swelling and dermatitis. Breathing is impaired and itching is likely.

REFERENCE

Cats can develop allergies to a certain product. After consultation with a veterinarian and tests, he will have to be ruled out. There may be allergies to medications, pollen, house plants, and even household items. Most often, the animal reacts to the irritant after several hours, but symptoms can appear several days after encountering the allergen.

Fungi and bacteria

Human ARVI, most often, is not transmitted to cats, but if the disease is caused by certain fungi and bacteria, then both the owner and the pet can become infected with a runny nose.

A bacterial infection is indicated by:

bad smell discharge and its yellow-green color;
accumulation of pus in the corners of the eyes or over the entire surface;
snot from the nose and tears from the eyes;
constant sneezing and coughing;
the animal constantly swallows, this is due to the fact that mucus accumulates in the nasopharynx;
body temperature rises;
loss of appetite;
dehydration;
prolapse of the third eyelid.

Fungal infections overwhelm animals with weak immunity and often the runny nose becomes chronic. An indicator of a bacterial infection is a crust in the nose, which makes breathing very difficult and snot comes out of the nose.

IMPORTANT! If the polyps have grown, the animal's face will become deformed. This is dangerous because the inflammation spreads to the brain; the symptoms of this are seizures.

Video about runny nose in cats:

Foreign bodies

Coughing and sneezing may be caused by something your cat has ingested. foreign object, and it is located in her intestines or esophagus. If this happens, the symptoms will be as follows:

Excessive salivation.
If a foreign body is in the throat, then coughing and wheezing appear, the tongue turns blue, and the cat may lose consciousness.
Constant swallowing.
Vomiting and belching.
Complete lack of appetite.
Bloating.
Lethargy, apathy, drowsiness.
Diarrhea, constipation.
Symptoms of general intoxication.

Congenital pathologies

A runny nose may be a consequence birth defects and injuries. For example, “cleft palate”, that is, disturbances in the structure upper jaw and nasal bones, will cause the cat difficulty breathing and wheezing. Injuries to the jaw or head can result in a cleft palate. The bones can become displaced, and all this together will give the animal a chronic runny nose.

Important! If rhinitis does not go away for a long time or occurs periodically, be sure to contact your veterinarian.

With such pathologies there is no discharge unpleasant odor, most often do not affect the general condition of the cat (if the injury is cured and is not life-threatening). To clarify the causes of chronic runny nose, you should contact your veterinarian. He will identify the pathology and tell you whether it is possible to treat it or eliminate the symptoms.

Inflammation (ears, teeth, gums)

A runny nose can be an indicator of inflammation that occurs in the nasopharynx or ears. And it will not go away until the initial inflammation is removed.

Why do cats get ear infections?

Infections.
Hypothermia.
Other specific diseases.

Why gums and teeth can become inflamed:

Malocclusion.
Lack of vitamins.
Caries.
Tartar.
Injury.
Irradiation.
Virus.
Chemical poisoning.

During inflammation, the following is observed: clinical picture:

breathing quickens;
discharge from the eyes becomes watery;
the animal periodically breathes through its mouth;
sneezing occurs infrequently;
purulent, gray-green, whitish snot, yellow color, sometimes even with traces of blood;
loss of appetite.

Other causes of runny nose

Other problems that cause coughing, sneezing and sniffles include:

Treatment

Since a runny nose often becomes only an indicator of a viral infection or other inflammation in the body, it will be necessary to treat not so much it as the root cause. It is not always possible to independently find out the true source of the disease. Therefore, it is very important to consult a veterinarian, conduct a diagnosis and follow the treatment plan.

It will be very difficult to cure a stray cat from a runny nose if he is not provided with comfortable conditions: warmth, food, vitamins and scheduled medications.

Useful video on how to put drops in a cat's nose:

Colds and rhinitis

If your cat's cold cannot be treated at home, then you need to seek help from a veterinarian. The clinic will examine the cat and prescribe the necessary medications. Medicines It is not recommended to use without a specialist's prescription. Typically treatment includes:

Taking antipyretic medications if it lasts heat.
Expectorants.
Antibiotics.
Vitamins.
Droppers (to avoid dehydration).

Drugs used:

Maxidin. Drop into the nose to stimulate the immune system.
Anandin. Antiviral agent and a means of stimulating the immune system.
Naphthyzin together with Dioxidine. Nasal rinsing.
Galazolin. Drops to ease breathing.

One drop of the drug is instilled into each nostril. The course is from five days to a week. You can rinse your nose with zinc sulfate (2%), boric acid (3%), a mixture of Methanol and fish oil.

Other means: “Maksidin”, “Derinat”.

