There are many different reasons why cats sneeze. They may sneeze because they have a virus or allergy, or because some foreign body is irritating their nasal passages. Cats may even sneeze when they have an infected tooth. The treatment for a sneezing cat is just as varied as the causes.
- If your cat is running a fever, it should be seen by a veterinarian, who may diagnose feline herpes virus-1 or feline calcivirus. In either case, the vet will prescribe antibiotics to prevent a secondary infection from developing. The vet may suggest using a vaporizer as well to help clear your cat's nasal passages [source: vetinfo.com].
- Cats are more sensitive to allergens than most animals are. Therefore, if your cat sneezes often but seems otherwise healthy, some environmental allergen, such as perfume, pollens or mold may be bothering it. Your vet can help you determine what your cat is allergic to. Once the offending allergen is removed, the cat usually stops sneezing. The vet may prescribe allergy medication to relieve your cat's symptoms until you figure out what it's sensitive to [source: vetinfo.com].
- Foreign bodies can get stuck in a cat's nose. In this case, the nasal discharge would be confined to one nostril, and the cat usually sneezes out the offending object. Once the object has been dislodged, the sneezing will stop [source: Hines].
- Older cats sometimes develop polyps in their nose that cause them to sneeze. Surgery may be necessary to remove the polyps [source: vetinfo.com].
- A cat's third premolar tooth has roots quite close to its nasal passages. If this tooth, the tooth next to it or the gums around the tooth become infected, the cat may start sneezing and having nasal drainage [source: Hines]. A trip to the vet will be necessary to cure the infection.
Advertisement
