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Expert: - 3/21/2011


Question
my cat sleeps all the time, she does eat and drink and pee and poop, but she sounds really conjested and today her eye is all swollen and watering, and she keeps it closed. the inside of her mouth toward the throat is all black. I live on disability and have no money for a vet. what could be wrong. she is 11 years old and never been sick a day in her life. she does a lot of sneezing.sounds stopped up

Answer
I understand living on disability Mary, I also live on it. However, I make sure that my pets have adequate medical care when they need it.

I am not a vet but it sounds like your cat has a respiratory infection. She does need to see a vet for some antibiotics so that she doesn't get pneumonia.

When was the last time she was vaccinated? Regular vaccinations help to keep our pets healthy so they are very cost effective. My cats never get these infections which saves me money in the long run because I spend the money for preventative care.

The black in her mouth might be her normal pigmentation if she is a tortoiseshell cat or a calico. My calico had a mouth with black in it.

The congestion, sneezing and closed eye all point toward a virus, possible Rhinotracheitis. It is very contagious to other cats and easily caught by cats that are not protected.
If left untreated it can become very serious and often is fatal for that reason.

So please see about getting her in to a vet very soon. Most vets understand that with the economy the way it is, people need ways to help pay. There are things such as CareCredit which is just for pet care. Pet insurance is another way to save some money when problems come up like this.

I hope that you can find a way to get her to the vets soon. Please let me know how she does.

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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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