Ask questions and share about your pet's health to help others.
My 11 year old Cat has slowly developed noisy breathing. For a long time it was bearly noticeable, then over time I noticed she was getting worse, a snoring/snorting sound when sleeping and occasionally after playing or running. A short time after that I noticed she was having trouble eating, specifically swallowing. That was when I knew somthing was definitly wrong. I callled my vet and explained everything, they got us in, the vet checked her over and said everything seems fine.. not an emergency. Told me it was potentially a polyp in her throat, but said they cant do “scoping” at that location and said I would need a referral to another clinic. This annoyed me because I explained the symptoms on the phone while booking and they didnt mention their limitations. So they charged me ($200) to basically tell me they cant help. Luckily my cats symptoms subsided a bit while we waited for the referral. Some days are worse than others. This is when I found Krista Magnifico’s video removing a cats polyp!! It made me feel so much better know it might just be that simple, hopefully. I finally got the call back from the referral, they said they need to do a consultation first before anything else ($330) then after that they would need to sedate my cat, do a CT scan ($3000) and if my cat needs surgery I would need to come back, sedate the cat again and surgery would be roughy ($4-5000) This was devastating to hear…. now I completely understand vet bills arent always cheap and working people need to be paid, but this seems excessive… Any advice is greatly appreciated. I dont know what do to at this point…
I have a cat who seems to be having tooth pain. The gums are slightly red around the tooth and it’s discolored. Could we try antibiotics or maybe a simple extraction? Looking for options or the best way to help her. She is a rescue and we have a lot of cats. We already have 2 with liver problems that have costed us a lot of money. Any ideas or options are greatly appreciated!
How old is she? It is possible that the gums are simply inflamed. But in my experience, even if not much is visible above the gums the roots may already be severely affected (FORL). Antibiotics don’t really help with this, the tooth has to be removed. But only a vet can see that with an x ray.
I hope you find a good solution. I wish the best to all your cats!
Thanks! She is about 8. It’s definitely more than just inflamed. There is also some weird build up on the tooth. It’s definitely going to need to be removed unfortunately. Just hoping to find an affordable way to get it removed
We have a male cat who is almost eight years old. He will urinate in a litter box but prefers to defecate on the concrete floor underneath my oil tanks in the basement. I discovered this earlier in the year. We also have two female cats so there are multiple litter boxes. I moved one of the litter boxes next to the oil tanks and have so far tried three different types of cat litter. I have seen him urinate in the litter box and then go under the oil tanks. Any suggestions are welcome. Thanks.
Hi Stan. Any updates on your cats? Did they see the vet and have anything show up as to why they were not using the litter box?
Not sure if Pawbly is still in operation. Does anyone know if Dr. Magnifico does the Urethrostomy surgery on male cats? We have a much beloved cat (Blackie) who is peeing just everywhere. Has been peeing and spraying for years but it’s gotten much, much worse. (His urine contains no crystals, according to our vet.)
As a next-to-last resort, we want to find a vet who can do this surgery. (You know what the last resort would be.) Thank you for any help, tips, info, etc.
Hi! I have 3 cats that visit your facility and we absolutely love your clinic. Our 3 cats are our entire world and we have recently installed screening underneath our deck area so they can safely sit outside with us on the patio without getting out. Think of essentially a giant catio, lol. They are indoor kitties but enjoy sitting by the screen door so we know they would like the fresh air. Anyway, I feed songbirds all year round and I started to get a little spooked with the bird flu and my cats having the potential to actually be “outdoors” even if it’s in a patio area there is a very busy bird feeder in the same yard about a school bus lengths away and wasn’t sure if it’s recommended to take it down or if the risk of my cats getting it is very unlikely? I just wanted an expert opinion. Thanks!! (I’m in Harford county Md if that helps)
Hello,
Thank you for the very kind words. I understand your concerns but I think it is very unlikely that your cats are at risk.
While transmission of disease is possible between species it is very rare.
I hope your cats enjoy their new patio space.
Take care
Dr Magnifico
My Lulu Purrl – female 2 yo Siberian – threw up her whole dinner last night and hasn’t eaten since. She disappeared under a bed until this morning. This kitty lives to eat! Won’t take anything today. I found a clear liquid thick puddle on the floor this am. She is lying on the floor. Not moving. And I don’t know if I should bring her to vets. We go to Jarrettsville. Could she possibly have a blockage? I have caught her chewing plastic in the past. But I don’t think she does it often. I have only once found a chewed piece of plastic.
