Coughing
Cats often have problems with coughing. These problems can be short-term illnesses that make it hard for the cat to breathe or long-term issues that make the cat cough every day. If your cat is coughing and having trouble breathing, like collapsing, breathing quickly, gasping, or breathing with its mouth open, you should call your vet right away. Cats often throw up after coughing fits, so it is possible to think that they are throwing up hairballs. It is best to have your vet look into and treat any coughing symptoms, since there are many causes and successful treatments for many of them. A lot of breathing problems can get worse over time and hurt your pet badly if you do not treat them. If your cat's cough does not get better after two weeks, you should take them to the vet right away.
What causes coughing?
The trachea (also known as the wind pipe) is a tube that runs from the throat down into the chest, where it branches to form the major airways in the lungs. The normal trachea is a soft tube that is held open by numerous rigid rings of cartilage. Coughing is the result of irritation or inflammation of the sensitive lining of any part of the airways or the lungs; irritation may be within the actual airways or could be due to compression from structures around the airways in the chest cavity, e.g., a mass pressing on the trachea.
Why is my cat coughing?
Young animals are more likely to cough as a result of an infection, inhaled foreign objects (like grass blades), irritation from smoke, or other irritants. Other reasons for coughing, like tumors, are more common in older animals. All things considered, though, feline asthma or chronic bronchitis rank as the most common causes of coughing in cats. Asthma in cats is thought to be an allergic kind of respiratory illness that usually affects young adults, with a predisposition towards the Siamese breed. Human and feline asthma are comparable conditions. It is crucial that you take your cat to the doctor if they are coughing in order to rule out any more serious conditions or to determine if there are any potential causes that need to be treated.
What other signs might my cat show?
No matter if a cat is coughing and everything else is fine, the reason for its cough can tell you that. For a short time, the animal may cough, sneeze, retch, be upset, and paw its face and mouth a lot. This could be because it breathed in something strange, usually into the back of its nose. If the foreign body gets stuck further down in the lungs, the cat may start to cough softly and look off-color. Their breathing pattern may also change slightly, and their breath may smell bad.
When cats cough, their meow may vary, or they may make noises when they breathe in (such as a rattling noise similar to snoring), which usually suggests an upper airway condition (larynx, or voicebox), and pharynx, or throat).
Cats with asthma may cough frequently and occasionally experience what are known as "asthma attacks," in which they may be heard to wheeze, breathe laboriously, breathe through their mouths, or even collapse.The severity of the symptoms can vary because the condition is known to wax and wane.Cats suffering from chronic bronchitis usually exhibit consistent coughing behavior, sometimes even on a daily basis.
When a cat has pneumonia, whether from an infection or by breathing in vomit, they may experience fever, go off their diet, and feel generally unhappy. There can be a nasal discharge, which could be clear or runny. It is extremely uncommon for cats to cough from heart illness, in contrast to dogs.
Cats sometimes cough because lumps in their chests can make it hard for them to breathe. When these things happen, the cat may also show changes in the way it breathes, such as breathing faster and harder. It is important to know that cats often hide their illness until it has gotten much worse. For this reason, any cat whose breathing changes should see a vet right away. If an animal is breathing more forcefully, quickly, or with their mouth open, it could be a sign of a condition that could be fatal and needs rapid veterinary care.
What will my vet need to do?
When you take your cat to the vet, they will first want to get some information from you so they can figure out which part of the cat's breathing system is hurt. Before you take your cat to the vet, think about what might be causing it to cough. This will help the vet ask more specific questions about the type of cough, like whether it is dry or wet, irregular or constant.
Your veterinarian may benefit even more if you can record a video of your cat coughing using your smartphone.Your pet's veterinarian will want to examine them and check for any further symptoms of disease, such as fever, which could indicate what's causing the cough. Your veterinarian can evaluate your cat's heart and lung health by using a stethoscope to listen to their chest. Before making a final diagnosis, your veterinarian should rule out the more serious conditions that might cause persistent coughing. There are numerous diseases that can cause coughing.
If your cat is having breathing problems, the vet may decide to take them in right away so they can get air to help them breathe better. First, this will be done to help your cat feel more stable before a check is done.
An x-ray of the trachea and chest, testing for infectious agents, and an endoscope—a tiny tube with a camera on the end—passed down the trachea and into the lungs to collect samples—may all be part of the investigation into coughing.
Can coughing be treated?
Depending on what is causing the cough, there are many ways to treat it. Medical care can be given to treat coughing caused by infectious diseases and lung diseases. For example, inhaled drugs are often used to treat chronic bronchitis and asthma in cats, just like they are in people.There are times when more treatments, like chemotherapy or surgery, may be given if a more serious sickness, like cancer, is present. Protecting your cat from dust, smoke, aerosols, and air fresheners is one way to improve airway hygiene at home and help all cats that cough by reducing irritation of the respiratory system.Keeping the cat out of the bedroom can also be helpful because that is where most of the human dust and some allergens, like house dust mites, would be.If your cat is overweight and has a cough that will not go away, you should also follow your vet's advice and put it on a diet to help it lose weight.
