Feline asthma is a chronic condition characterized by chronic inflammation of the small airways inside a cat’s lungs. Although there is no cure, the condition can usually be managed effectively with medication and environmental adjustments, allowing most diagnosed cats to continue leading normal, happy lives.
What Causes Feline Asthma
Feline asthma is caused by a cat’s immune system responding inappropriately to inhaled allergens. Allergens are particles that, although normally harmless, can trigger an immune response.
Common feline allergens include:
Pollen
Grass
Mold
Dust mites
Perfume
Tobacco smoke
Cat litter dust
Household cleaning products
Certain foods
When an asthmatic cat breathes in these allergens, they experience an allergic reaction that results in airway inflammation.
Signs and Symptoms of Feline Asthma
Signs and symptoms of asthma in cats include:
Difficulty breathing
Rapid breathing or a high respiratory rate
Open-mouthed breathing
Wheezing
Coughing or hacking
Vomiting
Cats sometimes also exhibit a particular posture when suffering an asthma attack, which can be confused with a cat “trying to cough up a hairball”:
The cat will hunch or crouch so that its body is close to the ground.
It will then extend its neck, stretching its head forward.
These symptoms can range in severity from mild to extreme.
Diagnosing Feline Asthma
There is no single definitive test for determining if a cat has asthma. Instead, a veterinarian will consider a variety of tests based on the cat’s medical history.
If asthma is suspected, radiographs (X-rays) of the patient’s lungs are usually taken.
Additional imaging such as a bronchoscopy (a camera that can be inserted down into the lungs) or CT scan might be considered.
Testing of the material in your cat’s airways using cytology, cultures, and/or allergy testing might also be recommended to rule out other underlying causes such as infections, parasites in the lungs, or other inflammatory respiratory diseases.
Feline Asthma Treatment
Treatments usually include a combination of approaches:
Medications designed to limit your cat’s immune response and the resulting inflammation.
Environmental adjustments designed to limit your cat’s exposure to allergens.
Many cats with asthma will eventually be trialed on inhaler medications, just like a human asthma patient would use. The use of the Aerokat chamber for patients with asthma is recommended since it is easy to use and inhaled medications limit the side effects commonly seen with oral medical options.