Thanks, Krista 😢
Hello,
These aren’t specific signs for anyone to offer a diagnosis. In some cases it can be a transient condition from a virus, a bad piece of kibble or even an unknown stressful event.
In others it certainly can be something more concerning like a blockage or organ/systemic condition like pancreatitis.
If your cat isn’t better call the clinic asap to try to be seen, or consider the ER for help.
Good luck.
Hi. I have a 17 year old cat( Approximately calico. She has elevated liver and kidney levels but not too bad and is on KD dry food but loves wet also. About 2 months ago she started grooming excessively. Now her front legs are brown , not white anymore and everwhere she sleeps she leaves brown stains. 2 vets have said it’s iron in her saliva .. she is on a very low dose gabapentin and she has gotten a bit better with the excess grooming . I have been told that all cats have iron in their saliva but why all of a sudden is it so much and is there anything to do. Fecal urine and bloodwork mostly normal
I cant get a picture because the website wont work on my phone for some reason but my cat lost one of his whole back claws, there is dried blood along the top of it should i be worried? He is sleeping rn and a little bit ago he was walking around like he wasn’t in pain, is this normal for cats? He got back from the vet about a month ago for an abcess on his neck from one of my other cats being a little too rough and bitting him, could this be the same issue of the cats playing too rough and his claw got ripped out?
hello,
In most cases this isn’t a problem that I worry about. But, infection can happen, and litter boxes are inherently dirty.
So, the best option is to seek veterinary care for an examination and perhaps antibiotic soak, or oral antibiotic option.
We will see about getting the photo option fixed.
Happy Holiday
krista
Colin to Dr. Krista : May I pick your Brains?
Dear Dr. Krista,
I’m writing to ask your advice about a stray cat I found last month. See images attached.
But first I want to thank you for the polyp videos you made, which were refreshing, as well as impressive.
One of my strays was snoring, so I was eager to pluck out a polyp hiding behind his soft-palate. (He didn’t have one, but I’m gratefully alerted for the future.)
Last month I found a stunted stray ginger cat outside a 7/11 in North Thailand, where I’m a self-financed Christian missionary.
Can you help me diagnose, and treat the problem?
At first I thought it was simply FVR / Calici and chronic snuffles.
But when I opened her mouth, she had only 4 teeth in her head!
Yes, she had calici tongue-ulcers, but little sneezing, no ocular discharge, and has been eating like a horse from day one. She’s happy and bright in herself, apart from the ugly sore nose.
Her mandibular Ln were big and hard, so I put her on antibiotic tablets, with a little dexamethasone (actually 2.5mg Prednisolone tab. daily.)
Then after a week or so I sedated her, and examined her mouth more closely, no observable polyps (drat!) but one of her molars was loose and covered in calculus, so I pulled that one out, and cleaned up the remaining molar and two premolars, otherwise the poor thing would have zero teeth.
There was of course gingivitis and pharyngitis, but pink, not red like “dragon-mouthed cats” on dcf.
For the last month I’ve given her a course of floxacilin (30 days) with amoxycillin, and tried all sort of creams on her nose and lower eyelids which. as you can see, are raw and sore.
Her Ln are almost normal now, +but that nose is no better+, and she tries to rub as though it is itchy.
(I made up creams mixing; 10% flours of sulphur, betamethasone, ivermectin, and vaseline)
There’s a temporary lessening at best, but no lasting improvement.
So what is your differential for her?
In NZ where I locummed, cat leprosy was common (Mycobacterium from mice and voles) so that was my diagnosis, but the floxacillin has made no impression.
I’ve trimmed her claws and taped her fore paws to stop her making her nose raw.
I’m stuck, and thought of asking you Doc.
I’d guess she’s 3-4 years old, confident, unvaccinated, entire, lived wild all her life eating left over fast food, and possibly DCF from neighbours.
Since October I’ve been feeding her raw chicken frames, tinned sardines, vitamin syrup, and no DCF.
She loves raw chicken :), and eats whatever I put in front of her and still looks for more.
Apart from her nose you would not think she was ill in any way.
Thanks for your advice.
Colin
PS. For some reason, Depo-medrone has been taken off the market here, not even local vets can get hold of it.
Colin Melbourne English missionary in Asia
https://www.born-again-christian.org/news/
https://www.born-again-christian.org/news/ไทยคริสเตียน/
https://www.born-again-christian.info/aboutus.htm
https://www.born-again-christian.com (Asian languages)
Hello!
Thank you for helping this kitty.
I am happy to help, but a few things are important to remember; I do not know all of the local diseases to your area. We live in very different places and animals get exposed to different diseases in different places.
