What to Do for a Sneezing, Snuffling Cat

MIGrandma

Lives in the middle-of-the-mitten.
Joined
Aug 12, 2009
I took my 14-year-old indoor cat to the vet in late August, for a different issue but did mention to him about her sneezing and snuffling and he thought it was an upper respiratory infection (she's had medicine for that twice before from our former vet, who retired, but it never really helped) so put her on antibiotics twice daily for 10-days. Again, it didn't help. She continued snuffling and sneezing (the mucous is not yellow/green, but white) all the while she was on it and still has the issue. Our former vet thought she might have a polyp in her nose, but never checked it out, nor did the new vet after I mentioned it to him.

So, I'm wondering what to do. She doesn't sneeze and snuffle constantly, but often. Sometimes not at all. When she's sleeping most of the time she breathes normally, but sometimes is stuffed up. But I feel that something should be done for her. Maybe it's allergies? Can cats have allergies? Should I call the vet back and tell them the medicine didn't help, and ask about something to try for allergies? Or should I take her back and insist he check her out for a polyp? Or try a different vet?

Looking for advice, so what would you do if your cat had this issue?
 
My 8 yr old cat gets colds twice a year. He'll sneeze and sound gross for a week to 10 days and it goes away. If it lasts longer we get him checked out, but that's only been twice in 8 years. My vet recommended that we give him Lysine which helps boost his immune system. It's basically a vitamin that he thinks is a cat treat, and has helped tremendously over the years. I got it through the vet's office.
 
Call the vet back and ask for some allergy medicine. My himalayan has a very flat face and suffers from seasonal allergies. My vet prescribes for her Chlorpheniramine (Chlor-trimeton), and she gets a 1/2 table twice a day as needed. It is very bitter, so I put it in an empty pill capsule. I buy the medication and capsules from Amazon. We notice that when we give her the medicine, she sounds better in about 15 minutes.
 

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Call the vet back and ask for some allergy medicine. My himalayan has a very flat face and suffers from seasonal allergies. My vet prescribes for her Chlorpheniramine (Chlor-trimeton), and she gets a 1/2 table twice a day as needed. It is very bitter, so I put it in an empty pill capsule. I buy the medication and capsules from Amazon. We notice that when we give her the medicine, she sounds better in about 15 minutes.

She's so pretty!
 


She doesn't sneeze and snuffle constantly, but often. Sometimes not at all. When she's sleeping most of the time she breathes normally, but sometimes is stuffed up. But I feel that something should be done for her. Maybe it's allergies? Can cats have allergies? Should I call the vet back and tell them the medicine didn't help, and ask about something to try for allergies? Or should I take her back and insist he check her out for a polyp? Or try a different vet?

Looking for advice, so what would you do if your cat had this issue?

Yes, it could be allergies. My cat was allergic to fish. Fish is not indigenous to a cat's diet as they don't go in the water to fish. Yet, it is a CHEAP source of protein, so it is added to many cat foods, to raise the protein levels listed on the bags. Once I switched out the food, her mucous-y problem cleared up. She had itchy ears also. The vet kept saying it was just a yeast infection in her ears. So she was allergic to something else in her food, possibly the wheat or corn filler they add as that can produce yeast in humans. :headache:

Thy another vet. In the meantime, swap out your cat's food, getting rid of ONE ingredient at a time. And don't give treats or any other kinds of foods while you are trying to figure out which food she can eat. There are some premium cat foods that only have a few ingredients, so it's easier to find out what she may be allergic to.
 
We had a cat that did that for quite a while, it ended up being a malignant tumor. I wouldn't let it go.
 


This is a common issue among older cats and many times the course of action would be "benign neglect." IOW, you're not going to do anything about it unless it gets worse. You've done multiple courses of antibiotics which haven't helped, so it's unlikely to be bacterial in origin. Oftentimes the antibiotics do work, but the sneezing and snuffling come right back as soon as the course is completed.

The vet could be right, that it could be related to a polyp(s) but again, this is not something you'd likely treat unless you really had to because the cat was developing neurologic symptoms or something of that nature. That's because there are two methods of removing polyps: The first is an invasive surgery that involves going through the ear. The other option, if possible based on location, is to go through the mouth and snip the polyps at the stalk. With the latter method, the polyps often return within months' time. So, generally, the treatment is not worth it to resolve a little snottiness.

The third possibility of what's going on is herpes. Different from the human strains in that it's airborne, but viral nonetheless so antibiotics won't help. Where antibiotics will help is if your kitty develops a secondary infection in addition to the underlying issue, so keep an eye on the color of the mucus and contact the vet if it turns yellow, green, etc.

