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My poor Hector is having a really horrid time at the moment. He's spent a long time (4+ months) wearing the cone of shame in order to try and get the sore on his nose cleared up. We got to a point where I felt he was starting to get depressed with the cone on and his nose had healed to a point I thought it would be safe to remove so that's what we did.

He's a cat flu cat and is now having a flare up so I took him to the vet on Friday and she gave us some antibiotics, I discussed with her that he was also a bit wobbly, she couldn't find anything immediately obvious but we discussed it being muscle wastage from all that time in the cone. I've kept on eye on him but still wasn't happy today so took him back to see her. She thinks it's either an ear infection or something to do with his brain, it's very possible because he's always so snotty that his Eustachian tubes are blocked and not draining as they should and he's got an infection. He does tilt his head too. The AB's should help but she took a swab to make sure he's on the right type and and I've got to pick up some ear washing fluid tomorrow.

My poor boy isn't eating very much and spending his days under the bed in the spare room, I'm worried sick about him and that this might be something more sinister which they can't treat. He's been through such a lot in his life please send him some get well vibes.

I'm sorry to hear this Julia. Poor Hector, it's so awful when you see them feeling so poorly. I hope the ABs start working soon so that he can start to pick up again and fight that rotten bug. Is his nose better now? Is he leaving it alone with the cone off? All fingers and toes crossed for him here.

Fingers crossed for him Julia.

Best wishes from me and the gang

Val x

Thanks Anna, yes it's awful seeing him like this, he's a friendly boy that loves his slave so I know he's feeling bad when he doesn't want to interact with me. He's had such an unlucky lot with his health and all because his previous owner never vaccinated him. The only saving grace is that's he's happy to take the AB's in his food so I'm not having to pill him and the less I have to do that the better.

His nose is 90% better, he still has a small scab at the top but it is getting smaller and he pretty much leaves it alone. It's a million times better than 6 months ago so that is one positive!

Thanks Val x

Sending lots of Get Well Soon vibes to Hector. xx

We have everything crossed for Brave Hector here, hoping the antibiotics kick in soon and do their work.....please let us know how he is please...thinking of you.....x

Aww, poor Hector, seems so unfair. Buster sympathises with having to wear things.

Thank you for your kind thoughts, I'll let you know how he's doing. He's still hiding out under the bed

Everything crossed for him here too. It's horrid when they're like this, and you feel so helpless. (((hugs)))

me too - it's the big downside of being a cat slave, and it's almost impossible not to worry all the time

could be the abs leave him a bit woozy though - does he run a temperature when he has a flu flare up? because that would make him listless without anything else going on

Poor Hector; how is he doing this morning

Give him a gentle fuss from me if he'll let you

He didn't have a temperature when the vet checked. He's on quite high dose of the AB's and it is possible they're making him feel unwell. We got off to a shaky start on them too (my fault), we saw the vet on Friday afternoon and I gave him his first dose when we got home about 4.30pm and then another dose later in the evening about 9pm the following morning he wouldn't eat and was just licking his lips as if he was feeling sick so I spoke to the vet and then said knock them on the head for 24 hours and then start up again which is what I did and his appetite perked up again. In my keenness to get cracking I obviously overdid it.

For the first time this morning he seemed properly hungry, the last week or so he's just been licking at his food and picking bits out but this morning he ate properly and finished his bowl, he didn't eat much yesterday so was probably very hungry this morning but whatever the reason I was really pleased to see a clean bowl.

That's great news !

Certainly sounds like Hector is on the mend, so pleased for you, keep up the good work Hector ....x

Poor wee Hector, hope he's back to his normal self soon.
That's really encouraging that he's eaten a meal today. Hugs from my 2 xxx

Glad he seemed to be perking up, how's he doing now? xx

We were doing ok until we threw the eardrops into the mix! On Thursday he ventured downstairs into the kitchen for the first time in nearly a week but then we started the eardrops on Friday and he's back to hiding under the bed, poor lad. His appetite has improved and he's eating pretty normally albeit in the spare room, he is still wobbling and when we do eardrops and shakes his head he does get dizzy. We haven't had the swab results back so still don't know if he's on the right AB's.

