Should I be concerned???

[Cooper & Peanut]

Oh crikey wish I hadn't of asked lol 

Thanks Julie 

[Pinkbear (Julie)]

Well you can but it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. You'd need to compare all the antibodies your cat carries and match them against antibodies of all know strains of cat flu... and even then there might be a strain not yet charted. The test might also be further confused by the antibodies your cat has been given in vaccine form. And even after all that it wouldn't be of any use other then to settle curiosity. 

[Cooper & Peanut]

Does anyone know if there is a test that shows whether a cat had cat flu in the past?? I am curious about Peanut, it would make sense if she has had it during the past 3 years...

[Cooper & Peanut]

lol

Thanks to everyone for their theories/advice etc... Hopefully Peanut won't reach the stage of needing vet treatment! 

[Fire Fox]

Are you a member of the vet profession then, Fire Fox?? 

Ooops no, is that how it read?  I am a qualified hospital pharmacy technician, also worked as a senior research/ lab technician (microbiology, genetics) although presently working in physical activity with a little nutrition on the side!! Given my background in human healthcare I wouldn't use antibiotics on Noah unless essential.

[Pinkbear (Julie)]

so I wouldn't want to use antibiotics unless essential.

Are you a member of the vet profession then, Fire Fox?? 

[Fire Fox]

Antibiotics are ineffective against viruses, they are for secondary bacterial infections. In humans respiratory infections tend to occur in smokers, asthmatics or someone who is immuno-compromised (babies, elderly, HIV). Antibiotics wipe out the 'friendly bacteria' in the gut which provide important protection against food borne infections so I wouldn't want to use antibiotics unless essential.

[Cooper & Peanut]

Hi,
We got Maizie 18 months ago as a kitten, ever since she came to us she's sneezed a few times a week that I've noticed (probably more, I work all day so can't be sure!)

I had her checked by the vet 3 times when i first noticed (our vets ran a fortnightly kitten clinic and I took her religiously!!) and everytime he said there was nothing wrong and it was maybe dust or feathers from the duvet and not to worry!!

If she's fine in herself I wouldn't worry to much, that was my experience anyway!! 

Thank you!! That's reassuring 

[Lotzy]

I would just keep an eye on peanut for now.  If there are any changes, ie runny eyes or nose, wheezy breathing, she seems irritated, lack of appetite, then I would get Peanut checked over by the vet.

[princessmaizie]

Hi,
We got Maizie 18 months ago as a kitten, ever since she came to us she's sneezed a few times a week that I've noticed (probably more, I work all day so can't be sure!)

I had her checked by the vet 3 times when i first noticed (our vets ran a fortnightly kitten clinic and I took her religiously!!) and everytime he said there was nothing wrong and it was maybe dust or feathers from the duvet and not to worry!!

If she's fine in herself I wouldn't worry to much, that was my experience anyway!! 

[Cooper & Peanut]

Okey dokey! Thanks very much for your advice. Much appreciated   

[Pinkbear (Julie)]

Yep, I would keep en eye on it and watch for any deteriorations. She may well recover just fine on her own. 

If I am right (and I've been know to get it wildly wrong at times!  ) she would appear fine and very normal before she started sneezing and indeed it may not be bothering her all that much now - you can only tell a flu carrier from very expensive tests and it's not worth it as you can't prevent flare ups. Very rarely do we get the chance to research a rescue cat's past vet history... if we knew for sure she had flu in the past then that's the proof of what's wrong with her now.  When we rehome a cat that has been exposed to cat flu we always tell the new owners to watch out for these things.... but somethings a rescue doesn't even know themselves. 

Cat flu is such a very common thing because even now not everyone bothers to vaccinate and while we should worry about the more serious strains, the milder strains are very similar to our types of head colds and more of an annoyance.  Usually nothing to worry about. 

