Upper respiratory virus

Dr. Marie replied:

Hi and thanks for coming back!

It is really common for a cat to get an upper respiratory virus. A lot of the time they will just get over it on their own. It can take a few days to several weeks for a cat to clear an upper respiratory virus.

One thing that you can buy online or at a pet store that will help a cat to clear a virus faster is an amino acid called lysine. While nothing will kill a virus, the lysine has been shown to help a cat's immune system fight the virus quicker.

If your cat is stuffed up then you can often help her feel better by running the shower and getting the bathroom steamy and then putting her in the steamy bathroom for about 10 minutes. This will loosen up the congestion and help her to breathe.

If she is not eating well you can try heating up some canned cat food which will help her to be able to smell it.

However, if you are seeing a green discharge from her eyes or nose, if she doesn't want to eat or if you just think she is really uncomfortable then she needs to see a vet for treatment.

It is also possible that this is not a virus. In an older cat when we see these symptoms it can sometimes mean a tumor in the nose or mouth or other things.

I hope she does ok!

Dr. Marie.

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