Finally, the cause could be idiopathic meaning they don't, and probably won't ever, know for sure what's causing it and will choose to treat it supportively as or if the need arises. Again, it's not uncommon for older cats to have chronic upper respiratory issues.

Additional things you might try: Putting kitty in the bathroom while you run the shower to try and break up some of the mucous, heating food and/or offering strong smelling foods if kitty's appetite wanes from not being able to smell, a short-term appetite stimulant if she goes off food during the peak of the respiratory flares. As always, talk to your vet about your concerns or if you think things are getting worse.
 
Yes, it could be allergies. My cat was allergic to fish. Fish is not indigenous to a cat's diet as they don't go in the water to fish. Yet, it is a CHEAP source of protein, so it is added to many cat foods, to raise the protein levels listed on the bags. Once I switched out the food, her mucous-y problem cleared up. She had itchy ears also. The vet kept saying it was just a yeast infection in her ears. So she was allergic to something else in her food, possibly the wheat or corn filler they add as that can produce yeast in humans. :headache:

Thy another vet. In the meantime, swap out your cat's food, getting rid of ONE ingredient at a time. And don't give treats or any other kinds of foods while you are trying to figure out which food she can eat. There are some premium cat foods that only have a few ingredients, so it's easier to find out what she may be allergic to.

I did switch her food, to Beyond (grain free) Chicken & Egg formula, and Crave (Chicken and Salmon) and she's been doing well with those (she was having "doing #2 outside the litter box" issues, yowling when she had to go, etc.) and the vet gave her a Depo shot (she had one of those a year and a half ago and her issues got better, but then worse again which is why I took her to the vet in August). Maybe I should stop giving her the Crave since it has salmon. She doesn't get any treats, nor any "people food" either.

You mentioned the itchy ears, same issue with my cat and they always give me drops to put in her ears twice daily for 10 days too (along with the antibiotic). All it seems to do is make her ears greasy. :( I am going to go the allergy medicine route and see what happens with that. I feel so bad for her sneezing and snuffling so much. :(

We had a cat that did that for quite a while, it ended up being a malignant tumor. I wouldn't let it go.

Oh no! How did the vet determine your cat had a malignant tumor? X-rays? Was the vet able to operate on your cat to take it out?
 
This is a common issue among older cats and many times the course of action would be "benign neglect." IOW, you're not going to do anything about it unless it gets worse. You've done multiple courses of antibiotics which haven't helped, so it's unlikely to be bacterial in origin. Oftentimes the antibiotics do work, but the sneezing and snuffling come right back as soon as the course is completed.

The vet could be right, that it could be related to a polyp(s) but again, this is not something you'd likely treat unless you really had to because the cat was developing neurologic symptoms or something of that nature. That's because there are two methods of removing polyps: The first is an invasive surgery that involves going through the ear. The other option, if possible based on location, is to go through the mouth and snip the polyps at the stalk. With the latter method, the polyps often return within months' time. So, generally, the treatment is not worth it to resolve a little snottiness.

The third possibility of what's going on is herpes. Different from the human strains in that it's airborne, but viral nonetheless so antibiotics won't help. Where antibiotics will help is if your kitty develops a secondary infection in addition to the underlying issue, so keep an eye on the color of the mucus and contact the vet if it turns yellow, green, etc.

Finally, the cause could be idiopathic meaning they don't, and probably won't ever, know for sure what's causing it and will choose to treat it supportively as or if the need arises. Again, it's not uncommon for older cats to have chronic upper respiratory issues.

Additional things you might try: Putting kitty in the bathroom while you run the shower to try and break up some of the mucous, heating food and/or offering strong smelling foods if kitty's appetite wanes from not being able to smell, a short-term appetite stimulant if she goes off food during the peak of the respiratory flares. As always, talk to your vet about your concerns or if you think things are getting worse.

Thank you so much for going into detail about the polyps. Neither the new vet I took my cat to in August or the one that retired has ever checked her nose for a polyp and I have been wondering why they wouldn't check, or even seem concerned about it. The surgery sounds a bit complicated, and with the polyps coming back with the other method that doesn't sound good either. I never could understand why the vet would give me antibiotics for her when the mucous has never been yellow or green, it's always been white. To me, that doesn't indicate an infection. But then I'm not a vet, so... :)

I mentioned in the post above that I'm going to try allergy medication and see what happens with that. I really would like to find something that would help her. I know I wouldn't want to be sneezing and snuffling so much like she is. I feel bad for her. :(
 
They look for polyps via the ears, not the nose, so the vet who mentioned it likely saw something that raised his suspicions. :)

I think it's worth asking your vet about allergies but if that and other concerns are ruled out, don't be surprised if your vet's final answer is :confused3.

