I apologize in advance for the rambling but I'm in a really bad place.
When I first got my cat 3 years ago, she was very healthy. Then a little less than a year after I adopted her, she started sneezing a lot. Sometimes discharge would come out of her nose but it was always clear. I took her to the vet who said she sounded fine and that perhaps it was allergies. She suggested pediatric benadryl. I got a super expensive air purifier and she seemed to fluctuate from being okay to having these sneezing fits. I finally decided to try the pediatric benadryl but I don't think I gave her enough because I was afraid to give her the full dose of what the doctor prescribed (since my cat wasn't the same weight as she was when the dr prescribed the dosage).
Occasionally she'd cough but mostly it was a sneezing fit and her breathing became labored. She never panted but you could hear her breathing heavy. it all seemed nasal. She snored a lot (even when she was awake). So this has happened intermittently for the last couple of years.
I live someplace where allergies are bad for every human that has ever passed through here. I am surrounded by vineyards that regularly get sprayed with chemicals. There are lots of grasses and various forms of plant life. I have the worst allergies I've ever had since I've lived here. I live in a "granny unit" (converted garage) and it's terribly insulated in here. I really want to move but I am stuck right now because of cash flow problems.
Recently my cat's breathing seems to have become worse. Rather than intermittently, she's always having problems breathing. I can't play with her because exercise causes the loud breathing. I took her to the vet who said she couldn't know what it was without running tests. She could only speculate. She said it could be an immune deficiency virus like FIV, could be asthma although she said asthma is usually more bronchial and my cat's lungs sound okay. The problem seems mostly upper respiratory. Otherwise, my cat is in great condition. Whenever my cat sneezes and discharge comes out of her nose, it's not discolored. The doctor said it could be a fungal infection which is hard to treat. Basically, she needs to run more tests. She suggested a chemistry panel but I cannot afford that. I was laid off and have had a hard time finding a job. This recent appointment was charged and I don't know how I will pay for it. She did give my cat a depomedrol shot and put my cat on a antiobiotics regimen (doxycyclin) and also gave me a nasal flush solution.
I'm so depressed. I am worried that my cat has FIV or something serious. I hate not knowing what is causing this and I'm freaking out because I have no money to treat her.
I'm wondering if moving someplace that isn't so susceptible to "stuff" (for lack of a better word) would fix the problem or if my cat's condition isn't associated with where we live.
I'm wondering if anybody has experienced anything similar with their cat. What did it turn out to be?
When I first got my cat 3 years ago, she was very healthy. Then a little less than a year after I adopted her, she started sneezing a lot. Sometimes discharge would come out of her nose but it was always clear. I took her to the vet who said she sounded fine and that perhaps it was allergies. She suggested pediatric benadryl. I got a super expensive air purifier and she seemed to fluctuate from being okay to having these sneezing fits. I finally decided to try the pediatric benadryl but I don't think I gave her enough because I was afraid to give her the full dose of what the doctor prescribed (since my cat wasn't the same weight as she was when the dr prescribed the dosage).
Occasionally she'd cough but mostly it was a sneezing fit and her breathing became labored. She never panted but you could hear her breathing heavy. it all seemed nasal. She snored a lot (even when she was awake). So this has happened intermittently for the last couple of years.
I live someplace where allergies are bad for every human that has ever passed through here. I am surrounded by vineyards that regularly get sprayed with chemicals. There are lots of grasses and various forms of plant life. I have the worst allergies I've ever had since I've lived here. I live in a "granny unit" (converted garage) and it's terribly insulated in here. I really want to move but I am stuck right now because of cash flow problems.
Recently my cat's breathing seems to have become worse. Rather than intermittently, she's always having problems breathing. I can't play with her because exercise causes the loud breathing. I took her to the vet who said she couldn't know what it was without running tests. She could only speculate. She said it could be an immune deficiency virus like FIV, could be asthma although she said asthma is usually more bronchial and my cat's lungs sound okay. The problem seems mostly upper respiratory. Otherwise, my cat is in great condition. Whenever my cat sneezes and discharge comes out of her nose, it's not discolored. The doctor said it could be a fungal infection which is hard to treat. Basically, she needs to run more tests. She suggested a chemistry panel but I cannot afford that. I was laid off and have had a hard time finding a job. This recent appointment was charged and I don't know how I will pay for it. She did give my cat a depomedrol shot and put my cat on a antiobiotics regimen (doxycyclin) and also gave me a nasal flush solution.
I'm so depressed. I am worried that my cat has FIV or something serious. I hate not knowing what is causing this and I'm freaking out because I have no money to treat her.
I'm wondering if moving someplace that isn't so susceptible to "stuff" (for lack of a better word) would fix the problem or if my cat's condition isn't associated with where we live.
I'm wondering if anybody has experienced anything similar with their cat. What did it turn out to be?
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