IMPORTANT! Never use “human” drops, they can aggravate the situation and cause irritation of the mucous membrane.

Allergic runny nose

Causes irritation in animals food products and non-food allergens. The most common of them:

Beef or pork.
Chicken, chicken eggs.
Cow's milk.
Corn, wheat (other cereal grains).
Potato.
Carrot.
Dust.
Mold.
Hygiene products, household chemicals.
Irritant from a flea collar.

To cure an allergy, you need to accurately and in detail describe the symptoms to the doctor; it is advisable to note what exactly the cat reacts to and for how long. They do a blood test and scraping. Antihistamines and corticosteroids are most often used for treatment.

The house needs to be treated with insecticides, and the animal must be isolated from the allergen that causes the reaction. If you cannot immediately find out what exactly is causing the disorder, you must remove as much as possible all household chemicals, medications, cosmetics, etc. The room must be cleaned and ventilated frequently.

If the allergy is accompanied by itching, the doctor will prescribe a special ointment, shampoo or gel. Sometimes prescribed steroid hormones, immunotherapy (a small amount of the allergen is introduced into the blood so that the body gets used to it).

If you have an eating disorder, you need to follow a diet. For example, use hypoallergenic food. When the symptoms go away, the previous foods are returned to the diet, checking the animal’s reaction. If the runny nose recurs, food allergens should be categorically removed from the animal’s food forever.

Viral runny nose

Among viral infections, a runny nose is caused by rhinotracheitis, calicivirosis, and other infections. And although they differ, the treatment regimen is approximately the same for everyone. The main thing is to contact specialists in time. You cannot cure a viral infection on your own; only a veterinarian can prescribe the exact dosage and duration.

Serum or globulin is used to create immunity - the drug VITAFEL, vitamins and probiotics, replacement therapy.

Immunostimulants:

Roncoleukin.
Derinat.
Neovir.

Antibiotics are required. They are drunk for at least five days, most often from a week to ten days, one to three times a day.

Macropen.
Baytril.
Neopen.
Cefazolin.
and others.

Treatment at home

For treatment at home, nasal drops are used, for example, children's nasal drops - one in each nostril daily. You can rinse your nose hypotonic solution: tea spoon sea salt V warm water(half a glass). The mucous membrane is also washed with a solution of tannin (0.5%), soda (1% solution). Blown into nasal cavity streptocide powder or drop two drops of ecmonovocillin into each nostril (it is diluted with saline 1:2).

From folk remedies, rinsing with beet juice is suitable: 1 part juice to 3 parts water. Aloe juice from the cut is collected into a pipette and dripped for three days. To wash, you can use boric acid(draw the liquid into a syringe without a needle, drop it into the nostril).

You can do inhalation: take a bowl hot water, eucalyptus or other oil is dripped into it, and the container is placed near the animal.

Prevention of runny nose in cats

You can prevent your pet from sneezing and coughing by taking a number of measures:

The primary task during a runny nose is to establish the true causes of the disease (to do this, contact a veterinarian) and improve breathing. The animal can recover only under the close supervision of the owner and with proper care.

A kitten's runny nose, even a small one, can cause a lot of trouble for the animal. As a rule, rhinitis can be a symptom of a cold or viral disease, as well as a sign of a developed allergic reaction. That is why it is necessary to treat your pet.

Kitten has a runny nose - serious reason to worry his master

First of all, you need to find out the real reason development of rhinitis. This could be a common cold, flu, ARVI, or an allergic reaction. If the cat for a long time spent outside, a runny nose is most likely a sign of an onset of a cold. This does not affect the animal’s behavior, since the kitten feels normal.

How to cure a kitten with a runny nose

Rhinitis caused by a cold can be treated with:

special drops intended for animals;
baby oil drops.

You can use the drug for a week. The maximum period of use is 10 days.

Please note that if the kitten shakes its head and rubs its nose with its paw, then the cause of the runny nose is a viral infection. Examination of nasal discharge will help confirm suspicions. If the cause of a runny nose is a virus, then at first they will be transparent, but as the condition worsens, they will acquire a mucous consistency.

To facilitate nasal breathing, a kitten can be inhaled from a decoction of eucalyptus leaves. You need to prepare a decoction and hold the kitten over a floating cup. To ensure that the animal receives its portion of the therapeutic steam, cover both it and the bowl with a towel. And hold the animal in this position for several minutes. Just don’t lower it too low above the broth so as not to burn your respiratory tract.

To improve the situation, the kitten's sinuses can be warmed up.

Place salt preheated in a frying pan in a canvas bag.
Apply it to the nose area and hold for a few seconds on each side.

Warming up should be done two to three times during the day.

