My cat is sneezing, breathing hard, and scooting. What can I buy?

Question

My cat is having trouble breathing through his nose and has been sneezing. He also keeps dragging his butt on the carpet and licking around that area. It seems he may have some irritation, maybe from diarrhea? Our vet isn’t open today or tomorrow and my parents are out of town to help us pay for a different vet. Are there any remedies we could buy at a pet store? Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Male | neutered | 10 lbs

Kevin Sanada, DVM · Accepted Answer

This is a classic presentation of a cat with an upper respiratory disease. They usually do have a fever early in the infection and will feel bad. They also tend to avoid eating and drinking, because the congestion in the nose does not allow them to breathe properly. You can help the congestion by giving him a steam bath. There is a link below that has good information about how to do this and other helpful tips for this condition. http://www.wikihow.com/Help-Your-Cat-Breathe-Easier These infections are often due to a virus that is usually self-limiting (will go away on its own - much like a cold with people). These can become worse and complicated with bacterial infections, so if Oliver is having issues with congestion, or starts to develop yellow/green nose or eye discharge, then it will be best to take him to a vet for an accurate diagnosis and treatment. For now, make sure he is comfortable and free of any stressful situations. These infections often happen in times of stress, so if there was a potential new stressor, then try your best to remove it. The scooting and licking indicates that something is irritating his anus or rectum, but there are a few different causes of this. This is often due to parasites, anal sac problems, or allergies. A vet would have to examine him in order to help narrow-down the possible causes of this and recommend the best treatment I hope that helps and Oliver gets better soon.

My cat is sneezing, breathing hard, and scooting. What can I buy?

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