# Is Vicks Vapour Rub safe to use near cats?



## MoggyBaby

Hi Folks,

Need some advice please. Merson is being extra snuffly at the moment and his nose is very blocked up. I don't have any Olbas Oil, can I use Vicks Vapour rub in anyway that would help to clear his stuffy nose and help him to breathe any easier? Is Olbas Oil a better option because, if it is, I can go to the 24hr Tesco to get some. 

Many thanks

xx


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## Satori

Z


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## MoggyBaby

I've just had a look on the Blue Cross web-site and they say a tiny dab on the chin is ok so have put a bit on to see if it helps.

I also rubbed some on my sweatshirt and tried to give him some cuddles but he was having none of those!


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## huckybuck

I don't know if it would help but long term have you thought about an air purifier? I've had really good results from ours with not only Little H but me too lol!!


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## kelly-joy

Aww poor Merson hope he a lot better soon x


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## catcoonz

I wouldn't put in on kittens but I have put half teaspoon in hot water in a cup and placed near kittens but out of reach.
It does work.
I also use Snufflebabe nasal drops and wipe on cats noses to decongest, that also works well.
Both of my suggestions was given to me by the vet.

You can put an olbas oil stick under cats noses.


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## MoggyBaby

catcoonz said:


> I wouldn't put in on kittens but I have put half teaspoon in hot water in a cup and placed near kittens but out of reach.
> It does work.
> I also use Snufflebabe nasal drops and wipe on cats noses to decongest, that also works well.
> Both of my suggestions was given to me by the vet.
> 
> You can put an olbas oil stick under cats noses.


Thank you for these suggestions - I'm just back from Tescos who had some of the Snufflebabes drops in stock so I have just rubbed a couple of drops on his snozzle.

Fingers crossed it will help to ease it for him.


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## buffie

MB absolutely no advice from me re Vick's Vapour Rub/Olbas oil or anything like it,just want to pass on some healing vibes to Merson,hope he is feeling better soon.


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## MoggyBaby

buffie said:


> MB absolutely no advice from me re Vick's Vapour Rub/Olbas oil or anything like it,just want to pass on some healing vibes to Merson,hope he is feeling better soon.


Thank you Buffie. Unfortunately his dickie kidneys are making his long-time cat flu problem flare up more often and more vigorously.


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## Matrod

Poor Mr M  I hope he feels better soon & the Snufflebabes unblock him x


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## buffie

MoggyBaby said:


> Thank you Buffie. Unfortunately his dickie kidneys are making his long-time cat flu problem flare up more often and more vigorously.


Sorry to read that Merson is finding things hard going at the moment,paws crossed he feels better soon x


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## spotty cats

Ive heard of people dabbing it on cords and it keeps the cats well away, they won't go near it so not something I'd want to put on cats.

Ingredients may be different but here it contains eucalyptus oil which is toxic to cats.


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## Greydrift

I haven't used Olbas/Vick's, but another option is Friar's Balsam. It's a liquid: you put about a teaspoon in an old, largish bowl, pour in most of a kettleful of not-quite-boiling water, and "steam" the cat with the vapours.

This simple procedure is a life-saver for one of our cats, as it has been for a few years now, beginning not long after she decided to move in. Our vet suggested it, after tests/investigations/nasal look-sees/various drugs were unsuccessful in treating her chronic breathing problems. More recent tries with mucus-buster drugs (nasty adverse skin reaction that took a few weeks to heal, requiring a vest over the lesion), and inhalers (flixotide) didn't work; so through it all, the Friar's Balsam has been the mainstay of keeping her alive, with a good quality of life - with a rare emergency vet run when it's suddenly morphed into a severe-mouth-breathing, legs-really-splayed-out, I-may-be-about-to-pop-my-clogs episode. I think we've only had two of those in the last four years, which is remarkable, since she's an older lady.

The cat doesn't find the "steaming" stressful, quite the contrary, and occasionally she has sat in the hallway, not moving... leaving us initially bemused... until it clicked that she was extra croaky, and was actually asking for the Balsam.

