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Expert: - 8/6/2010


Question
I took a rescue kitten a week ago. she is approximately 7 weeks old and has lost the sight in one eye due to cat flu.since i got her home, she has problems breathing every now and then. she is snuffly, on occassion she will snezze or make like she will cough up a hairball but then doesnt. sometimes she is downright wheezy and rattly. 5 minutes later she is fine and has no problems at all.
it doesnt stop her playing, eating or drinking, even if she has having an episode when the breathing is bad she will still play as if she is fine. she lives indoors and to my knowledge hasnt yet had any vaccinations, although i have wormed her.
what could this be? is there anything i can get to help her untill she goes to the vet next week? 9i live on a greek island and the vet is on holidays now)


Answer
She sounds like she still has an upper respiratory virus in her lungs. Or she could have asthma. There are so many cat viruses out there and they all produce some sort of breathing problems like you are seeing.

There isn't much you can do for her until you see the vet. Keep her in a dry, smoke free area with no rugs. Some cats have breathing problems with certain rugs.

Bless you for rescuing her. Make sure the vet tests her for the common but fatal viruses such as leukemia, FIV and FIP.  

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

Organizations
Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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