Feline asthma is a common

allergic Allergies, also known as allergic diseases, refer a number of conditions caused by the hypersensitivity of the immune system to typically harmless substances in the environment. These diseases include hay fever, food allergies, atopic der ...

respiratory disease in

cat The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of ...

s, affecting at least one percent of all adult cats worldwide. It is a chronic progressive disease for which there is no cure. Common symptoms include

wheezing A wheeze is a continuous, coarse, whistling sound produced in the respiratory airways during breathing. For wheezes to occur, some part of the respiratory tree must be narrowed or obstructed (for example narrowing of the lower respiratory tract ...

cough A cough is a sudden expulsion of air through the large breathing passages that can help clear them of fluids, irritants, foreign particles and microbes. As a protective reflex, coughing can be repetitive with the cough reflex following three ph ...

ing, labored breathing and potentially life-threatening

bronchoconstriction Bronchoconstriction is the constriction of the airways in the lungs due to the tightening of surrounding smooth muscle, with consequent coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. Causes The condition has a number of causes, the most common be ...

. There is conjecture that the disease has become more common due to increased exposure to industrial

pollutants A pollutant or novel entity is a substance or energy introduced into the environment that has undesired effects, or adversely affects the usefulness of a resource. These can be both naturally forming (i.e. minerals or extracted compounds like o ...

. Feline asthma can also be attributed to lung damage caused by long-term exposure to second-hand smoke.

Signs and symptoms

Feline asthma occurs with the

inflammation Inflammation (from la, inflammatio) is part of the complex biological response of body tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants, and is a protective response involving immune cells, blood vessels, and molec ...

of the small passageways of a cat's lungs. During the attack the lungs will thicken and constrict, making it difficult for the cat to breathe.

Mucus Mucus ( ) is a slippery aqueous secretion produced by, and covering, mucous membranes. It is typically produced from cells found in mucous glands, although it may also originate from mixed glands, which contain both serous and mucous cells. It ...

may be released by the lungs into the airway, resulting in fits of coughing and wheezing. Some cats experience a less severe version of an asthma attack and only endure some slight coughing. The obvious signs that a

is having a respiratory attack are: coughing, wheezing, blue lips and gums, squatting with shoulders hunched and neck extended, rapid open mouth breathing or gasping for air, gagging up foamy mucus, and overall weakness.

Diagnosis

Owners often notice their cat coughing several times per day. Cat coughing sounds different from human coughing, usually sounding more like the cat is passing a

hairball A hairball is a small collection of hair or fur formed in the stomach of animals, and uncommonly in humans, that is occasionally vomited up when it becomes too big. Hairballs are primarily a tight elongated cylinder of packed fur, but may inclu ...

Veterinarians A veterinarian (vet), also known as a veterinary surgeon or veterinary physician, is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, vet ...

will classify the severity of feline asthma based on the medical signs. There are a number of

disease A disease is a particular abnormal condition that negatively affects the structure or function of all or part of an organism, and that is not immediately due to any external injury. Diseases are often known to be medical conditions that a ...

s that are very closely related to feline asthma which must be ruled out before asthma can be diagnosed. Lungworms, heartworms, upper and lower respiratory infections,

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from transformed, mali ...

cardiomyopathy Cardiomyopathy is a group of diseases that affect the heart muscle. Early on there may be few or no symptoms. As the disease worsens, shortness of breath, feeling tired, and swelling of the legs may occur, due to the onset of heart failure. ...

and lymphocytic plasmacytic stomatitis all mimic asthmatic symptoms. Medical signs, pulmonary radiographs, and a positive response to steroids help confirm the diagnosis. While radiographs can be helpful for diagnosis, airway sampling through transtracheal wash or bronchoalveolar lavage is often necessary. More recently, computed tomography has been found to be more readily available and accurate in distinguishing feline tracheobronchitis from bronchopneumonia.

Treatment

Although feline asthma is incurable, ongoing treatments allow many domestic cats to live normal lives. Feline asthma is commonly managed through use of bronchodilators for mild cases, or

glucocorticosteroids Glucocorticoids (or, less commonly, glucocorticosteroids) are a class of corticosteroids, which are a class of steroid hormones. Glucocorticoids are corticosteroids that bind to the glucocorticoid receptor that is present in almost every vert ...

with bronchodilators for moderate to severe cases. Previously, standard veterinary practice recommended injected and oral medications for control of the disease. These drugs may have systemic side effects including

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ...

and

pancreatitis Pancreatitis is a condition characterized by inflammation of the pancreas. The pancreas is a large organ behind the stomach that produces digestive enzymes and a number of hormones. There are two main types: acute pancreatitis, and chronic p ...

