by Darian Peters

Created on: November 11, 2009

Sinusitis is a problem that cats are afflicted with, alongside many other animals, including dogs and horses, for example. Sinus inflammation is the main symptom the disease. There are a variety of potential causes of this disease including bacterial and viral infections, for instance. There is also a possibility of a compromised immune system. The main treatments for sinusitis in cats involve draining away fluids from the sinuses and giving the cat appropriate medication, as well as making sure the cat is in an acceptable environment.

One major group of causes of sinusitis in cats is that of infective agents. These could be bacterial in nature but they could also be viruses or even fungi. Rather than infection of the sinuses it may be that a tooth infection could give rise to the problem. There are various immune system malfunctions that could also see sinusitis arise. There may be allergic reactions to tobacco smoke or to pollen, for example. But there could also be some foreign body or a tumour in the sinuses that is causing the condition.

The main symptom is the inflammation of the paranasal sinuses. But along with this are likely to be a number of observable symptoms. These could involve sneezing, as well as nasal discharges and even the release of blood from the nose. The cat may also refuse to eat and may also suffer from swelling around the eyes and discharge from the eyes too. Bad breath is another possibility, particularly in association with tooth infection as the cause.

Treating sinusitis in cats will first require identifying the exact underlying cause. So tumours and foreign objects may need to be surgically removed, for example. If an infection is identified as the source of the problem then an appropriate medication will need to be provided. This could take the form of antibiotics, anti-viral drugs, or anti-fungal medication, for instance. Anti-inflammatory drugs could also be used to bring the inflammation under control. Draining the sinuses of excess fluid is another possibility.

To treat the problem will in some cases require modification to the environment of the cat. So if the cause of the problem is an allergic reaction to pollen or to cigarette smoke then it will be important to either remove those things from the environment of the cat, or else to make sure that the cat is kept away from environments where these substances appear. Humidification of an environment may also help in some cases.

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