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What is feline asthma?
Also known as (also known as feline bronchial disease, allergic bronchitis, bronchitis, allergic airway disease and allergic asthma). When exposed to an allergen, the following happens.
- The muscles around the airways tighten and block the airflow.
- The walls of the airways swell and become narrower, blocking the airflow.
- The airways produce extra mucus, causing more narrowing.
As in humans, it is believed that there is a genetic predisposition for asthma.
What are the symptoms of feline asthma?
Dry, hacking cough which may be mistaken for hairballs, wheezing, laboured breathing, exercise avoidance. Symptoms may be mild or severe. In mildly affected cats they may cough of wheeze occasionally. Severely affected cats may cough & wheeze daily, leading to airway constriction & open mouthed breathing/panting. A severe asthma attack can lead to death.
How is it diagnosed?
There are other medical conditions with similar symptoms to asthma, so your vet may want to rule out the following; heartworm, pneumonia, Bordetella & congestive heart failure.
Your vet will do the following:
- Listen to the cat's chest/breathing.
- Take a chest x-ray to look for signs of bronchial inflammation & enlarged lungs, flattened diaphragm & doughnuts.
- Tracheal wash to check for the presence of eosinophils (a type of white blood cell).
How is it treated?
There is no cure for asthma, although in most cases it can be managed.
Steroids (oral form) may be prescribed. These reduce inflammation. There may be side effects from long term use of steroids such as diabetes, pancreatitis, increased urination, weight gain, behavioural changes.
Steroids (inhaler form). Same as above, they reduce inflammation. There is a relatively new inhaler system on the market called AeroKat, Flovent is the most commonly used inhalant steroid. Inhaled steroids generally don't get into the system as much as oral steroids, thus side effects are greatly reduced.
Bronchodilators: These help open the airway at times of severe coughing or wheezing.
In an emergency, get your cat to the closest vet immediately. You will not be able to treat this at home. Your veterinarian will usually inject a corticosteroid to reduce inflammation & use a bronchodilator to help open the airway. Ephedrine may be given in a life threatening attack.
Triggers:
There are many possible asthma triggers. Some include; cigarette smoke, fireplace smoke, pollens, cat litter dust, aerosols, sprays & cool temperatures.
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