Feline Asthma
Feline asthma is common condition in cats involving constriction of the air passages. It produces symptoms similar to those seen in people with asthma, leading to name of "feline asthma".
Symptoms Of Feline Asthma:
Signs of feline asthma vary from a mild sneeze or cough to periods of extremely difficult breathing.
Physical exercise will often make the condition much worse. For this reason, most affected cats spend the majority of their time resting and are not active since they learn this minimizes the respiratory signs.
Causes Of Feline Asthma:
The exact causes of feline asthma are not known. It is known that the underlying problem is inflammation of the airway passages. The suggested cause of the inflammation in most cases is allergy.
Allergies can develop to many things such as pollens, molds, foods, dust, and chemicals that are inhaled. The allergic reaction within the body causes a narrowing (constriction) of the small air passages within the lungs. This results in a deficient amount of oxygen reaching the lungs, and difficulty in supplying enough oxygen to the rest of the body.
Recurrent attacks are common.
Time between attacks varies greatly. There is no way to predict when or how severe the attack will be.
Diagnosis Of Feline Asthma:
Diagnosis of feline asthma will involve a thorough physical examination, followed by radiographs (x-rays) of your cat's chest.
Your cat's veterinarian may also advise blood tests, including a basic blood screen to check for evidence of inflammation as well as other health problems. A heartworm screen to rule out infection with heartworms, which can cause similar symptoms, will be necessary also.
In some cases, ultrasound examination of the chest may be necessary to rule out heart disease as well.
Treatment Of Feline Asthma:
Treatment varies with the severity of the problem. It is important to learn to recognize the signs and seek assistance from your cat's veterinarian at the first sign of an attack.
The earlier treatment is initiated, the quicker the recovery. You should realize that veterinary treatment is required once your cat begins to exhibit signs. Neglecting the symptoms can be dangerous for your cat.
Treatment often revolves around cortisone products to decrease the inflammation present in the air passages. Cortisone products are available in several forms, including an inhaled form, an oral form, and an injectable form which may be a short-acting or a long-acting form of cortisone.
Other medications used in treating feline asthma are bronchodilators, such as theophylline and terbutaline, to help widen the air passages, and antihistamines to help decrease inflammation. Often, these medications are delivered in an inhaler rather than being given orally.
Cryptoheptidine is an anti-seritonin medication which is commonly used in conjunction with antihistamines to help decrease the inflammation in the air passages, especially in those cats unable to tolerate cortisone. (Seritonin is one of the chemicals responsible for causing inflammation. Cryptoheptidine blocks serotonin release and helps to decrease inflammation within your cat's lungs.)
Cyclosporine has also been used in cats which are unable to tolerate cortisone or who are non-responsive to other treatments. Cyclosporine is an immuno-modulator (a specific class of drugs) which also decreases inflammation and is commonly used to depress the immune system of patients after organ transplants.
Treatment must be fitted to the particular needs of your cat:
- Give any medications prescribed by your cat's veterinarian, carefully following your veterinarian's instructions.
- Limit exercise.
- Keep your cat’s environment as dust-free and smoke-free as possible.
Notify your cat's veterinarian immediately if any of the following occur:
- Coughing or labored breathing persists more than 24 hours.
- You are unable to give appropriate medications.
- There is any change in your your cat’s general health and condition.
Remember: There is no cure known, but the disease can be controlled with therapy!