. In 2000, Dr. Philip Padrid pioneered inhaled medications using a pediatric chamber and mask using Flovent(r) (

fluticasone Fluticasone is a manufactured glucocorticoid used to treat nasal symptoms. Both the esters, fluticasone propionate (a brand name for which is Flovent) and fluticasone furoate, are also used as topical anti-inflammatories and inhaled corticoste ...

) and

salbutamol Salbutamol, also known as albuterol and sold under the brand name Ventolin among others, is a medication that opens up the medium and large airways in the lungs. It is a short-acting β2 adrenergic receptor agonist which works by causing rel ...

. Inhaled treatments reduce or eliminate systemic effects. In 2003 a chamber called the AeroKat Feline Aerosol Chamber was designed specifically for cats, significantly improving efficiency and reducing cost for the caregiver. Medicine can also be administered using a human baby spacer device.Homfray, Matthew, "Feline Asthma - Investigation and Treatment", (2007, March 26). EzineArticles.com. Retrieved February 2, 2010. Inhaled steroid usually takes 10–14 days to reach an effective dose. When choosing the right cat asthma inhaler mask, make sure to check ease of use, effectivity, and quality.

Prevention

Feline asthma and other respiratory diseases may be prevented by cat owners by eliminating as many

allergen An allergen is a type of antigen that produces an abnormally vigorous immune response in which the immune system fights off a perceived threat that would otherwise be harmless to the body. Such reactions are called allergies. In technical t ...

s as possible. Allergens that can be found in a cat's habitual environment include:

pollen Pollen is a powdery substance produced by seed plants. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm cells). Pollen grains have a hard coat made of sporopollenin that protects the gametop ...

mold A mold () or mould () is one of the structures certain fungi can form. The dust-like, colored appearance of molds is due to the formation of spores containing fungal secondary metabolites. The spores are the dispersal units of the fungi. Not ...

s, dust from cat litter, perfumes, room fresheners, carpet deodorizers, hairspray, aerosol cleaners, cigarette smoke, and some foods. Avoid using cat litters that create excessive dust, scented cat litters or litter additives. Of course eliminating all of these can be difficult and unnecessary, especially since a cat is only affected by one or two. It can be very challenging to find the allergen that is creating asthmatic symptoms in a particular cat and requires a lot of work on both the owner's and the veterinarian's part. But just like any disease, the severity of an asthma attack can be propelled by more than just the allergens, common factors include:

obesity Obesity is a medical condition, sometimes considered a disease, in which excess body fat has accumulated to such an extent that it may negatively affect health. People are classified as obese when their body mass index (BMI)—a person's ...

stress Stress may refer to: Science and medicine * Stress (biology), an organism's response to a stressor such as an environmental condition * Stress (linguistics), relative emphasis or prominence given to a syllable in a word, or to a word in a phrase ...

parasites Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson ha ...

and pre-existing heart conditions. Dry air encourages asthma attacks so keep a good humidifier going, especially during winter months.

At risk

Studies show that cats between the ages of two and eight years have the greatest risk of developing a respiratory disease. Siamese and Himalayan breeds and

breed A breed is a specific group of domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist several slig ...

mixes seem to be most prone to asthma. Some studies also indicate that more female cats seem to be affected by asthma than male cats.

Notes

References

*Feline Asthma with Fritz the Brav
veterinarian-approved protocol, photos, video and information
*Dr. Serina J. Hillerson, DVM, March 1, ''Cat Fancy''. *Dr Susan Little, DV

winnfelinehealth.org. *College of Veterinary Medicine,

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It ...

br>"Feline Asthma"
*AeroKat(tm) Feline Aerosol Chambe
Trudell Medical International
*

Cat The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of ...

Asthma Symptoms,

Wheezing A wheeze is a continuous, coarse, whistling sound produced in the respiratory airways during breathing. For wheezes to occur, some part of the respiratory tree must be narrowed or obstructed (for example narrowing of the lower respiratory tract ...

, Treatments, and

Breed A breed is a specific group of domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist several slig ...

s. (n.d.). Pet Health Center , Veterinary Care and Information from WebMD. Retrieved April 4, 2013, from http://pets.webmd.com/cats/asthma-symptoms-cats *Feline Asthma & Other Respiratory Disorders. (n.d.). Feline Asthma & Other Respiratory Disorders. Retrieved April 4, 2013, from http://www.felineasthma.org/medications/index.htm * * *Clair Chesterman. (2019, Jan 17). Best Cat Inhalers For Asthma: Ultimate Comparison fro
Technomeow

External links

Felipedia''Feline Asthma'' from The Pet Health Library
{{Domestic cat Cat diseases Asthma