In the hallway, we put her in a large wire catbox, with plenty of padding in the bottom so she's comfortable. A stool is put up against the side of the catbox. An old bedspread, folded in half, goes over both catbox and stool, down to the floor, no gaps. The steaming bowl of Balsam goes under the stool. The vapours are mainly held in by the bedspread, the cat can't go anywhere, and she has a quiet 30mins to an hour in the makeshift tent.

Upon dismantling the tent and opening the box, she tends to stay there, relaxed and seemingly as happy as Larry. She gets stroked for a while, mostly we lift her out in the end, because she shows no signs of exiting. The effects of the steaming don't tend to be immediate, it takes an hour or so, maybe overnight if she goes to sleep, since we might notice the improvement in the morning. Occasionally, when circumstances have demanded, she's been steamed twice within a few hours, and I have yet to notice an adverse reaction. For us, it cannot cure the problem, but it does alleviate it when her breathing worsens.

The Balsam bowl won't be good for anything else. So if you think you might try this, do use an old one, or pick up something second hand. Probably best to stay away from plastic, I use an old pyrex mixing bowl. Similarly, the bedspread was retrieved from garage duties, and the stool is past its best. Boots the Chemist supplies the Friar's Balsam.


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## Torin.

spotty cats said:


> Ingredients may be different but here it contains eucalyptus oil which is toxic to cats.


UK Vicks Vaporub has eucalyptus too, as does the alternate suggestion of Olbas Oil.


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## OrientalSlave

I wouldn't use either vick or olbas oil as cats are very sensitive to essential oils


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## lorilu

MoggyBaby said:


> I've just had a look on the Blue Cross web-site and they say a* tiny dab on the chin is ok so have put a bit on to see if it helps.*
> 
> I also rubbed some on my sweatshirt and tried to give him some cuddles but he was having none of those!


Goodness no! Camphor is toxic to cats!

Can you imagine when he rubs it into his eyes? Gets it into his mouth? Never use vicks on a cat. I use it often myself. My precious red boy now an angel could not resist the smell of camphor (or mint). One time when I was rubbing it into a muscle cramp on my leg, before I could stop him he put his paws on my leg and took a loving lick. All hell broke loose.

He tore around the house in panic, drooling and hyperventilating. I finally caught up with him and eventually calmed him down and tried to clear out his mouth. He finally relaxed,and then, as cats do, went to wash. He licked his paw and he obviously had some on his paw because the whole thing started all over again.

Never put vicks on a cat. The vapors alone could be harmful causing his eyes to burn.


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## OrientalSlave

I would steer clear not just of Vick and Olbas Oil, but all similar products including Friar's Balsam. The warm steamy atmosphere can help and won't be harmful, but all those scented things - no.


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## MoggyBaby

Thank you all for your input. It seems to be one of those things which has very contradictory views reading both here and on the net.

Anyway, I went with CC's suggestion of the Snugglebabes drops and they appear to have helped. His breathing is still ragged through his nose but much improved from what it was last night.


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## Ceiling Kitty

+1 for avoiding all essential oils in cats, they're so sensitive to them.

@MoggyBaby you can try the nasal saline drops/spray you can get for babies, if Merson will tolerate it. Is that what Snufflebabe is?


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## catcoonz

All what I suggested in my previous post I have tried out on 9 day old kittens, they were all fine and recovered.

Snufflebabe you can use every 2 hours, as the kittens I cared for were 9 days old, I had to use the nasal drops this often so they could feed from their mum.

Glad you have some improvement today.


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## catcoonz

Yes, snuffle babe is saline nasal drops suitable for new born (human).


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## MoggyBaby

Ceiling Kitty said:


> +1 for avoiding all essential oils in cats, they're so sensitive to them.
> 
> @MoggyBaby you can try the nasal saline drops/spray you can get for babies, if Merson will tolerate it. *Is that what Snufflebabe is*?


Yes Shosh, they are nasal drops for babies for when they are all bunged up.  They are definitely making a difference and no adverse effects either.


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## oliviarussian

Glad he's feeling a bit better today x


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## OrientalSlave

The Snufflebaby drops are indeed just saline:
http://www.snufflebabe.co.uk/snufflebabe-range/nasal-drops/


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## cheekyscrip

What about onion cut n half? I use it for kids and was thinking about snuffly Garfy ..You cut onion inhalves or quarters and just leave in the room near the bed.

