Our cat, Wanda keeps getting upper-respiratory infections. My husband took her to the vet a week ago and the vet told him that the previous tests they conducted showed she has klebsiella in her system and it is resistant to antibiotics so she will have to live with it and just treat the infection. I’m not really sure what this will mean for her health long term having this in her system and if there is something else that can be done to help her? We were given antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medication to clear the infection.
Originally Answered: Klebsiella in Cats
Hi Karen,
Sincere apologies, it looks like we just recently came across your question. I hope an answer may still be helpful.
I’m not 100% clear from the description what the full picture is. Klebsiella is a bacteria very similar to E. coli. Some strains of Klebsiella can demonstrate significant antibiotic resistance (even to the point of there being no oral antibiotic choices that will work). Klebsiella is an uncommon contributor to upper respiratory infections in cats.
I’m assuming your vet is saying that Klebsiella was cultured out of the respiratory tract. That’s the only way they’d know the antibiotic resistance. If antibiotic therapy actually makes the symptoms resolve for a while, despite how resistant the Klebsiella is, it’s possible there are other organisms contributing to the upper respiratory infection that are being affected by antibiotics (there can be more than one bacteria involved).
But the persistent presence of the Klebsiella may be what is contributing to the chronic recurrence. I couldn’t say for sure because there may also be other factors involved, like recurrent viral infections, which are a more common cause of upper respiratory recurrence. I think your vet's approach here is that you may not be able to fully clear the Klebsiella, but as long as antibiotics are still helping with the symptoms of the upper respiratory flare ups, they adivse using them to subside the flare up and keep your cat more comfortable.
Originally Answered: Klebsiella in Cats
I read that apple cider vinegar and vitamin c help with upper respiratory I put it in my ferals water until they did better until I could get antibiotics.