Based on the history and response to treatment so far I think the antibiotic was warranted and may need to be provided every so often to manage secondary infections due to severity of the cats condition.
I also think that there is a chance this could be one of the following:
Infection (fungal or bacterial)
Immune mediated (pemphigus/lupus)
Or cancer (squamous cell, etc)
To diagnose these you may need biopsy or cytology. I would try to resist treating without some ability to rule something out. (Steroids and fungal infections can make things worse).
Please keep us posted. Very best of luck.
Krista.
Dear Dr. Krista,
Thank you for your quick response 🙂
Yes, I’m aware of the dangers of cortisone therapy, but living in the mountains, I’m limited to kitchen table surgery 🙂
I do also liaise with a kind local lady-vet, who supplies me with whatever medicines I need.
She too is stumped, and I’ve been here three decades plus +and never seen anything like it before.+
I tried mixing miconazole in with the various creams I concocted, like you concerned it could be a fungal disease. But I find flours of sulphur cures both mange and ringworm here, if applied gently and persistently enough.
Yes, the spectre of Squamous cell carcinoma looms, but she is remarkably bright and active.
Almost no sneezing or nasal discharge.
The “Rodent ulcers” that I’ve seen look different, and usually just the lips, and the ulcer has a thickened rolled edge: This one is different.
+Doc., have YOU seen anything like this before?+
I should mention, she had a lick granuloma on her hip, but that has healed now, with flea-bathing, and the steroids she’s been on. (I don’t like using fipronil, ie. “Poison your pet to poison its parasites”. Not a sound strategy.)
Can you ask around for me please if any of your colleagues have seen a nose like that, despite over a month intensive blunderbuss therapy? Feel free to post the images on a specialised dermatology group if you know of one.
Colin
Dear Dr. Krista,
Thank you for your comments. Your mention of locality sparked a line of new thoughts.
Most of my vet jobs have been in the tropics (Jamaica, Arabia, Singapore etc) where venomous creatures are commonplace (Toads, insects, scorpions, spiders, centipedes, and snakes).
I’ve seen Arabian horses lamed by a centipede bite, a rare Arabian Oryx die from a snake bite.
One characteristic symptom I’ve noticed in cats of spider bites is intense, frantic licking of the cat’s body. It is continuous until the toxin effect subsides after a few hours, so mild sedation is called for. It’s clinically distinct from the CNS effects of agricultural toxins.
This cat has lived around a 24 hour 7/11 shop, and the bright lights at night attract swarms of termites and beetles: Cats love eating termites, +but so do; scorpions, snakes, spiders, centipedes, and toads+ that live in drains.
Just this week, my other strays brought two live snakes as “love gifts”, one was a harmless Tree-snake, the other a 60cm Red-necked Keelback (small, but whose venom is nonetheless as deadly as the Banded-Krait’s!) (See attached snap I took of “Chatty” offering a cute-little Keelback present to me.)
https://thailandsnakes.com/red-necked-keelback-venomous-mildly-dangerous/
Doctor Krista, It’s possible what we are looking at is a cat recovering from a bite, or sting, on the left nostril by a snake, scorpion, hornet, spider etc.
I know from personal experience that such wounds provoke Type 4 cell-mediated immune responses, (cf. acute inflammatory antibody responses) and so are very slow to heal. (My neighbour was blinded in one eye by reaction to a Hornet sting.)
With neoplasia, I’d expect this cat to be inappetent and “ill”, but she’s bright, eating well, and purring loudly by my side as I type. So I’m leaning to the insect, arachnid, snake bite, or sting idea for now.
It’d be nice to have the luxury of lab-work and histology, if it were available and reliable, but I’m old-school trained, and content diagnosing on sensory data alone.
I certainly considered your Pemphigus differential, but she would have responded very well to the prednisolone 2.5mg/day according to this paper and others:
https://www.veterinary-practice.com/article/feline-pemphigus-foliaceus
Thank you for helping me brainstorm 🙂
I will update you on her recovery.
Colin
“Princess” : 15th. March 2025, five month update…
See attached snap of her after five months, off the street, and in my care.
“That nasal ulceration doesn’t look any better!” You reply, and I have to agree, it’s very frustrating.
She is still happy, bright, and eating every meal I present her with.
She’s tiny, but the Top-Cat of my six strays.
When stared at by another feline, she stares back silent & unblinking, and if eye-contact is maintained, she gives a paw-slap to the cheeky chappie, as if to say, “You do NOT stare at a Princess like that you commoner!”