Nasal rinsing helps a lot. Here you can use:

saline solution (1%);
boiled beet juice diluted in water;
divorced saline solution drops of ecmonovocillin in a 2:1 ratio.

Simply place a few drops of the chosen product into each nostril of the animal.

Any deterioration in a pet’s well-being affects its mood, and, consequently, the disposition of the owners. Therefore, everyone who has four-legged friends at home needs to understand how to protect the animal from negative impacts(infections or allergic reactions). And in case of illness, provide assistance. One of the most common situations is a cat with a runny nose after a walk in the rain or during the cold season. You should be fully prepared to quickly recognize the disease and be able to help the animal.

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Causes and symptoms

Features of treatment depend on the immediate cause of the pathology. Rhinitis in cats has different origins. While observing his furry friend, the owner notices changes in his behavior associated with the onset of the disease.

It is these behavioral features that, when carefully observing the animal, will help the owner to guess what causes the disease.

Type of rhinitis	Provoking factors, causes	Characteristic manifestations
Allergic	Hypersensitivity or intolerance to certain products, medicines, pollen from flowering plants	The cat sneezes, snorts, tries to rub its eyes and nose. Clear fluid discharges from the nose and eyes
Mechanical	Foreign particles that enter the nasal passages (the most common case is ordinary dust) can irritate the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity, causing increased production of nasal mucus	If dust or other foreign particles enter the nose, the animal becomes restless and sneezes. May appear transparent discharge from the nose. If a larger particle hits, the animal tries to rub its nose with its paw, suggesting that “something is wrong” there.
Infectious	A runny nose can be one of the symptoms of an infectious disease (inflammation of organs) respiratory system, calicivirus, feline distemper)	Marked deterioration general condition animal: loss of appetite, frequent sneezing, nasal discharge that has a yellowish or greenish tint, watery eyes or signs of conjunctivitis ( purulent discharge, redness of the mucous membrane of the eyes), increased temperature
"Catarrhal"	This condition develops after the animal is hypothermic	Possible deterioration of general condition. Nasal discharge is clear or cloudy. The animal is worried, sneezes, tries to breathe through its mouth

Situations requiring consultation with a doctor

It is not always possible to cope with the disease on your own at home.

In some cases, you cannot do without contacting a veterinarian. Moreover, you should not delay consulting a specialist - this can be dangerous. The sooner a diagnosis is made and treatment is prescribed, the easier it will be for a pet endure the disease and recover from it.

Cases when a furry patient should be shown to a doctor:

Difficulty in establishing the cause of the disease.
Long-term course of allergic rhinitis.
A foreign particle lodged in the nasal passage that is not removed by sneezing.
Infectious diseases that manifest themselves by deterioration of the cat’s condition, increased temperature, decreased appetite, and other signs of infectious inflammatory process. The doctor is interested in the history of the disease: frequent walks of the animal; possible contacts with other animals that may be a source of infection; facts of hypothermia; exposure to rain.

How to treat a furry pet?

In every special case Treatment tactics depend on the causes of the disease and the characteristics of its course. Therefore, before starting treatment, you need to be absolutely sure that the diagnosis is correct.

In the case when the cause is determined by external signs difficult, you should consult a veterinarian for diagnosis and selection of treatment.

Allergy

If your cat's runny nose is caused by a hypersensitivity reaction, you should contact your veterinarian to determine the allergen. If the allergen is already known, then the animal’s contact with it must be stopped (exclude the product from the diet or stop using the medicine that caused the allergy). Once the allergen is eliminated, the symptoms should gradually subside.

If symptoms are severe, your doctor may recommend using antihistamines.

Foreign body entry

If dust gets into the nasal passages, no specific treatment not required. Dust particles will come out of the nose when you sneeze or along with nasal mucus.

If we are talking about a larger particle, you should not try to remove it yourself (independent actions can lead to injury to the mucous membrane or pushing the foreign body deeper into the nasal cavity). The exit of a foreign particle to the outside may be hampered by the shape of the cat’s nasal passages (in a “Persian,” for example, they are more curved than in a “British”).

You should not risk the health of your pet, so you must consult a doctor to remove a foreign body!

Infections

Treatment infectious diseases should be handled by a doctor. Each case requires an individual approach.

Antibacterial therapy is selected depending on the causative agent of the disease. The dose of the antibiotic should be calculated by a doctor (after all, the dosage for an adult and for a kitten will be different; it must be determined by a specialist).

In case of severe nasal congestion, use vasoconstrictor drops(children's form is used) in combination with dioxidine (in equal proportions).

What can you do at home?

If the owner is sure that his cat’s runny nose is caused by a common cold and not dangerous infections or foreign body got into the nose - you can help your pet at home.

