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Rhinotracheitis in cats

Does your cat always seem to have a cold? Do they sneeze globs of nasal discharge on you and every surface of your home? Have they been treated with antibiotics, yet the symptoms returned shortly after treatment? If so, then your cat probably has a chronic upper respiratory viral infection known collectively as "Rhinotracheitis". Although several different viruses are associated with this disease, Herpes is often the culprit.

Rhino, as it is called, is very infectious and is readily passed from cat to cat. It is often found in barn and feral cats. Rhino is not usually fatal, except to the very young or old. However, it is a nuisance to the owners of indoor cats.

Viruses are notoriously difficult to eradicate. Antibiotics are only effective short term, and repeated dosing may promote other problems. There are some things you can do to reduce the symptoms, but be aware that total eradication may not be possible.

Prevention of the spread of rhino to other cats

The daily feeding of MSE Natural Defense (1 teaspoon/cat) protects asymptomatic cats in the same household with affected animals under normal conditions. If the unaffected cat experiences something stressful, such as a vet visit, they may still become susceptible. Under these conditions, the asymptomatic cat should be pretreated with MSE Liquid Rescue or Paste if possible. Otherwise, treat as soon as possible after the stressful event. More than one treatment is recommended.

Treatment

There is a way to reduce the symptoms of rhino in affected cats that does not require repeated treatment with antibiotics. It employs a combination of MSE Natural Defense and the clay bentonite in the food, and bentonite in the water. Bentonite is a finely ground clay that had the ability to trap virus particles. These are then safely excreted with the clay. Bentonite is not digested.

Why feed something if the problem is obviously in the nose?

Owners of cats with rhino may have noticed that their cats lick the discharge after they have sneezed. This is how the cat is continually re-infected, and how unaffected cats get infected.

Affected cats can be treated daily with MSE Liquid Rescue. The problem with these is that cats resent manhandling, which becomes necessary with these products. Both MSE Liquid Rescue and Paste contain vitamins, which give them a bitter taste. Cats do not like the taste and will resist treatment. This can be very stressful on both cat and owner. An alternative is described in the update below.

Sometimes MSE Liquid Rescue or Paste are necessary. One of my affected cats gets very congested sometimes. At these times, she usually stops eating and may actually hide. This may happen every few months. Treatment with Liquid Rescue twice a day for several days clears the congestion and returns her to normal. She regains her appetite and becomes very affectionate again, usually within a day or two. The episodes are probably triggered by some change in routine. This cat has been episode-free for evera; months, and has gained back the weight she lost during the relapses.

Another rhino cat got sick this past Christmasm but has recovered and doing well on the gravy-based canned food plus Liquid Rescue.

Update on rhinotracheitis (January 2009)

 

After some trial and error, I have found a painless and stress-free way to get MSE Liquid Rescue into my affected cats. In a dog dish, I squeeze about 5 cc (1 Tablespoon) of Liquid Rescue. Then I pour in two cans of gravy-type canned cat foud and mix well. The bowl is essentially empty by the end of the day. This is not the only food that is available. The amount of sneezing is inversely proportional to the amount of this concoction that each cat consumes.

 

The gravy-type canned cat food hides the taste and smell of the Liquid Rescue. In fact, the gravy is the first to disappear.

This can be a very frustrating disease. An affected cat may seem normal in all other respects, but leaves globs of snot all over the home. I am hoping that the continual treatment with bentonite will eventually break the re-infection cycle. I have not been using it long enough to know if this will actually happen. I assume it will take several months, at the very least.

MSE Liquid Rescue is available at:

MSE Liquid Rescue

Please contact nutritionist Lark Burnham if you have any questions at lark@naturs-way.com.