The flea season has begun here in the tropics, so I shampoo her weekly, and rinse with Carbaryl 5% flea and tick powder. She enjoys the soothing effect of shampoo and warm water, and then after a rub down with a towel, frolics in the garden to dry out quickly.
The only medication I’m using is 2.5mg of prednisolone tablets every few days according to how irritated she is by the sore nose. A serous fluid runs from it occasionally, but isn’t continuous. She sneezes about 3 times a day, that’s all.
Now, to business;
My working differential has been Trauma/FVR virus at the top since I’ve ruled out; neoplasia, cat leprosy, rodent ulcer, etc. (see previous posts).
Now, with the passage of time, I’m almost convinced it is caused by FVR/Feline Herpes virus, primarily because of the photo you see on this article, it looks almost identical to Princess;
https://pro.dermavet.com/feline-cutaneous-herpesvirus-clinical-and-therapeutic-aspects/
Compare that with the pictures of her, I’ve already posted in this thread.
Notice particularly the tiny black specks around her mouth and eyelids. I’ve highlighted them in RED.
They have been a constant feature, which I previously confused with food debris/blood from eager gobbling of her raw chicken and sardines meals.
But now I’m pretty sure they are the cellular debris (eosinophils and monocytes from Herpes (FHV-1) infected epidermal and mucosal cells from her lips and eyelids.)
So finally, +there’s my diagnosis+ (I feel better already!)
Feline Herpes poses no danger to humans, and my other healthy strays will have developed natural immunity long before “they found me”.
So towards a better treatment… The article suggests;
Q/
Antiviral Treatment:
Famciclovir currently represents the reference antiviral in the treatment of FHV-1 infection. Its administration at a dosage of 40 to 90 mg/kg two to three times daily has proven effective in controlling clinical manifestations. The duration of treatment must be adapted to clinical evolution and can extend over several weeks. Monitoring of renal function is necessary during treatment due to the molecule’s nephrotoxic potential.
Other Options:
Other molecules can be considered in the therapeutic strategy. Azithromycin, administered at a dose of 10 mg/kg once daily for 10 days, has shown some efficacy. Topical treatments, particularly daily application of acyclovir or imiquimod used two to three consecutive days per week, can usefully complement the systemic approach.
/Q
Which sounds hopeful, but I can’t get those medicines here in the mountains on the Burmese border.
Please can you help with that Dr. Krista?
1) Famciclovir (Nephrotoxic warning noted. I’ll need several weeks supply.)
2) Azithromycin
3) Acyclovir or Imiquimod.
Happy to pay the cost and postage to finally get this precious creature better. (PM/email me for postal address, and how to pay you.)
Colin
Colin Melbourne English missionary in Asia
https://www.born-again-christian.org/news/
Here’s an update on what “Princess” looks like today, after 3 months in my care.
Desperate for progress last week, I sedated her; cleaned up her face, trimmed her whiskers, and extracted all her remaining teeth, (there were 8, not four, with their roots, see snap attached,) just in case it’s an atypical case of “screaming cat-mouth”. Which is caused by feeding cats dry cat-food, and packets of Monsanto pet-sludge, instead of what Carnivores were created to eat: Raw meat and bone in the form of whole animals and arthropods.
She’s still a happy pussy, and eats whatever is put in front of her; suffers occasional calici/FVR snuffles, has mild pharyngitis, but her mandibular LN are now back to normal size, +BUT that nose ulcer is no better,+ and no worse.
Again, I could not palpate, or see, any polyps in her mouth or nasopharynx, but I don’t discount the likelihood of smaller polyps in her anterior nasal passages causing this. Perhaps as reaction to FVR, sting, trauma etc.
She’s still head-shy, it’s as tender as it looks, but she likes to rub her face with her front paws, and on objects, as though it itches.
I’ve ruled out neoplasia because she’s so well in herself, and her lymph nodes returned to normal after an antibiotic course.
Demodex, ringworm, and mange are common in strays here, and they’re easily cured with gentle application of home-made flours-of-sulphur and ivermectin creams. She’s had all that routine therapy, so I discount those. This is distinctly different from such cases.
The black specs are food remains, not scabs.
My differential diagnosis is now, in order of likelihood;
Nose trauma/FVR that has caused tiny nasal polyps.
Insect sting, spider, or snake bite inside her oral cavity, or on her face,
“Screaming cat-mouth” (aka. Commercial “pet food” toxicity. She could have lived on pet food poached from neighbours’ pets.)