Just the vapours open the airways...no one in my household would eat it raw without garnish...no danger. Used to do it all the time with cheeklets. Traditional Spanish remedy for blocked nose.

What do you think? Can be done for kitties?


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## catcoonz

No, you cant use onions, I found that idea online and asked the vet, he said it wasn't safe.


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## cheekyscrip

catcoonz said:


> No, you cant use onions, I found that idea online and asked the vet, hit wasn't safe.


Not save because they can eat it? No danger in case of Garf and his flat mug. Or vapours? For me there is possibility Garfield would walk away from stink!


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## lorilu

I would think the vapors would be harmful, or at the very least, extremely uncomfortable for kitty. The saline drops are a much safer way. I used to use AyrgGel saline gel for my kitty with a sinus cancer. It did seem to give her some relief.


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## cheekyscrip

lorilu said:


> I would think the vapors would be harmful, or at the very least, extremely uncomfortable for kitty. The saline drops are a much safer way. I used to use AyrgGel saline gel for my kitty with a sinus cancer. It did seem to give her some relief.


How do you.manage to spray the salon drops in?

I was told to steam Garfy but anyhow I knew he loves to come to watch me bath...because the air makes him breath better..
So have hot baths every day for his sake..though prefer healtheir showers .


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## lorilu

cheekyscrip said:


> How do you.manage to spray the salon drops in?


I don't know about the baby drops recommended here, perhaps they can be put in with a glass dropper? The AryGel I used was a gel and I would smear it on her poor little nose helping to soften the crusts. Once the crusts were removable (the ONLY time crusts built up was when I was at work, I arranged my life around her needs for as long as she had decent quality of life, never being away from home more than 3 or 4 hours)

Once the crusts were off, like you, I took her into the bathroom plugged the tub and ran the hot water in shower mode, steaming up the bathroom and gently smearing little blobs of the gel over her nostrils, which would then be breathed in as se inhaled through her nose. I did this round the clock for her for her last few months, until it was obvious I was going to come home one day and find her suffocated in her own snot. Then I let her go.


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## catcoonz

Saline drops you just tilt the cats head up a little bit and squeeze a drop in each nostril, or you can squeeze some drops on a cotton pad and wipe on the nose.


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## QOTN

Many years ago I had a girl with a growth up one nostril. To keep her comfortable my vet recommended a nebuliser with a bag of saline attached to the hose. I had a large transparent plastic box with a lid and the hose fed through a hole cut in the side and she used to sit in there to get some relief. Some people use a nebuliser with the cat sitting on their lap but then you have to put the mask over their face. Obviously if drops like CC describes do the trick that would be much easier!


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## Joy84

Glad you found something that works and made him feel better 
I love a hot bath and Phoebe always joins me for a nap on the laundry basket so looks like cats do love steam


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## MoggyBaby

Joy84 said:


> Glad you found something that works and made him feel better
> I love a hot bath and Phoebe always joins me for a nap on the laundry basket so looks like cats do love steam


I tried the 'steam room' treatment but when your bathroom has a stone floor, a flat roof and 3 outdoor walls all you get is condensation running down the walls like mini Niagra Falls!!!


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## cheekyscrip

There are humidifiers for babies?


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## Bette

Hi MB my Harry had cat flu as a kitten before I got him and from time to time he can get snuffly. The vet advised me that Echinacea tablets can help so I always keep some in and whenever I notice him getting like that I give him half a tablet once a day for a week or so and it does seem to help. I just buy them in the supermarket , the ones we would have. Of course I wouldn't suggest you giving Merson this without running it by your vet first but I hope it might be of some help.


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## MoggyBaby

Bette said:


> Hi MB my Harry had cat flu as a kitten before I got him and from time to time he can get snuffly. The vet advised me that Echinacea tablets can help so I always keep some in and whenever I notice him getting like that I give him half a tablet once a day for a week or so and it does seem to help. I just buy them in the supermarket , the ones we would have. Of course I wouldn't suggest you giving Merson this without running it by your vet first but I hope it might be of some help.


Thank you for this Bette. We have a constant supply of Echinacea at Moggy Towers and he has been receiving it for some time now. It does help but we do still get flare ups. Now he has kidney disease, his wee body is not fighting it off so well.


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