Feline Asthma
Asthma is a condition that affects your cat’s upper respiratory tract. It normally affects felines between two and eight years old, with females developing the condition more often than their male counterparts. Like humans who suffer from asthma, cats too will start coughing and wheezing.
Causes
Feline asthma occurs due to chronic inflammation of tissues in the lungs. These tissues can become inflamed because of exposure to various allergens, smoke, sprays, and dust. Also, different infections and viruses can cause problems with asthma.
Symptoms
As mentioned earlier, the most common signs of asthma in cats are coughing and wheezing. Some cats only cough and wheeze occasionally, while others experience frequent episodes. It is common for owners to mistake these episodes as trying to cough up a hairball since it looks similar. Some cats start to breath with their mouths open during an episode.
Diagnosis
Feline asthma can be diagnosed based on x-rays of the chest, symptoms, and the medical history. The vet will need to ensure that other conditions like parasitic or bacterial infections aren’t causing the coughing. Asthma medication will also be administered, and if your cat responds, a definitive diagnosis can be made.
Treatment
If your cat only suffers from a mild case of asthma, you will need to limit his exposure to allergens that can make the situation worse. Cats who experience symptoms frequently can also be treated with an inhaler to deliver medications. These medications can also be given orally or via injection.
Prevention
The best thing that you can do to prevent episodes of feline asthma is to limit your cat’s exposure to problematic allergens. These include dust from the litter box, cigarette smoke, perfume, and other chemicals. It’s also a good idea to operate an air cleaner in your home and replace the filter regularly.
Owners should be aware that it's very important to feed their cats a proper diet. Unfortunately, many of the commercial foods on the market aren't exactly the healthiest choice. That's why, it's best to feed your feline friend food that you make yourself using homemade recipes. You can control exactly what goes into the food your cat eats. If you make your own cat food, you will also save money without making a significant time investment.