First, how urgent is this?
Go now
- Open-mouth breathing, or obvious effort to breathe.
- A lot of blood from the nose, or bleeding that continues after a sneeze.
- Swelling of the face or neck, or an eye swollen shut.
- Sudden collapse, or unable to stand.
Contact your vet today
- Yellow-green discharge for several days, or getting thicker.
- Sneezing with red, swollen eyes, heavy discharge, or refusing to open an eye.
- Falling appetite, with weight down 5% or more within two weeks.
- A known herpes carrier, or chronic nasal signs coming back.
Record and observe
- The odd sneeze, with normal energy, appetite and breathing.
- Sneezing for a short while after a litter change, a cleaner, a perfume or a move, settling once the environment settles.
- Already under vet care: record how many sneezes and the discharge colour, and bring the record to the next visit.
Before you set off
- How often, and when, roughly how many sneezes a day.
- The colour and amount of discharge, with photos.
- Any fever, low energy, falling appetite or faster breathing.
- Any new cat, trip out, boarding stay or contact with other cats.
- Vaccination history and a list of medicines.
- Do not give human cold medicine or antibiotics, and do not run essential oils or diffusers around the cat for long periods.
What your vet may ask and do
- Ask: when it started, and how many times a day.
- Ask: the colour of the discharge, and whether there was blood.
- Ask: contact with other cats, and vaccination history.
- Do: temperature, and an exam of the nose, mouth and eyes.
- Do: a corneal stain to check for an ulcer.
- Do: blood tests and X-rays where needed, for the nasal passages and lungs.
- Do: oxygen and admission for a cat in breathing difficulty.
Where to go in Hong Kong
- Hong Kong 24-hour vet list
- 24-hour emergency, Hong Kong Island
- 24-hour emergency, Kowloon
- 24-hour emergency, New Territories
- Clinics with endoscopy
- Clinics with inpatient care
- What emergency and test fees look like
Call the clinic before you drive over, to confirm tonight's arrangements and the location.