What causes my cat's recurring eye, breath, chin, and stool issues?

Question

I have taken my cat to the vet for all of the below. She has had antibiotics/eye drops/flea treatment. less then a month later all have come back. The vet also said she has mild cat flu. Symptoms: Watery/weeping eyes, very Bad breath, Black specs on her chin, reoccurring after removal. Extremely smelly poo/ can be slightly discoloured and more of a pile then a log, but not quite runny. Occasionally she limps, no pain. Could this all be related? How do I prevent reoccurrence? Pet's info: Cat | British Shorthair | Female | spayed | 2 years and 9 months old | 8.8 lbs

Elva Ma DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello, and thank you for your question. It seems like Ivy is dealing with a lot at the moment! I'll try to address one thing at a time: 1) Fleas: they can be difficult to get rid of. Make sure to treat all animals in the household with a vet-approved product. Likely you'll need several months of treatment for all animals in the house. You should also consider an environmental spray to get any carpets, rugs, pet beds etc that could harbour more fleas. Wash any pet bedding in the sterile wash cycle. 2) Her recurrent watery eyes may be a sign of feline herpesvirus or some other type of upper respiratory virus. Antibiotics can be used to treat any secondary bacterial infection, and lysine supplements can help to keep herpesvirus from flaring up. If her eyes look infected, your vet may recommend antibiotic eye drops as well. 3) Bad breath is most commonly a sign of dental disease. Your vet should be able to assess her mouth and determine if she is in need of a full dental cleaning under anesthesia. 4) Her chin spots are suggestive of chin acne, which is common in cats. Try to make sure all her food and water dishes are cleaned with soap and water daily, and avoid any plastic dishes. You can also try to wipe the chin area gently with a bit of hydrogen peroxide for mild cases of chin acne. 5) Her soft stool may be a sign of intestinal parasites, gastroenteritis (bacterial infection), or dietary sensitivity, among other things. I would start by having your vet assess a stool sample for parasites. If no parasites are found, your vet may recommend a probiotic or anti-diarrhea medication, and/or a diet change. 6) Limping may be caused by a soft tissue injury such as a sprain, or it may be arthritis, if she is older. I'd suggest getting it checked out by a vet to narrow down the cause. I can't see all these problems being related to one another. Regardless, she should be evaluated by a vet in the next week to get at least some of these issues addressed. I hope this helps, and I hope Ivy feels better soon!

What causes my cat's recurring eye, breath, chin, and stool issues?

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