I'm worried sick about him and that this isn't an ear infection so please keep sending the vibes.

Aww poor hector- I've only just seen this thread. Have they thought about x raying his head? If it was inner ear infection that would show up (although ear drops as far as I'm aware are only for visible outer ear infections??)
We have always used antirobe for inner ear infections and had very fast improvement with co ordination. Please give him squishes from us x

The vet wants to avoid giving him a GA if we can avoid it because he's so fragile. His ears were really gunky and she wanted to get all that cleared out as well. It may come to x-Ray if we don't see an improvement. But I will mention antirobe when I speak to her next week. What symptoms did you experience Sally? Just interested to know whether Hector is anything like that.

It was quite intense, one was a kitten of about 4 months literally got up one morning and she was circling on the spot with a major head tilt, I thought she had had a stroke or sonething. She regained her balance in a few days but had her head tilt forever.
The second was my poor charlie who was found unable to stand, walk or even see, his was a bi lateral inner ear infection and he couldn't blink on the most severe side, as antirobe kicked in and one side got better faster he got a slight head tilt as he recovered but his went completely but was then left un coordinated. But that might have been what turned out to be fip. We will sadly never know

Don't want to scare you but have they considered a tumour? How old is hector?

Because of his cat flu and because he spent so long in a buster collar the vets thinking is that his tubes have just got completely blocked and caused an infection, his ears were disgusting. We talked about other possibilities and although she didn't specifically say a tumour she said it could be related to something in his brain. He's about 9 now but was a stray so not totally sure.

If tubes that blocked with infection then it would need to be a powerful antibiotic such as antirobe or baytril. They tried charlie on synulox first and no improvement whatsoever. Is he on metacam too? My youngest (child!) has heaps of ear infections and eustacian (sp?) tube dysfunction thing and it's quite sore so not suprising he is under the weather.

He's on Synulox at the moment and although he hasn't got any worse he's not improving either. I think he needs something stronger, I'm due to speak to the vet on Monday so will discuss it with her.

If I remember right it's something to do with oxygenated and un-oxygenated infections that the diff antibiotics get to.
Please let us know how he gets on Monday x

Thank you, I'll keep you posted and will pass on fusses when he'll let me

And thanks for the advice x

Poor old Hector, he's been through such a lot. Wish I could say something useful, but I've no experience of anything like this. Am sending all the vibes I can muster, and do pass on a fuss from me if you get the chance. Or keep them for yourself .... I can imagine how worried you are and you could probably do with them. (((hugs))).

Well I've just been upstairs and he was in the litter tray so ignored him and he followed me into my bedroom, I sat down on the floor and he came over and instigated some fusses, he's now followed me downstairs, so he's had all fusses passed on. Very happy with this little bit of progress

Oh good boy Hector!

Oooh pleased to hear that he's come out from under the bed or a bit of valentines weekend fuss.
Lots of love to you both xxx

I spoke to vet Becky this morning, as luck would have it Hector's swab results had just landed on her desk. He does have a bacterial infection present and the good news is that he's already on the right AB's for that. I asked about switching to stronger AB's but she said they're both resistant to this strain of infection so we need to stick with what we're on.

She said she is really encouraged to hear that he's out and about more and eating well, and she sees the fact he's able to get onto the couch and coffee table as really positive signs, I asked if that's just because he's adjusting to his balance or feeling better and she said probably a bit of both.

We've got to continue on the AB's for another 20 days and take him back on the 26th so she can have another look down his ear, she did say they are notoriously difficult to clear up and even at the end of 20 days we stop the AB's there's a good chance of it flaring up again so I need to be mindful of that and monitor. We can drop down the eardrops to every other day, yippee!

Quite relieved it seems to be an infection and nothing more sinister at this stage. I know we're not out of the woods yet but I'm feeling more positive that we know what we're dealing with now.

Thank you for your continued support, all fusses have been passed on to my wobbly lad x