How to Spot and Treat Feline Asthma

Feline asthma, an allergy to something in the cat's environment, is very common. Recognizing and treating the disease can make life much easier and possible for your cat.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Cat
• Stethoscope
• Thermometer
• Lubricant

1. Know and be aware of what feline asthma is. Basically, it is an allergy to something in the environment that causes the airways to the lungs to constrict, making it harder to breath for the animal. Signs of feline asthma are coughing, loud wheezing 'inspiratory' sounds (when you listen with stethscope to lungs when air coming in, the 'in breath' is louder and sharper than the 'out breath' noise). Assess other aspects of what your cat is doing. Is there nasal discharge, sneezing, or watery eyes? If one of a combination of these (particularly if temperature is over 102.6 degrees F), it is a viral or bacterial infection that requires antibiotics and NOT the drugs that are given to treat asthma. Coughing with exercise can also be due to heart problems, which may be assessed by listening to the heart for 'murmurs' or heart beats that are more than 240 per minute.
2. Identify asthma as what is going on. Look at the cat's environment. Is there dust around? Are vents moldy? Does anyone in the house smoke? When does the cat cough most? Do your best to figure out why the cat coughs and change the environment appropriately.
3. If signs of asthma persist, take animal in for drug treatment. Most often this is prednisone given at anti-inflammatory doses which start out 'high' then go down to low doses, with pill given once every other day. Don't stop dosing in the middle, as once prednisone therapy starts, you have wean off it slowly or big time metabolic problems in many organ systems (including the brain). Alternatively, an injection of long acting steroids (depomedrol, for instance) can be given and be effective against allergies for a month at a time.
4. Observe the cat over next few months, looking to see if the asthma is seasonal. Often it can be. Treat appropriately.

Tips & Warnings

• Cat asthma is very common is very treatable.
• Give drugs you get or are given as directed. Big time problems if you don't. DO NOT give cats aspirin or Benadryl, as they don't have the inactivating systems in their liver to handle them. Never give cats Tylenol or ibuprofen (Advil) either.