Dog,then cat sneezing...connection?

[ganesh]

My dog was sneezing randomly for a week (obviously well and fit apart from this) but as it continued I had her checked at the vet (£30 later!!!) I was told that it was one of three things.1, A virus going around which would in another few days.2. An allergy for which she was given a weeks supply of piriton.or 3.something stuck up her nose (unlikely as she wasn't sneezing constantly and there was no discharge or illness.
Now my cat who sleeps with my dog has started to sneeze occasionally (the dog has stopped)
Thinking that she could have caught it,or maybe be allergic to the same thing,I phoned the vet to ask her if it could be a virus which could pass from dog to cat.
She has told me that it can't be connected and that I should bring her in.(no doubt another £30). She is obviously not unwell and it does seem rather a coincidence! What would you do?

[wolf63]

It is obvious - your poor dog tired herself out sneezing and the cat has taken over the task to let her get some rest. ;-)

If the cat is well and doing normal 'cat things' I would leave it for and see how she gets on. Having said that at the first sign of trouble I usually grab the cat and rush him/her to the vet in a panic.

Achooo

[ganesh]

I'ts not like she is sneezing all the time ,it's like 3 or four sneezes in one day (bit more often with the dog) and apart from that she is normal and healthy.I just can't see that there is no connection and I am just thinking the vets are after more money!!

[carmalee]

suppose you haven't changed a perfume, cleaning product, air freshner, washing pwder or similar. Or is there maye a plant shedding pollen nearby - any farmers spraying fields - we've got the muck spreaders out down here and all sorts of things are flying about.

[ganesh]

I can't think of anything that I am using in the house or garden that's new but as you say,there may well be something in the fields around our house.If this is a virus and can't spread from dogs to cats then an allergy is quite likely,but the vet is insisting that there can't be a connection which I find a little weird.

[wolf63]

It is weird that he isn't even considering a link. I went to my doctor when I was feeling ill a few years ago - after discussing the situation she felt that the fact that my dog was also feeling unwell (fluey virus) 'could' mean that one of us caught it from the other.

[ganesh]

And another thing......I have 2 cats and the one that is sneezing is the one that sleeps with the dog!! (more coincidence?)

[ganesh]

yeah..I know we all get different diseases but surely some viruses can travel between dogs and cats,they are not that dissimilar biologically surely? I really think the vet doesn't really think about how much it costs us to 'just bring them in'.