Russian Blue male - Constant cold

Question
I have a 10 years old Russian Blue desexed male I inherited June 2008 and he seems to have had a continual head cold since. He's been to the vet and prescribed Vibramet for two courses of two weeks each.  This seems to stop it for a short time, but before the end of the course it comes back. He is sneezing several times a day (usually around 10-17 quick sneezes) and unfortunately there is a lot of mucus involved which seems to come from both nostrils.  He was also diagnosed last year with kidney disease for which he is on .5ml of Prilium daily.

Answer
Kim -

It is quite common for some cats to acquire what I call the "chronic snuffles".  The prolonged cold can be attribute to a prior upper respiratory infection that tends to linger, living in a house with many cats, or allergies.  Unfortunately, the treatment consists of long term antibiotic therapy and lysine supplements possibly for the rest of his life.  You may want to request radiographs of the nasal areas and head  - you may detect a nasal foreign body or a foreign body in the ear, but the most common causes of the prolonged "cold" are listed above.

Nasopharyngeal polyps can cause the same symptoms - mention them to your vet and allow him/her to rule out that condition, too.

Best Regards,

Charlotte Sherrell, DVM