Coughing and not eating.

Dr. Marie replied:

First of all, congrats on your new family members!

There are a few reasons for cats to cough. I'll describe a few of the reasons and then I'll hopefully help you decide whether Bell needs to be seen sooner than Friday.

My first thought was that this is connected to the recent spay. If she was spayed within the last week or so then she could be coughing because of some slight irritation from the tube that is put in her airway to help her breathe under anesthetic. If that's the cause then there is not much that can be done other than wait. It should resolve itself in a few more days if this is the case.

Some cats can cough because of asthma. This is pretty uncommon in a cat so young though.

There are viruses that can make cats cough. Most kittens with upper respiratory viruses will do more sneezing than coughing but it still is possible. A virus could also explain the decreased appetite.

At this point the vet is not likely to do a whole lot unless the kitten is very unwell. If this is a virus then we don't really do much unless there is an obvious bacterial infection along with the virus.

Here are some criteria that would make me want to see the kitten(s) sooner:

-If there is a yellow or green discharge from the nose or eyes.
-If the appetite is greatly reduced (i.e. not eating at for a whole days or only eating a tiny tiny amount)
-If you feel that Bell is really uncomfortable
-If your gut is just telling you that something is really wrong.

Otherwise I'd keep an eye on her and still see the vet on Friday.

I hope that helps. Hopefully she does well!

Dr. Marie.


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Dr. Marie replied:

So sorry for the delay Michele. It sounds like your plan is a good one. Let me know if you have more concerns!

Dr. Marie.