Atopic allergy. (She licks her body fur all over, in long sessions until it’s wet with saliva, despite bathing and de-fleaing her.)
Cat leprosy, (Mycobacterium from rodents.)
Rodent ulcer (Ought to have resolved by now.)
Leishmaniasis. (Very rarely reported but present in SE Asia)
Suggestions for therapy welcome 🙂
Colin
Update Feb 1st. 2025:
This is the state of “Princess’s” nose on Feb. 1st 2025 compared with when I found her in early November 2024.
An example of one of those many conditions vets struggle with!
She’s bright, happy, and still eating whatever I offer her, but I’m keeping her on mainly raw chicken, as the lysine in the meat is supposed to have some antiviral activity. Her alimentary system is working perfectly. She has no teeth, but still manages to make short-work of raw chicken frames I chop up for her! (I could make a video of her eating one to post here, but it’d be a big file, and may overload your forum software.)
No cough despite the seasonally cold weather here in the mountains. I let her sleep with me indoors.
I give her three day courses of Amoxycillin and predisolone crushed in her food, now and then, when she appears snuffly and bunged up. I also clean her nose daily, and it seems to be less tender now. You’ll notice her left nostril is almost fully occluded in the latest picture, a baby-sized cotton-bud clears it, but makes it bleed, so I feel bad hurting her.
She’s putting weight on, and her mandibular LN are only slightly enlarged. Not surprising considering what we see here.
She still licks her fur all over, somewhat manically, she’s often soaking wet with saliva when I pick her up, and of course this symptom subsides when she’s on prednisolone.
My differential has not changed, and I welcome good advice.
Colin
Colin Melbourne English missionary in Asia
https://www.born-again-christian.org/news/
Hi Krista,
I discovered your YouTube videos yesterday and found your advice on cat care incredibly helpful. My wife and I are caring for our 18-year-old Birman cat, who is in stage 4 kidney disease with significant muscle loss. She’s also struggling with constipation and has other health issues, including high blood pressure and a heart murmur.
Currently, we’re feeding her a mix of wet food (chicken broth, chicken, pumpkin, and egg yolk), and providing SubCut fluids (50ml/day), along with the following supplements:
– Epakitin (0.5g/day)
– Pet-Tinic (2ml/day)
– Lactulose (3ml/day)
– Phos-Bind (0.2g/day)
– Potassium chloride (0.19g/day mixed in the broth – though we’re concerned she’s not getting the full amount since she’s unable to finish the broth).
– In addition, she’s on Amlodipine (0.25ml/day) to manage her high blood pressure.
Despite this, her weight has decreased significantly over the past year. She was once 3.3kg, but a year ago dropped to 2.5kg, and three weeks ago, it dropped again to 1.8kg, despite our best efforts to feed her.
A week ago, we had an enema done at the vet, which relieved some diarrhea, but there was still hardened stool near her anus. We’ve been massaging her abdomen and anus daily to stimulate defecation, and were able to help her pass a large, hard stool last Wednesday. Since then, she’s only passed small amounts of stool – mostly liquid or dark – and has had a lot of difficulty.
Today, we used a Pedia-Lax suppository (1ml), and after about 30 minutes, she passed a larger stool with dark liquid diarrhea. The stool was slightly hard, dark, and very smelly. She’s now very exhausted and resting, but did purr a bit before falling asleep.
For hydration, I gave her 10ml of SubCut fluids before the suppository to prevent dehydration. We’ve seen three different vets, but none have been able to provide lasting relief.
We’re reaching out for advice on whether we’re on the right track and if there’s anything else we can do to help her feel better and poop more easily. Any suggestions, given the circumstances, would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you so much for your time and any guidance you can offer.
Warm regards,
Joel and Sonia
Hello,
I’m sorry to hear about your cat.
I think that the question is how to help manage the constipation? I think that the weight loss and progression of the kidney disease is Kelly part of the problem. Have you checked her thyroid function? I typically see these older cats having this disease develop with the others your cat has. This disease also causes muscle loss. But this one has an available treatment option.
I think that you should recheck your blood work and see if’s his might be part of the reason for the constipation.
Also try to encourage play and exercise. It will help her fell better and eat better and also help the internal muscles that assist the colon and avoid constipation.
Hello,
In my experience polyps are unlikely in a cat this age. I would ask for a few rounds of either an antibiotic or anti inflammatory to see if these help. In cases where clients struggle with the cost of diagnostics we often try various treatments to see if we get a favorable response. You can also ask for a sedated exam to look for a polyp behind the soft palate. Like I do in the video.
I hope this helps.