Cats and Asthma

 

It’s not just people who get asthma!  Cats can get it, too.  In fact, it affects up to 5% of domestic cats in the US.  At BCR, both Greta and Snicker get regular treatments for asthma, which is the most commonly diagnosed respiratory problem in cats.  Some experts say cats can get it between four and five years old, others say between two and eight years.  There’s no real data that says one breed is more likely to develop asthma than another.
 
Just like with people, feline asthma is caused when a cat’s immune system is overstimulated by inhaled allergens.  In addition to allergens, some scientists believe stress can be a cause.  With allergens, it’s most likely that asthma is triggered by things found in a cat’s environment, like tobacco smoke, dusty kitty litter, vapor from household cleaners or aerosols, mold, fireplace smoke and even some foods.  Outdoor triggers can be pollen and weeds.  Because they are exposed to more potential allergens, outdoor cats are more likely to develop asthma.  For indoor cats, owners have the ability to control some of the possible triggers, like not smoking, choosing a low-dust kitty litter and being careful about what cleaning products they use.
 
When a cat is sleeping or resting normally, they take 24-30 breaths a minute, although a robust purr may increase that number!  If you hear your cat snore our breathe loudly when they sleep, that is not necessarily an asthma attack.   An asthma attack is a cat’s immune system going into overdrive to battle an allergen and can cause inflammation, swelling, and constriction of the bronchial airways.  Between the mucus created during an attack and the decrease in the size of a its airway, a cat’s breathing will quickly become very difficult.
 
Signs of an asthma attack to look for include difficult or rapid breathing, wheezing, coughing, hacking or even vomiting.  Their posture can resemble what they do when they are getting ready to throw up, hunched down on the floor with their neck extended.  The intensity of an asthma attack can vary from mild - when symptoms occur infrequently and don’t interfere too much with the cat’s life - to life-threatening - when the bronchial passages close up to the point where a cat cannot get enough oxygen.  Their lips and nose will turn blue and they may drool or cough up mucus.  When this happens, it’s an emergency that needs immediate veterinary attention or you could lose your cat.
 
So how does a vet know your cat is actually experiencing asthma?  There’s no definitive diagnosis.  For most vets, it’s a process of eliminating other possible conditions or illnesses.  If you suspect asthma, your vet will review your cat’s history, symptoms and do a thorough exam that will include listening to your cat’s chest.  They may also take some blood to test, run X-rays, CT scans or even perform a bronchoscopy to check the lungs.  X-rays can show some typical asthma effects in the lungs and CT scans appear to help differentiate asthma from another problem or disease.  If a cat requires a bronchoscopy, this is done under anesthesia and can visualize the airways as well as collect cell samples for testing. All these steps help vets rule out other problems that have similar symptoms and may show similar test results.  It also helps make sure they offer the right treatment.
 
Vets typically treat feline asthma with corticosteroids to reduce lung inflammation and may add a bronchodialator to open up the airways.  Brochodialators are what you see many people with asthma using as inhaled therapy.  For cats, may vets are using fluticasone propionate and albuterol as inhalant therapies.  Cats, like Greta (pictured) and Snicker, need an extra mask to go with the puff inhaler since we can’t ask cats to “breathe deeply!”  It covers their nose and mouth and helps focus the dose so they are able to inhale it.
 
Even though there isn’t a cure for asthma, it can be managed.  If you suspect your cat might be developing asthma, be in touch with your vet and keep a diary of attacks with the date, time and severity of the attack and how you treated it.  Looking at that data might help your vet determine what triggers are at work in your cat.

 

CLICK HERE to read more about feline asthma.

CLICK HERE to read more about caring for an asthmatic cat.