Cat Asthma Symptoms : What Every Owner Needs to Know Cats with cat asthma may have had one or more sudden bouts of coughing that seemed more like hairball, and yielded no hairballs; or notice wheezing after playing. It is more prevalent than many pet owners imagine and if not managed can become a serious, life threatening emergency.

At Grove Center Veterinary Hospital, we frequently assist cat owners in discovering and treating cat asthma to improve their cat’s quality of life and ability to live full active lives. This guide explains the symptoms to look for, what causes asthma flares and how it is usually diagnosed and treated.

What Is Cat Asthma?

Cat asthma is a chronic inflammatory lower airway disease that is very similar to human asthma. Cats with asthma can overreact to irritants or allergens, causing the airways to become inflamed, the muscles around the airways to tighten, and excess mucous secretions to accumulate. This combination causes narrowing of the airways and makes breathing more difficult.

Cat asthma tends to develop in cats in their early to middle age, but can occur at any point. Though any cat can suffer from cat asthma, it seems to be more common in Siamese cats and other cats with a slender body type.

Typical signs of cat asthma Symptoms.

The signs of cat asthma may be confused with other health issues such as hairballs or upper respiratory infections, so it’s frequently misdiagnosed or overlooked. The following are some of the main symptoms.

• 1. Coughing Recurring or chronic coughing is a characteristic symptom of cat asthma. Is commonly called a hacking cough or a crouching cough by owners and sometimes confused with attempting to vomit a hairball. If your cat coughs a lot, but doesn’t cough up anything, cat asthma could be a suspect.
• 2. Wheezing One of the most common symptoms of cat asthma is a whistling noise when breathing, particularly when your cat is exhaling. The narrowing of the airways is what causes wheezing to happen, giving the air the distinctive sound.
• 3. Rapid or laboured breathing. Asthma-afflicted felines tend to breathe faster than usual, or seem to be working harder to breathe, even during rest. It’s possible that you will see their chest and abdomen rise and fall more significantly with their breathing. This is one of the symptoms associated with cat asthma and if it worsens during an attack, it is imperative that it be addressed ASAP.
• 4. Open-Mouth Breathing Cats will not breath through their mouths unless they are very stressed, over heated or having trouble breathing. A cat’s asthma is a serious condition in which the cat’s mouth is open and requires immediate veterinary attention.
• 5. Dullness and decreased activity A cat with cat asthma might become easily fatigued while playing or appear to be less active than normal. There is increased difficulty in breathing, and daily living becomes more challenging.
• 6. Hunched Posture During Breathing Episodes Cats will crouch down, lower their neck and hunch their shoulders during an asthma attack to allow as much air to pass through their airways as possible. When this posture is coupled with noticeable breathing effort, it is a good sign of cat asthma.
• 7. Small amounts of blue-tinged gums or tongue. Small amount of blue gingiva or tongue. A severe lack of oxygen may lead to a bluish color of a cat’s gums or tongue, called cyanosis. This is a life-threatening sign of cat asthma and should be treated medically.

Triggers for Cat Asthma Flare-Ups?

Environmental allergens and irritants are linked to cat asthma. Common triggers include:

• The smoke and dust from cigarettes or cigars
• These items are potential sources of dust and dusty cat litter.
• Household cleaning sprays and aerosols
• There are also air fresheners, candles and incense.
• Pollen and mold spores
• Perfumes and colognes
• The risk is high when there is any smoke or dust from the fireplace or from building renovations.

Long-term treatment for cat asthma involves identifying and avoiding these triggers, which is done in addition to cat asthma medication.

What are the ways of diagnosing cat asthma?

Unfortunately, there is no single test that will confirm the diagnosis of cat asthma. Luckily, there are several methods used to diagnose it. Your vet may prescribe:

• Chest X-rays to rule out a pattern of the lungs typical of cat asthma
• Parasite, infection or other underlying condition ruled out with bloodwork.
• Fecal testing to eliminate lungworm as a cause of similar symptoms

In more complicated cases:

• Bronchoscopy or airway wash – to look inside the airways directly and take samples

As cat asthma can have symptoms similar to heartworm disease, bronchitis and even heart disease, it is important to do a proper workup to rule these lookalikes out prior to beginning treatment.

Treating Cat Asthma

Cat Asthma doesn’t have to ruin your life, with the right treatment plan it’s very manageable not to mention completely curable. Common approaches include:

• Corticosteroids Anti-inflammatory medicines, either taken by mouth, injected into a vein or taken by the cat’s breath, are the foundation of cat asthma treatment. They help to lower irritation of the air passages and prevent flare-ups.
• Bronchodilators These drugs relax muscles around the airways allowing cats to breathe more easily during an asthma attack. In cases of more severe cat asthma, they are commonly used in combination with the corticosteroids.
• Inhaler Therapy Inhalers with a feline specific spacer device are now recommended by many veterinarians because they can administer medication directly into the lungs with less systemic side effects to cats. This has been a growing trend in long-term asthma treatment of cats.
• Environmental Management One of the easiest steps to take in minimizing exposure to known triggers is an integral part of cat asthma management. Using low dust litter, avoiding aerosol sprays in the house around your cat and improving the air quality in the house will all make a difference.