These chronic respiratory issues tend to wax and wane, so while your kitty will probably have flares that make her super stuffy and snotty, hopefully her "baseline" won't be that severe. If you think it's really having a negative impact on her, you could always ask the vet if he thinks steroids might help.
 
They look for polyps via the ears, not the nose, so the vet who mentioned it likely saw something that raised his suspicions. :)

I think it's worth asking your vet about allergies but if that and other concerns are ruled out, don't be surprised if your vet's final answer is :confused3.

These chronic respiratory issues tend to wax and wane, so while your kitty will probably have flares that make her super stuffy and snotty, hopefully her "baseline" won't be that severe. If you think it's really having a negative impact on her, you could always ask the vet if he thinks steroids might help.
I was wondering about steroids too. If appropriate, vet could try that and see if it helps her.
 
Oh no! How did the vet determine your cat had a malignant tumor? X-rays? Was the vet able to operate on your cat to take it out?
It was quite a while ago but from what I recall they operated to remove it but it just came back again. I was only in high school so I don't know all the details, I just know that I am now over cautious when my cats get upper respiratory illnesses.
 
I have a 7 year old Maine Coon that has had chronic sneezing/sniffling/stuffiness his whole life. We keep a lot of tissues handy because when he really starts his big sneezes, it gets messy, but he does clear up for a little while afterwards.

This cat has been to a few different vets in search of opinions on the best course of treatment. After food changes, X-rays, MRI's, antibiotics for secondary infections and steroids, it comes down to a cat herpes (feline viral rhino pneumonitis - FVR)that he can't seem to fight. The best we can do is take him in for a steroid shot if it gets really bad, and an antibiotic if his mucus changes colour.

One option we were given was surgery to open up his nasal passages, but my vet said she doesn't really recommend it because the problem will come back since it is herpes related, and the cat will feel a large amount of pain and then discomfort before any temporary relief is realized. We did not feel this would be a good option for our boy, but in other instances, it has helped some cats.

In spite of the nose problem, this is a very happy cat. If at any time his condition changes and he is so bothered by his chronic stuffiness, then we may seek more invasive treatment, but for now, the steroid helps, and if FVR is the cause of your cat's problem, that may be something you could inquire about as a course of treatment. Good luck.
 
I have a 7 year old Maine Coon that has had chronic sneezing/sniffling/stuffiness his whole life. We keep a lot of tissues handy because when he really starts his big sneezes, it gets messy, but he does clear up for a little while afterwards.

This cat has been to a few different vets in search of opinions on the best course of treatment. After food changes, X-rays, MRI's, antibiotics for secondary infections and steroids, it comes down to a cat herpes (feline viral rhino pneumonitis - FVR)that he can't seem to fight. The best we can do is take him in for a steroid shot if it gets really bad, and an antibiotic if his mucus changes colour.

One option we were given was surgery to open up his nasal passages, but my vet said she doesn't really recommend it because the problem will come back since it is herpes related, and the cat will feel a large amount of pain and then discomfort before any temporary relief is realized. We did not feel this would be a good option for our boy, but in other instances, it has helped some cats.

In spite of the nose problem, this is a very happy cat. If at any time his condition changes and he is so bothered by his chronic stuffiness, then we may seek more invasive treatment, but for now, the steroid helps, and if FVR is the cause of your cat's problem, that may be something you could inquire about as a course of treatment. Good luck.

Thank you for telling me about your cat. My cat seems pretty happy as well, and the sneezing/snuffling just seems to be something she is used to living with now. She is a typical cat and sleeps most of the time, and when she's sleeping most of the time she breathes pretty normally. It's only when she's awake that she sneezes and snuffles. She is a "lap cat" and anytime I am sitting on the couch she wants to be with me. Purrs a lot, loves attention, etc. She is due for her rabies booster next March, so I think I will mention the FVR to my vet then and see what he says. Otherwise I'll try the allergy medication and see if that helps. I just want to do what I can for her, she's been a wonderful, sweet cat for over 14 years. :)
 
Another vote to try some Lysine. It's inexpensive and it really can't hurt. It comes in treats and as a powder that can be stirred into wet food. Mine get it stirred into their wet food in the morning and have never seemed to mind. Is has helped us keep the goopy eyes and sneezies to a minimum.
 

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