Cat Asthma - Know the Signs to be Prepared

Cat asthma is an allergic type of a reaction to something in your pet's environment or its food.

The reaction is affecting the lungs by developing in only a few minutes, releasing histamin and a certain amount of fluid into small and smallest airways. This causes bronchospasm throughout the lung, so the cat suddenly shows symptoms of very difficult breathing and is very distressed.

• Symptoms and signs
• What happens during an attack?
• Medication
• Managing asthma in cats

Symptoms and Signs of Cat Asthma

Cats suffering from an attack go very quickly from being perfectly normal to a very distressed condition and having a very difficult time breathing.

Watch out fo signs, such as:

• hard and difficult breathing
• open mouth breathing
• coughing
• vomiting (in some cases)
• abdominal muscles help actively and visibly with breathing movements
• cat sitting up
• vocalizing
• being withdrawn
• lethargy
• lack of appetite

What happens during an attack?

During an attack cats with asthma develop in their small airways little drops of fluid.

This fluid causes the muscular tissue of the bronchui and bronchioli to 'close down' or brought into a state of spasm that will not disappear on its own.

This makes breathing very difficult and if it not treated a.s.a.p., it will end fatal due to the lack of oxigen.

 

What kind of medication is used?

Cats suffering from this type of allergic disease are fortunately responding quickly to emergency medication given by a vet.

Usually a bronchodilator and steroids are given together directly into the vein. This medication decreases the allergic reactivity and opens up the small airways.

Inhalers used for humans have been used in feline asthma patients before, but you need first to check with your own veterinarian, if it is an appropriate treatment option for your cat.

Management of this Cat Illness

This is a cat illness that will be present in your cat life-long.

It requires careful management of your cat's environment. Together with your vet you need to find out what the causing agents are and keep them away from your cat.

This could be air fresheners, scented candles, house dust mites, storage mites in dry food(!), certain pollen at a certain time of the year; just to give you a few ideas. The variety of causing agents is endless.