Could Your Cat Have Feline Asthma?

by Kari Winters

Feline Asthma is a disease in cats, which if left untreated can shorten your cat's life. The heart must work harder when a cat has difficulty breathing and in rare cases this can lead to heart failure. The key to good treatment is early diagnosis.

Coughing is never normal in a cat. It's also important for you to advocate for your cat's health. A thorough veterinary exam is necessary, but your veterinarian doesn't live with your cat and many times, the exam that your cat gets is only as good as the information that you provide. Give your veterinarian information about how often your cat coughs or has difficulty breathing, as well as the circumstances under which this happens. Is it a rare occurrence or does it happen every day? Does your cat gag, choke, or swallow at the end of the cough? That might mean excess mucus, which is another sign that this may be asthma instead of hair balls. Can your cat play without have difficulty breathing, and if not, how soon after running or playing does the problem occur? Does your cat have difficulty breathing when sleeping or at rest. Unfortunately, there isn't a test that your veterinarian can do to make the diagnosis, so all this information is essential. If your cat has a history of sudden difficulty in breathing or has a chronic cough, your veterinarian will do an x-ray of your cat's lungs. You may be told that there are changes that look like "doughnuts" to the layperson.

Asthma is classified as mild. moderate, or severe, depending on the symptoms. In mild asthma, the cat can play, eat, and go about its life without having symptoms interfere. The asthma attacks are intermittent. In moderate asthma, the cat's life is sometimes affected and it may tire more easily or occasionally wake up coughing. Severe asthma has a large impact on the cat's life and it isn't comfortable even when resting.

In the past, asthma was treated by giving drugs called steroids in either pill or injection form (called systemic). The problem with this treatment is that the high doses required can cause long term side effects, such as diabetes, pancreatitis, cystitis, and behavioral changes. Now, however, many cats can be given inhaled steroids which only go into the respiratory system where they're needed and don't cause the problems that systemic medications can cause. These medications are administered through an inhaler, which is exactly like the inhalers that humans use. The type of inhaler and the frequency will depend on the severity of the symptoms. King Tut initially had to take two puffs of a medication called Flovent twice a day. Flovent is a steroid medication which reduces long term inflammation. We learned that Prince Rama also had asthma, but it was much milder so he only needed occasional puffs of a medication called Albuterol, a medication which King Tut also requires occasionally. Albuterol is a bronchodilator, which relaxes the muscle tissue in the cat's lungs and is used for individual attacks.

Now you're probably wondering how you can get your cat to use an inhaler. The answer is "not easily." Until relatively recently, a device called a pediatric "spacer" (a tube and mask) was used. This was designed for babies and young children, who, like cats, also can't inhale on command. This device worked fairly well, but since cats' faces are shaped differently from humans and since babies breathe in more deeply than cats, it wasn't 100% effective. Within the last two years a device was developed called the "Aerokat" and it's a spacer, which is made to fit the cat's face. The device can be ordered through the website, www.aerokat.com. The company has had a lot of close contact with Dr. Philip Padrid (the recognized world leader in this area), Kathryn Hopper at www.fritzthebrave.com, and with the yahoo group of people who use inhaled steroids. Changes have been made in the device and it is now a very effective way to administer the medications.

Several tips are available for acclimating your cat to the spacer. Many of them can be found on Fritz's site. One suggestion that worked well for us was to go into the bathroom with the door closed and have King Tut eat wet food out of the spacer. Once he was used to that, I bought cheap over the counter inhalers and would press them into the air while he was eating so that he'd become used to the "hissing" sound. All of this helped, but there was still an interesting adjustment period during which I had to use patience, humor, and a lot of gymnastics to administer the medications. Some cats adjust more easily than others and I think that Tut was in the middle range.

In addition to medications, environmental changes must also be made. Some cats with asthma also have allergies. All cats with asthma need an environment as free of dust as possible. This may mean getting HEPA filters to constantly clean the air in the environment. HEPA filters are used in hospitals but can be purchased in many local stores such as Target. Your cat may also have attacks associated with stress, so anything you can do to decrease stress in the environment will help.

Having a cat with asthma can be very stressful for you, too and support is essential. There are two great Yahoo groups for "people owned by cats with asthma." One of these is specific for cats using inhaled steroids. (Groups.Yahoo.com/Group/FelineAsthma) Once you join the group, you will find a wonderful mix of people who can give you support and help you through the steps involved in treatment. It should be noted that, although many cats do well on inhalers alone, some still require systemic medications at times. Your veterinarian will monitor your cat's progress and make this decision.

Feline asthma can be frightening for both cat and human, but with frequent veterinarian visits, medication, and support, it can almost always be manageable.

COULD YOUR CAT HAVE ASTHMA?

• Does he have frequent coughing spells without throwing up hairballs or food?
• Has he been diagnosed with frequent bronchitis or "kitty colds"?
• Do his sided move when he breathes after very little exertion? (This is called "abdominal breathing")
• Does he have rapid breathing or abnormally slow breathing?
• Does he wheeze?
• Does he have difficulty breathing after a short playtime?
• Does he ever cough in his sleep?
• Does he have low energy (lethargy)?

If your cat shows any of these symptoms, inform your veterinarian.
Keep a chart of symptoms and possible triggers as this will help your Veterinarian in making a diagnosis.
REMEMBER: COUGHING IN A CAT IS NEVER NORMAL
Go to www.fritzthebrave.com for more information

(Please note: All facts in this article were checked by Dr. Philip Padrid, who practices in Chicago, IL. when he's not lecturing around the world.)

This article was first published as "The Breath of Life" in The Pet Press in Los Angeles. Kari Winters is an Advanced Practice Nurse who is also a member of Cat Writers' Association. She has won many awards for her writing and is the author of the book, "Princess Fiona: My Purrsonal Story". This book was a volunteer project for CA. Siamese Rescue and 100% of the proceeds go to rescue. Kari can be reached through her website at www.shelterpetsink.com. Information about purchase of the book can be obtained there, also.

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