Does a water vapor session in your bathroom while you shower, or under a towel with a bowl of steaming water, really help to relieve the nasal congestion of a cat suffering from a bacterial and viral infection, which has blocked his nose with snot? The theory is to loosen the snot so that it flows out. It is also a technique recommended for people.
Sometimes people add a decongestant to the water to make the process more effective. Dee says “add a dollop of mentholatum to the water”. My vet said don’t add anything to the water but I totally trust Dee because she has years of hands-on experience.
I have two veterinary sources which say steaming is good so I am doing it to try to help relieve the discomfort for my cat who is very ill with suspected herpes virus or calicivirus or some other nasty cat virus combined with a horrible secondary infection. My vet recommends it and so do the books I have.
The downside is that cats don’t like it. People know what is happening. They understand that there will be steam or water vapour in the bathroom but cats don’t. For them it’s strange and unsettling. Also you have to put your cat in a carrier to control him. This downside offsets the potential benefits I feel.
Also a cat will learn to be wary of you if you constantly make him do things which he finds unpleasant because he does not realise it is for his benefit.
I will continue to do it at least once per day as I have to try everything I can to promote a return to health. I am giving him L-lysine when I can.
I’m really pleased he’s eating its a really good sign 🙂
That’s good news 🙂
Best chicken hand fed will do him the world of good and you too to see him eating it.
Thanks Ruth. I hope it helps. At least he is eating now (best chicken hand fed).
Poor Charlie, it’s awful that when cats are ill they just want to be left alone, but they have to go to the vets and be examined and have injections, they must wonder why we torture them that way.
The steam should help him and Dee’s advice of mentholatum is good, just a dollop in the water might help.
I hope he soon improves.
Thanks DW. I agree. You can tell she has the experience. She is better than a vet sometimes because vets are not cat specialists.
You would be wise to trust Dee, and follow her suggestions completely. She has more experience than any vet I’ve met when it comes to cats. She has helped me through some of the worst times, and stayed by my virtual side with numerous emails daily. I felt like I had an angel sitting on my shoulder. Her experience and focus on cats in large numbers is more than most vets have experienced. And her medical background helps. I’m sure she has seen more than any of us know. Keep at it.