Pandy has, of all things–an upper respiratory virus. How did this happen? We do wonder. Both girls are entirely indoor cats. Em had the flu (or was it some version of corona virus?), then I caught it (whatever it was), and then a week and a half ago, Pandy became sick. So did she catch something from us? It’s very, very rare for a person to transmit the flu to a feline. It isn’t impossible with coronavirus, not that it’s all that common, either. So we just don’t know. If we had coronavirus, it was nothing like what I experienced right before Christmas, but who knows. The symptoms are hardly predictable.
Whatever ails Pandy, it warranted a trip to the pet ER. After an unbearably long wait, we left with a prescription for antihistamines, an immune boosting supplement, and the sad knowledge that her bloodwork showed a higher than normal creatinine level. She was horribly stressed out, and her breathing significantly worse than when we went in. It was hard not to regret taking her there at all, but she wasn’t eating, so waiting for our vet to open really wasn’t an option. It took time for the antihistamine to ease her breathing, but it did enhance her appetite, which eased our minds somewhat. She saw our vet last Tuesday. Her breathing was much less labored by then, so he said to continue the prescribed meds, and recommended a prescription kidney-care diet.
Instead of steadily improving, one of Pandy’s eyes began running constantly, and what was once clear tears became something else entirely. So it was back to the vet Friday, and she was placed on an eye ointment that is (if I’m not mistaken) a type of antihistamine. Her eye is no longer running, but she keeps it mostly closed, so it is irritating her. So am I, when I put the ointment in! Poor thing, who could blame her. She’s much more cooperative than Star would be, even so. That’s something to be thankful for.
After tapering down on the oral antihistamine as directed, Pandy’s breathing started sounding labored again, so our vet instructed us to continue with the antihistamine for the next five days. We’re hopeful she will be doing better by then, but for now it’s obvious she is weaker than usual and doesn’t feel well. I keep reminding myself and Emily that it takes time to get over a virus. It just does, so we shouldn’t worry. Still… that’s easier said, than done.