[Cooper & Peanut]

okay....thanks Julie for your offerings 

She seems okay in every other sense, apart from the sneezing! I shall keep a close eye on her. Thing is, I know this may sound awful, but I can't really afford to go rushing off the to the vets if its nothing to worry about. If she deffo needed treatment, then of course I would gladly sell my OH to pay for it! 

They were fully checked out by the vets at the RSPCA before we had them, and they were given a clean bill of health, so maybe it is not anything major....

Do you think I'm doing right by seeing how she goes over the next week or so? 

[Pinkbear (Julie)]

Well then here's my offering of a theory... 

Some cats who have been exposed to cat flu during their lives and recovered from it can sometimes remain carriers of that particular strain of the virus for the rest of their lives. The way we define flu seems to differ a lot but to me it's any kind of infectious virus affecting the sinus and respiratory systems. Some people do class the sniffles as a cold though...

During times of change in their lives or stress these cats can 'shed' the flu virus, which has been laying dormant in their blood, and can again break out in flu type symptoms. A flu carrier might never shed the virus again, or they may shed it frequently. There's no rhyme or reason to it. Usually when a cat sheds a virus something daft and random can be the cause and you may not even be aware of it... although it would have helped to confirm my thinking if you'd said you've just got a new puppy or something. 

Vaccination can't protect them against ALL strains of cat flu and manufacturers of vaccines tend to focus on the more serious/more frequently occurring strains. So even a cat which has been vaccinated can still catch some strains of flu. Having said that your other puss may well be protected against this specific strain via the vaccine.

So my vote is that Peanut has a touch of flu which may require antibiotics to clear up, or she may recover on her own. Without knowing her history that would be my guess. 

[Cooper & Peanut]

Forgive me if you've posted elsewhere but what do you know about Peanut's past history? Where did you get her? 

Sneezing can be due to all kinds of things... have you change detergent recently? New air freshener? Or has anything happened which has caused Peanut to feel stressed? 

I have a very vague history of her actually! She was from the RSPCA. Her previous owner has a terminal illness so had to give her and Cooper up for adoption 

I've not changed anything like air fresheners or detergent. I'm trying them on different wet food, to see what they like, but apart from that, nothing has changed.

I can only use my own perception/interpretation, but both Peanut & Cooper seem very happy and content. They are very tactile with me, they don't spend their days hiding under the bed or owt, so I don't get the impression either of them are necessarily stressed.

At least I hope not anyway!! 

Are you using anything like Olbas oil or vapour rub to help you breathe?  If so, it could be a bit sensitive to Peanut's nose.

No, I haven't been using anything like that. I have got something similar which I intend to use, but shall use it away from her just in case! 

[Lotzy]

Are you using anything like Olbas oil or vapour rub to help you breathe?  If so, it could be a bit sensitive to Peanut's nose.

[Pinkbear (Julie)]

Forgive me if you've posted elsewhere but what do you know about Peanut's past history? Where did you get her? 

Sneezing can be due to all kinds of things... have you change detergent recently? New air freshener? Or has anything happened which has caused Peanut to feel stressed? 

[Cooper & Peanut]

Okay, she's actually sneezed about 5 times this morning! 

Maybe she's allergic to human fur? 

[Cooper & Peanut]

Peanut is sneezing on a daily basis now - not constantly or owt, prob 2-3 times during the day 

Do cats sneeze like we do, for no major reason?? Or is this a sign that she's poorly???

Help! 

[Cooper & Peanut]

Thanks Mark    I kinda knew deep down but just got a bit panicky!!

[Mark]

It says here that cold viruses aren't zoonotic (can't be passed from ones species to another).
http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/zoonoticdisease.html

[Cooper & Peanut]

She seems okay, is eating well. I'll just have to keep an eye on her... Don't want my little baby girl getting poorly ick 

[Guest]

Dont think so but they can get their own colds.

[Cooper & Peanut]

I am full of cold at the moment and today I've witnessed Peanut sneeze about 3 times... Am I being stoopid in thinking she may have a cold???