Effective Treatments for Cat Rhinitis: Relief Strategie

Hay fever is a common condition that arises following damage to the nasal mucosa or infection by various pathogens. Acute primary injuries or viral infections often lead to secondary bacterial infections.

Acute Rhinitis: At the onset, the nasal mucosa becomes congested, red, and swollen. This can trigger sneezing due to itching. Affected cats may exhibit headshaking, retraction, nosescratching, and tearing. As the inflammation progresses, mucous or puslike discharge may be observed from one or both nostrils, and if blood is present, it will be a bloody discharge.

During the acute phase, affected cats may show signs of respiratory distress, such as rapid breathing, openmouth breathing, and a whistling sound during inhalation. If conjunctivitis is present, a large amount of purulent discharge may be observed. Enlarged submandibular lymph nodes can cause difficulty swallowing. It often accompanies tonsillitis and pharyngitis.

Chronic Rhinitis: The main symptom is nasal discharge, which can be mucous, purulent, bloody, or mixed in nature. The amount of discharge is usually minimal, but it may lead to the formation of purulent crusts around the nostrils, which can be dirty and malodorous. Cats may frequently sneeze, breathe through their mouth, or make nasal blockage sounds. Chronic rhinitis can lead to secondary sinusitis and maxillary sinus empyema, and it is also a potential cause of nasal tumors.

Treatment:

(1) First, remove the cause of the condition and improve the animal's living and feeding environment.

(2) Nasal washing: When the nasal discharge is thick, warm saline solution or 1% sodium bicarbonate can be used to rinse the nasal cavity. For large amounts of thin discharge, a 1% alum solution, 2%3% boric acid solution, 0.1% potassium permanganate solution, or 0.1% tannic acid solution can be used to rinse the nasal cavity first.

(3) Local medication: To eliminate local inflammation, apply antibiotic ointment or instill gentamicin solution (dissolve 48 units of gentamicin in 5ml of injection water) into the nasal cavity. If the nasal mucosa is severely congested, to promote local vasoconstriction and reduce mucosal sensitivity, a mixture of 1ml of 2% lidocaine, 1ml of 0.1% adrenaline solution, and 20ml of distilled water can be used for nasal drops. For severe nasal congestion, use naphazoline nasal drops (containing 0.2% naphazoline, 3% clindamycin, and 0.05% betamethasone) three to four times a day.

(4) Aggressive treatment of the primary disease: For secondary bacterial infections, amoxicillin 20mg/kg body weight can be administered orally or by intramuscular injection twice a day, or other antibiotics can be used. For fungal infections, first clean the nasal cavity and spray 1% compound iodine glycerin for about 10 days. For allergic rhinitis, dexamethasone can be taken orally or injected intramuscularly, or cetirizine 48mg can be taken orally, or 0.15mg/kg body weight of adrenaline can be administered subcutaneously twice a day.