So ... my poor cat ...

[Pixelated]

He's had a recurring problem with his chin: it swells and then the swelling goes down, and then it starts over again. Last time it was so bad I dragged him into the vet. He got two shots (steroids, in case it's an allergic reaction; and antibiotics, in case it's an infection -- cats being particularly prone to chin acne).

So his chin got back to almost normal within about 48 hours (it's still just a touch puffy; further investigation needs to be done).

Now he's got a "kitty cold" ... an upper respiratory infection. He's sneezing like mad and he looks pretty miserable.

Luckily he's got a followup appointment with the vet tomorrow anyway.

[RootedPhoenix]

Oh poor kitty. <3

Hope he gets feeling better soon!

[Pixelated]

He got another antibiotic shot and I'm to go pick up some meds for both cats (both of whom seem to have an URI, although Fuzzy Pumpkin is by far the worst) on Friday (can't pick it up today as I am totally stony broke ... I really MUST find a better-paying job!)

Vet also gave me a quote for some dental work ... $800.00. And because he will need another round of bloodwork to determine anesthetic levels that will add another nearly $200.00 to the bill.

He's lucky he's loveable, that's all I can say.

He did have bloodwork done a week or so ago, because of the steroid shot, but I'd have to schedule the dental work for within the next two weeks to use that initial bloodwork results -- and there's no way on earth I can do that (unless I get a lottery win in the near future ...)

[crazyofficeclerk]

Do you use a plastic bowl for food and/or water? If so switch to something else. One of my previous cats had the same issue with cat acne and trips to the vet for the infections. I switched to metal bowls for food and water and didn't have any issues after that It had something to do with the oil on their chin and the plastic of the bowl. I didn't ask too many questions, I was just glad it stopped.

[Crossbow]

Do you use a plastic bowl for food and/or water? If so switch to something else. One of my previous cats had the same issue with cat acne and trips to the vet for the infections. I switched to metal bowls for food and water and didn't have any issues after that It had something to do with the oil on their chin and the plastic of the bowl. I didn't ask too many questions, I was just glad it stopped.

Same here. We switched to ceramic for food and metal for water and have had no issues since. From what I understand, no matter how much you clean plastic, it still retains some residual bacteria, especially if the cat is one that "leans" on the bowl when eating/drinking.

[Ironclad Alibi]

Another reason for avoided plastic and rubber bowls, at least for dogs, is a condition called Plastic Dish Nasal Dermatitis. The discoloration has been permanent for our dog.

[Pixelated]

I used to use whatever dishes came to hand, but I switched some time ago to either stainless steel or ceramic If I'm going to give them snacks and I'm too lazy to go get a proper dish ... I put the treats on pieces of paper.

Ya know, some of the tiny plastic bowls are still stored with the stainless steel and ceramic bowls. Anybody know if cross-contamination is possible ... ?