Why is my cat losing his voice and having trouble swallowing?

Question

My cat is having trouble meowing. He tries to meow but no sound comes out. He is also acting like it might hurt or be hard to swallow. It has only been going on for about a day. Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Male | neutered | 8 years and 6 months old | 18 lbs

David Darvishian · Accepted Answer

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Ollie. Upper respiratory infections (URI) in cats is extremely common. Kittens get infected from their mothers who start shedding the viruses thus infecting the kittens. Many cats live their whole lives carrying these viruses. They will occasionally develop signs of upper respiratory infections during times of stress at any point in time. We vaccinate for a few of these upper respiratory viruses but we still see many many cases. The vaccines should provide some protection and usually adult cats develop very mild signs. Signs of URIs- loss of voice or harsh sounding meows, sneezing, runny eyes/nose, fever/lethargy, decreased appetite, etc. Treating these infections can range from very simple to very complex cases that take weeks to months to improve. Possible treatment involves monitoring only or more in-depth treatment with antibiotics, antiviral medicines, a good deworming program and vaccination program, eye drops/eye ointments, nose drops, a nutritional supplement called L-lysine added to the food may help, and probiotics are all things to try. If Ollie continues to act normal (eats, drinks, goes to the bathroom and doesn't develop more signs or a worsening of the signs present), you can just monitor him. Hopefully, the change in the voice is self-limiting, but if not have your vet evaluate him. Good luck with Ollie.

Why is my cat losing his voice and having trouble swallowing?

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