By carrying out a number of simple measures, you can significantly alleviate the condition of a sick animal and prevent the development of complications:

First of all, it is necessary to systematically clean the spout of crusts (after lubricating them Vaseline oil), regularly wash the animal’s eyes with saline solution or furatsilin solution. Such hygiene procedures will improve the general well-being of the patient and prevent the spread of the inflammatory process to the mucous membrane of the eyes.
If the skin around the nose becomes wet, the affected areas should be sprinkled with streptomycin powder - this will prevent the risk of infection.
Inhalations. This technique is used in the absence of complications. A container of hot water is placed near the animal’s nose, to which a few drops are added. essential oil eucalyptus. You can pour this mixture into a small teapot and force the cat to inhale the fumes. Couples eucalyptus oil have antiseptic properties that will help fight infection. It is advisable to carry out inhalation in a warm room. It is necessary to ensure that the cat does not get burned.
As a physical treatment, you can warm your nose with a small bundle of sand or salt (not hot!). The temperature of the “warmer” should be comfortable, and warming up should not take too long.

A runny nose in a cat is not an independent disease, it is a sign of many diseases, which can include both mild ailments and serious and dangerous pathologies. The sense of smell is the most important sense for cats, so as soon as you notice your pet has a runny nose, congestion, difficulty breathing or discharge from the nostrils, contact your veterinarian immediately.

Cat anatomy means they have very narrow nasal passages, so even a small amount of swelling can cause complete nasal congestion. A stuffy nose will not be able to perform its functions: warm and clean the inhaled air. Less oxygen will reach the brain, and the cat may become hypothermic.

Causes of runny nose (rhinitis) in cats

A runny nose in a cat is an alarm bell that signals the presence of some kind of disease. Therefore, the first thing to do when noticing symptoms of a runny nose is to show the animal to a veterinarian.

Symptoms of feline rhinitis

What signs can you use to determine that a cat has a runny nose?

The cat's breathing becomes labored and intermittent. The cat is breathing with open mouth, it is difficult for him to play active games.
The pet becomes lethargic, apathetic, and refuses its favorite games.
Lost appetite.
The animal constantly scratches its nose with its paw and rubs it against furniture and people.
The cat sneezes. She develops a cough.
Dry hot nose. Colds in cats are accompanied by an increase in temperature.
The eyes become swollen and fester.
Mucus is released from the nasal passages. The mucus can be either transparent or yellow and green.

The most dangerous– purulent discharge from the nose. You should immediately contact your veterinarian if any of these symptoms appear. Do not self-medicate. Only a doctor can tell you how to treat a runny nose in a cat, after examining and conducting diagnostic tests on your pet.

How to treat a runny nose in a cat

The choice of treatment method must be entrusted to a professional after the main diagnosis has been established. If the cause is not related to a cold, but to some other disease, it is necessary to cure this disease - after this the runny nose will disappear.

At bacterial infections Baytrodil or Amoxiclav may be prescribed. Viral infections are treated with drugs: Neoferon, Vitafel, Giskan, etc. Fungal pathologies treated with Fluconazole and Intraconazole.

For treatment cold runny nose the following drugs are used:

Maksidin – nasal drops, immunostimulant;
– antiviral immunostimulating agent;
Naphthyzin in half with Dioxidine - you can rinse your nose with this solution;
Halozolin is a children's nasal drop that relieves difficulty breathing.

Medicines are administered into each nostril, 1 drop. Treatment can be continued for 5-7 days.

Folk remedies

If you can’t see a veterinarian, but you need to treat your cat for a cold, you can use the following recommendations. These are well tested folk remedies, which experienced breeders and veterinarians recommend using at home:

Warming the nasal sinuses with warm salt or river sand. It is convenient to put salt and sand in a small bag or baby sock.
A cat's snot can be cured by dropping aloe or beetroot juice into the nose.
Rinse the nose with Aqua Maris, furatsilin or gramicidin.
You can blow streptocide powder into each nostril - this will relieve inflammation and swelling.
Inhalations with eucalyptus or Zvezdochka balm.
Rinse the nose, eyes and ears with green tea.

Excessive snot in a kitten or adult cat leads to irritation of the skin of the nose. Therefore, you need to dry the skin using streptocide powder.

Important: Don't ignore a runny nose; if left untreated, it can develop into a chronic one.

In order for your cat to recover faster, it is important not only to follow all the doctor’s recommendations, you need to give her the most comfortable and warm place in the apartment, provide her with adequate nutrition, and give her vitamins. During illness, a cat needs more love and care from its owner.

Prevention

To treat your cat less frequently for colds and runny noses of other etiologies, you should follow these simple recommendations: