Feline Asthma Feline Is Asthma? What • • • Feline Asthma the Clinical Signs and Promote Easier Breathing

FOR YOUR PeT CommonConditions worm-associated respiratory disease). Heart disease, disease, disease). Heart respiratory worm-associated HARD as known signs clinical asthma-like cause can disease heartworm For feline example, problems. resembleof other respiratory those can immediately. your veterinarian problems, contact breathing having is your cat that emergency. considered you amedical If are suspect attacks asthma to Severe breathe. struggles cat the movements chest as exaggerated and extended neck the open-mouth with as such signs breathing with associated be can attack asthma Asevere eating. vomit or stop also Some cats coughing. occasional to limited be may signs clinical Mild weeks. or morequickly slowly over or of aperiod days FelineSigns of Asthma fatal. be even can attack Withoutbreathing. asthma asevere treatment, changes causecan wheezing, coughing, and difficulty These spasm. and swell walls airway the and tract, respiratory the in forms mucus develops asthma, cat a When some in implicated havecases. been air the in but allergens unknown, remains of asthma cause underlying The develop asthma. can cat Any lungs. the in airways the of inflammation and constriction involves condition arespiratory that is Feline asthma Feline Is Asthma? What • • • Feline Asthma the clinical signs and promote easier breathing. easier promote and signs clinical the control to necessary often is treatment Long-term wheezing. and coughing, difficulty, breathing of signs show cats Affected condition. alife-threatening be can asthma Feline • • • • • The clinical signs associated with feline asthma asthma feline with associated signs clinical The very occur can asthma of feline signs Clinical Difficulty breathing breathing Difficulty Open-mouth breathing (tiredness) Lethargy Wheezing Coughing (heart -

conditions. toout help those rule tests recommend special may your so veterinarian infection, respiratory and disease, heart infection, heartworm as such diseases, x-rays the normal. appear cases, However, lungs. the in pattern someabnormal in astethoscope. without using heard be even can sounds lung abnormal and wheezing to your cat’s lungs using a stethoscope. In some cases, listens when your veterinarian sounds abnormal and your cat’s in neck), (a airway over trachea large the wheezing rubbed, is throat when the acough reveal may examination Physical breathing. abnormal or wheezing, coughing, for of episodes occasional your cat’s history medical by evaluating starts often Diagnosis asthma. feline diagnose can test No single Feline of Diagnosis Asthma erinarian will administer medications to help medications dilate administer will erinarian breathing.Whenarrive,vet moreyour you difficulty tant during transport, as an excited cat may have even impor very is calm your cat for Keeping treatment. attack,asthma contact your veterinarian immediately breathing. the airways, reduce inflammation,and promoteeasier on administering medications that open up (or dilate) There is no cure for felineasthma. Treatment focuses Feline of Treatment Asthma clinical signs similar to those of feline asthma. asthma. of to feline those similar signs clinical cause can infections bronchitis, respiratory and Asthma can look similar to other respiratory to other respiratory look similar can Asthma show may an x-ray asthma An with of acat If your cat is experiencing an an experiencing is your cat If attack: Asthma - -

Common Conditions

your cat’s airways, reduce inflammation, and help your your cat, your veterinarian will recommend the best cat breathe easier. Oxygen therapy is also sometimes medications to control your cat’s asthma. necessary. If your cat is having a serious asthma attack, Although the underlying cause of asthma is often your veterinarian may recommend hospitalization for unknown, some veterinarians recommend trying continued treatment and observation. to remove potential allergens like dust, aerosols, Maintenance treatment: Cats that are diag- and smoke from the cat’s environment. A common nosed with asthma usually require long-term medi- source of dust can be cat litter. Fortunately, you can cal treatment. Medications are available to dilate find low-dust brands of cat litter at many pet stores the airways, reduce inflammation, and promote and retail outlets. In addition, using an air purifier easier breathing. There is even a cat inhaler that can that contains a HEPA filter may help to remove be used to relieve asthma attacks. After evaluating allergens from the air. FOR YOUR PeT © 2011 Vetstreet Inc. Created and peer-reviewed by Vetlearn. Brought to you by Vetstreet. Vetlearn grants permission to individual veterinary clinics to print and distribute this handout for the purposes of client education. Posting on an external website without written permission from Vetlearn is a violation of copyright laws.