I have a cat named Boba. I’ve taken him to the vet on multiple occasions because I have a feeling he has feline herpes. When he has what I assume is a flare up, he coughs and his eyes get swollen and full of mucous. But I am not a vet. I knew I needed to take him to the experts.
During Boba’s first vet visit for his flare ups, I brought up my concerns about feline herpes and they were immediately dismissed. I understood. Like I said, I’m not a vet. My veterinarian informed me that they couldn’t test him if he wasn’t actively flaring, but they claimed it was unlikely he had herpes. They then took an xray of his lungs. Boba’s lungs showed inflammation, but the vets claimed he was too young to have asthma. They said they didn’t know what it was. I went home empty handed.
I took him in for the same symptoms a few months later. I brought up my concerns about feline herpes again and they were dismissed. “He probably has asthma.” They gave him eyedrops for his eyes and told me if the coughing gets worse to come back and they’ll give me asthma medication.
Under the impression he did not have feline herpes, I got a new kitten. Boba and her have gotten super close and cuddle every night. Unfortunately, now they are both coughing. I feel awful.
Sorry for the long rant. What I want to say is— should I take him to another vet and get a second opinion? I just don’t know what to do. Both of my cats are coughing now and I feel terrible.
(Just some extra info— my house is scent free. I also use pellet litter so there’s no dust. I have multiple air purifiers around the house.)