How to Know if Your Cat's Runny Nose is Normal

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Cats aren’t supposed to have runny noses. As a result, if you notice that your cat has a runny nose, you know that your cat has a problem that should be solved sooner rather than later. Sometimes, the source of the problem won’t be too serious. Other times, the source of the problem can be potentially life-threatening. As such, it is better to be safe than to be sorry, particularly since cats don’t have a clear way to communicate what they are feeling when they are sick in the same way as humans.

How Can You Tell What Is Causing Your Cat’s Runny Nose?

Unless you possess the right expertise, experience, and equipment, you don’t have a good way to tell what exactly is causing your cat’s runny nose. Certainly, you might be able to make some guesses based on what you see. For example, if you see that your cat’s nose is emitting clear discharge, that could be either a sign that your cat is having an allergic reaction or a sign that your cat has caught a viral infection of some kind. In contrast, if you see that one side of your cat’s face has swelled up while the other seems fine, that could be a sign of either a nasal tumor or some kind of foreign object stuck up your cat’s nose. Unfortunately, the problem is that even an educated guess is still just a guess. Never mind the process of actually doing something about it.

As a result, if you see that your cat has a runny nose, you might want to consult your veterinarian. Generally speaking, a runny nose isn’t a huge cause for problem on its own, meaning that you shouldn’t start panicking until after you have learned what is going on. However, it is important to note that there are some potential causes of runny noses that can be very serious indeed, meaning that it is much better to be safe than it is to be sorry. Something that is particularly true because your cat doesn’t have a clear way to communicate what it is feeling, meaning that it is much easier for humans to miss the signs of a feline health crisis than the signs of a human health crisis.

Veterinarians have various methods that can be used to determine the cause of your cat’s runny nose. For example, they can run tests on swabs of your cat’s oropharynx or nasal cavity, which can be useful for telling what viruses can be found. However, it should be mentioned that this is by no means guaranteed to be useful, not least because many cats are chronic carriers of some of the viruses that can be found out there. Instead, it is likely that veterinarians will make use of your cat’s history as well as other relevant factors to make their initial diagnose. With that said, should that initial diagnose prove to be unhelpful, there are further methods that can be put to use. Some examples include but are not limited to x-rays, CT scans, and hands-on exams to check for other potential explanations.

What Should You Do about Your Cat’s Runny Nose?

Once your veterinarian has come up with a diagnose, you should make sure to follow their instructions for taking care of your cat. For instance, if you get a prescription for either antibacterial or antiviral medication for your cat, you should make sure to follow your veterinarian’s instructions exactly to get the best results out of the whole process. Likewise, if you hear other recommendations for other course of actions, you should make sure to listen because that is why you are paying your veterinarian in the first place.

Otherwise, you might want to look into various ways to prevent your cat from getting sick. This won’t help your cat if they have already come down with something, but it can be very helpful for preventing future complications. For that matter, even the best precautions won’t have perfect chances of success, meaning that it will also help to keep a constant eye on your cat’s health to make sure that if something goes wrong, you can head to your veterinarian as soon as possible to get it looked at.

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