Is Borax Safe for Cats? Help Needed for Chronic Sinus Infections

Posted by Julie (Vail, Az) on 04/06/2009

Hi Ted,

I have been reading your posts on the Earth Clinic website, and was wondering if a Borax/water solution is safe to give cats? Two of my cats came from a breeder, and had a horrible upper respiratory infection at 12 weeks when we picked them up. They are now 2 years old, and still suffer constantly with a sinus infection. Initially, we tried antibiotics to rule out a bacterial infection, and was informed it could be a fungal infection. The vet wanted to subject one of them to a rather large probe up the nose to biopsy the sinus cavity.

I refuse to do this, and have tried a score of natural remedies to no avail. I've tried several homeopathic pills, apple cider vinegar to the back of the neck and in the water bowls, and recently goldenseal and echinacea in their water. The ACV does help the recurring virus, but not the sinus infection. Can you recommend anything? I am sure they both have an immunity problem, as my other two cats are perfectly fine.

Thanks for your help

Replied by Ted
Bangkok, Thailand
04/06/2009
392 posts

In most literature, borax in reasonable concentration (as in 1/8 teaspoon per liter of water for temporary use) is often safer in mammals then it is for insects, which is a stomach poison. A fungus generally exists when pH is 5 or below. That's why baking soda and potassium bicarbonate generally works by raising the pH and killing them. If a fungus is suspected, I may also consider vitamin C sodium ascorbate, since this is a known remedy I used for sinus infection as vitamin C has anti-fungal properties. A 10% ammonium bicarbonate or an ammonium chloride with some baking soda is used as an aerosol and if the mist is breathed in upon spraying in the air, will also kill the fungus directly. A water mixed with baking soda and potassium bicarbonate helps too. But I am getting too complicated here. Try something even simpler is best: in a drinking water add some sea salt large enough that the cats will not find them distasteful. The sinus will dry up and the fungus just dies. It works simply when the body has higher salt content, the sinus dries up killing them. And the dose is quite low. Sea salt is ideal because it's pH is 7.5 on the average, which is alkaline compared to table salt which is never to be used as pH is 5 and that supports fungus growth.

In human dose, I used just 1/2 teaspoon on 1/2 glass of water and it's gone in minutes. In a cat a similar concentration might be used as a temporary drinking water also. But sea salt is the only remedy that will work, never the common table salt. If the cat refuses to drink the water because the sea salt is too high, the concentration maybe reduced by 1/2 each time until they begin drinking. If the cat is still stubborn, then I will prepare a heavily washed sardines with high sea salt concentration. That may do the trick. One or two meals may reduce the sinus problem in practice or perhaps I am simply being lucky.

Ted

Replied by Steven
San Jose, Ca
03/21/2011

my dog has similar problem and the 1st vet said it was a food allergy and the 2nd vet we went to said its due to weed killers that are sprayed on the grass they walk on which makes alot of sense, vet said to avoid letting them walk on grass that has been sprayed hope this helps

Replied by Diamond
Salisbury, Ma.usa
03/22/2011

You may want to try giving your pet(s) vitimin & mineral mix;all animals need to have a vitimin called Taurine, it also has calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, manganese and methionine, thiamine, riboflavin niacin, pantothenic acid, pyrodoxine and cobalamin. I bought this great item in a whole food store as well, because I decided to change pet foods to pure organic food(home grown)My pets are worth it. Also I give my pets fish oil from caplets, just snip off the tip and put it on top of pet food, they love it, and it helps build up their immune system.......

I am going to blend another message in with this to save on posting too many messages.

Three months ago I found a little kitten wandering around after a huge snow storm, I picked her/him up; the kitten settled in willingly where it was warm, I took it home to find it was a female, maybe a wee bit older than a kitten but she was so thin and dirty, full of fleas and scabs from biting at her skin, her ears were dirty, I gave her a nice rich cat food meal she didn't seem to care what treatments I gave her while she was eating, then I proceeded to use a paper towel with a little dish liquid & water to wash her back down to her tail where she was infested with fleas and sores from her biting the area's, I then waited until she finished eating and she dried quickly where I washed her back & tail then brushed her fluffy fur out to a nice shine. I had to continue her treatments on her back as well as sneak in a pro-biotic in her cat food, she has an upper respiratory infection/virus so for me it's an on going thing, she continues to lap & groom herself where she gets a huge amount of fur balls in her tummy then vomits them up where she then feels sick because of it. But hopefully all will turn out in her healthy favor. She does look and feel 100% better most times, I can tell she is better when she gets into things she is not allowed to do. I wish every one loads of luck. Good luck

Replied by Diamond
Salisbury, Usa
07/12/2011

I FOUND THAT YES BORAX AND PEROXIDE IS SAFE FOR CATS, I HAVE BEEN USING IT NOW FOR THE PAST EIGHT MONTHS, WITH TWO WEEKS REST PERIOD ACCORDING TO CATS CONDITION. BUT IN RESPONSE TO MY OTHER MESSAGE HERE, MY KITTEN IS GETTING BIGGER BUT SHE STILL HAS A SEVERE CASE OF MANGE. I JUST CANNOT SEEM TO GET RID OF IT ON HER TAIL, I EVEN SHAVED HER TAIL AS HER FUR WAS LONG AND FAIRLY THICK. I WAS READING ON THE WEB THAT THESE MITES ATTACK MOST COMPROMISED HUMANS AND ANIMALS, THAT WOULD BE MYSELF AND MY KITTEN. MY KITTEN ALSO HAS AN UPPER RESPIRATORY INFECTION, I DO GIVE HER SEA SALT IN HER WATER AND SHE LIKES IT VERY MUCH, ALSO IN THE SUPER, SUPER MARKET BASKET THE RICHEST BRAND CAT FOOD NEEDED FOR THESE ILLNESSES I GET PAUL NEWMAN'S CAT FOOD WHICH HAS SEA SALT IN IT AS WELL AS TAURINE AND MANY OTHER VITS. MY KITTEN HAS GAINED MUCH WEIGHT AND KEEPING IT ON;WHERE AS CATS WITH UPPER RESP. PROBLEMS DON'T HOLD WEIGHT LONG. NOW I AM WONDERING WHAT DO I DO NOW FOR THIS MANGE? SHOULD I CALL MY OWN DOC. AND ASK FOR A SCRIPT. FOR QUELL? THAT OR I WILL HAVE TO USE SOME LOTION FOR HEAD LICE AND WRAP HER WHOLE TAIL UP AS SHE CONTINUES TO LAP IT. SO WHICH WOULD BE BEST? I'M AT A LOSS RIGHT NOW. I JUST STERILIZED THE WHOLE HOUSE AND WASHED TWO DOGS CATS AND HUSBAND AN SELF - PHEW LOL WHATS NEXT? CLUELESS

HERE IS A WEBSITE I CHECKED OUT ON UPPER RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Respiratory_system GOOD LUCK


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