Cat Asthma v Other Respiratory Conditions

Another problem with cat asthma is that symptoms can be confused with a number of other disorders, which is why it is quite important to make an accurate diagnosis. For instance, Heartworm associated respiratory disease may cause coughing and difficulty breathing which is very similar to cat asthma, but requires a completely different treatment strategy. However, coughing and congestion are also common with upper respiratory infections (and may be part of the same infection), but typically there is nasal discharge, sneezing or eye discharge that are not seen with cat asthma. Another one that has a similar appearance to cat asthma is chronic bronchitis, and in some instances, the same drugs are used to treat it although the cause is somewhat different. Veterinarians use imaging and laboratory tests, not just symptoms, to make a cat asthma diagnosis, hence this.

50% of cats that develop asthma will experience long-term symptoms.

If you have been told that your cat has asthma, you and everyone else may be worried that your cat’s life will be shorter or harder, but this isn’t the case. Most cats with asthma will live a normal life and experience a good quality of life with a consistent treatment plan. The important thing is to be proactive, not reactive. Between flare-ups, cats with good asthma control may not exhibit any signs or symptoms, and many owners report that over time managing asthma in cats gets easier as they become more aware of their cat’s patterns and triggers. One of the most frequent causes of worsening cat asthma is the failure to take medication or to take it consistently, so it’s important to get to know your veterinarian to create a plan that you can follow.

Asthma is a chronic condition that can be managed at home by cat owners, with the help of these tips.

Apart from medication, there are some small habits that can be beneficial to the control of your cat’s asthma:

• Use low-dust unscented litter, which will minimize airborne irritants.
• Clean frequently to reduce household allergens: vacuum and dust frequently.
• Do not allow pets to smoke in your house or near you.
• Avoid using scented candles, incense and aerosol air fresheners.
• Maintain a symptom log to record the time of coughing/wheezing episodes and triggers if possible
• Keep your cat at a healthy weight as overweight felines may have more trouble breathing.
• Have regular veterinary check-ins to review treatment plan as necessary

These will not cure cat asthma, but they will help to make life more comfortable for your cat as the frequency and severity of flare-ups is significantly reduced.

When Cat Asthma Escalates into an Emergency

Asthma can get worse very rapidly. Open-mouth breathing, blue-tinged gums, great distress and inability to breathe are medical emergencies. Do not delay treatment for cats that are having an asthma attack as it can be life threatening. Get in touch with Grove Center Veterinary Hospital or your local emergency animal hospital as soon as possible!

Living With a Cat With Asthma

Cat asthma should not be treated as a Panic. With proper care, the majority of cats who have asthma will lead productive and pleasant lives. Having a record of when flare-ups occur and avoiding any known triggers, and following the doctor’s orders for medication, are all important factors in maintaining control of cat asthma. Regular check ups also enable your veterinarian to make necessary adjustments to the treatment as time goes on.

Conclusion

Feline asthma is a treatable, but potentially serious illness that every cat owner should be familiar with. When cats start to exhibit symptoms such as coughing and wheezing, or more severe symptoms, such as open-mouthed breathing and bluish gums, early detection allows treatment to be much more successful and potentially in time prevent serious attacks. When your cat is displaying any of these warning signs, don’t delay in seeking answers. At Grove Center Veterinary Hospital, we are here to diagnose, treat and manage cat asthma to help your cat breathe more comfortably and thrive.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How does a cat have an asthma attack? When a cat has an asthma attack, it usually starts with a sudden onset of coughing, wheezing, rapid and/or labored breathing, and hunched body posture with the neck extended. Cats can breathe with their mouths open in extreme cases and may have bluish gums.
• Are cats considered to have asthma? Cat asthma is like human asthma, with inflammation of the airways, muscle contraction and excessive mucus production, leading to a narrowing of the airways and making breathing difficult.
• Can cat asthma be cured? Although there is no cure for cat asthma, it can be well controlled with medication and by limiting exposure to environmental triggers, so most cats can enjoy a normal, active life.
• What causes cat asthma attacks? Typical offenders are smoke, dust, aerosol sprays, air fresheners, scented candles and dusty cat litter. Knowing and avoiding your cat’s triggers is essential to decreasing flare-ups.
• What are the signs that a vet will look for to diagnose cat asthma? Chest X-rays, blood tests, and fecal exams are used to diagnose cat asthma, while eliminating other conditions (such as heartworm disease or lungworm infection).
• If my cat has asthma symptoms, when should I take her to the emergency veterinarian? If your cat has an open mouth, gums that are blue colored, or seems to be in severe distress, please call the veterinarian right away for an emergency visit, instead of waiting for symptoms to go away.