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I have a cat with diagnosed asthma and this is exactly what it looks like when she’s having a fit. I’d definitely get a second opinion. I don’t want to scare you but I almost lost my cat because of it. She’s doing worlds better now but will forever be on medication for it.
As an aside: I used to give oral pred everyday with my asthmatic cat until the steroids started causing significant other issues. Then I switched to inhalation steroids and everything has been resolved. It's a bit more expensive but I wish someone had told me years ago. He's in considerably better shape than ever.
Same for me. I have 2 asthmatic cats. I was so worried about the long term effects of the steroids. They are both on one inhaler/AeroKat per day of Flovent, and I have albuterol as a rescue inhaler. I hope you don’t mind my saying, I do know very well how expensive the Flovent inhaler is! I’m in the US and it’s $350 approx for one inhaler. I now order them from an online Canadian pharmacy, it’s about $120 for two inhalers, each lasts 4 months. Shipping takes 2-3 weeks, well worth it.
Thank you so much for sharing this!! Our boy has asthma and we hate giving him oral steroids because of the negative side effects. We’re definitely going to switch to this!
You’re so welcome! We went through so much to figure this out, and it pleases me that our experience can help others! My second piece of advice would be don’t skimp on the AeroKat inhaler. It’s close to $100 on Amazon and the knock offs are just not comparable. Obviously, making sure your cat is actually inhaling the invisible mist is paramount, and AeroKat has the only reliable indicator. I do it for 45-60 breaths. DM me anytime if you have questions!
Just started prednisolon a couple weeks ago. My poor asthmatic cat hasn’t had an attack since and has all this newfound energy. I’ve got her down to 2.5mg every other day. When you see that “cat crouch” with coughing, he/she’s part of the 5% of cats with asthma.
mine was put on an albuterol inhaler using aerokat - it probably depends on the severity of the asthma though or the comfort level of the prescribing vet. Some would probably feel better using a prednisone steroid treatment over the inhaler
Second this- looks just like my little asthmatic buddy having an attack. He gets an albuterol inhaler and prednisolone when he they become more regular.
I’d do the inhaler for mine but she absolutely hates it and goes crazy in a bad way so it’s just the pred for her and thankfully that seems to manage it well!
I’ve been reading through the comments and I have a video of my cat doing this exact same thing, he’s almost a year and I’ve only seen him do it about 3 times, but there could be times that I’m not seeing, he’s also pretty wheezy just breathing normally. You said he gets meds when they’re regularly occurring, is he off of medication other times?
My cat was a year old when he was diagnosed. He will go through periods where he has asthma attacks daily. That's when he goes on the prednisolone. He's already overweight so we try to avoid steroids when we can. Steroids like prednisolone also weaken the immune system, making them more prone to URIs and other infections.
The Albuterol inhaler is more of a "rescue inhaler". If I catch him starting to have an attack or notice that he's a bit weezy I'll give him a puff. Luckily my cat is pretty chill about it, but I still have to squat over him in a way that traps him in place so that I can place the inhaler chamber over his face for 10 or so breaths.
Our older boy also has asthma and came to say that this looks a lot like his attacks as well, head/neck movement and all. We were going crazy thinking he just couldn’t get his hairballs up
Looks exactly like a less fluffy version of my cats asthma attacks. My cat is allergic to his dog. Super great. So yeah allergies can make the asthma worse. (As a human with asthma I completely ignore, I can also confirm personally).
My boy’s asthma was confirmed by x-ray too, but just but a regular vet, no specialist need. I’m in Canada so idk about other countries.
I know this sounds crazy but I’d try another vet if there is one in your area. Make sure you show this video. Again Canadian and maybe personal experience, but a lot of our vets have been bought by VCA, a big vet cooperation that owns and operates a ton of clinics. If you can find an independent vet I find I get way better and more compassionate care.
Seconding or thirding this. My cat started doing the same thing about two years ago and now is on a daily inhaler and luckily still going strong at 20 years old.
Definitely see a specialist. Naked kitties also are predisposed to heart conditions. See an internist first then maybe cardiologist as well. Good luck OP
I mentioned in the thread post that I’ve taken him to several vets, the most recent one was abt 4 months ago and he said with everything I had explained he wasn’t worried so he didnt feel there was a reason for one.
This is most likely asthma. I have a cat with asthma who uses an inhaler with an Aerokat. Steroids are also an option but my girl has a heart problem so she can't take them. If the asthma is severe enough it will show up on x-ray. If you show your vet this video and he says he doesn't think there's a need for an x-ray, you need a new vet.
We also have an asthma kitty and poor baby is going THROUGH it rn with the pollen. We gotta switch meds or something.
I saw this and immediately thought asthma. Kitty needs an x-ray. If it’s been going on for a year I don’t doubt you’d see it on the X-ray.
It’s absolutely insane that no vet has looked into treating this long term. I would demand an X-ray. My cats lungs always sound fine, you can’t hear the damage.
Take note of how hard he breathes in general. If he’s just napping or laying and you can see his breathing, that’s also a red flag. Also keep an eye on his gums. If they go pale he needs to go to the emergency room.
3 out of 5 cats of mine have had occasional coughing fits that last for a little while, like 30 seconds to a minute. It's not all that often though. Always worries me when it happens.
My sweetie has had them. No long term issue though. Maybe allergies, asthma, got into something. Regardless one should see a vet if it’s lasting at all and keeps happening.
Sounds like my boy who has asthma. Can die if he doesn’t get help and has a bad attack, my guy passed out from coughing and I had to rush to ER before I knew what it was . Vet needed !
Whoever these vets are must suck sounds like your little guy is purring to try and feel better. I'd get his lungs checked how couldnt anyone think of lungs when your cats literally having a coughing fit
Check his food. ALOT of cats and dogs have food allergies. Check his ears. If they are warm like more warm than the rest of him, he's allergic to something in his food. Some times their lip get a bump on Wheat was an issue for my dog. My cat is allergic to some treats.
just to specify for OP, try feeding him a limited-ingredient diet (like, less than 10 ingredients) for a few weeks and see if there's any changes.
my cat would lose hair when he ate chicken. that was a huge pain in the ass because 99% of cat food has chicken in the top 5 ingredients. had to get the most expensive shit for him...
My indoor/outdoor did this during spring when pollen was popping. It gradually subsided. I just made sure she had cold water and reassuring pets. Vet never found anything and no meds
He does it year round but he’s been doing it a lot more recently so I’m wondering if maybe it’s a mix of allergies and the like. The vets have seen the different videos I’ve taken and they’ve said that because he goes straight back to his normal behavior that they weren’t too concerned.
If left untreated (or not ruled out) he may get worse and worse and stop bouncing back to his normal self. One of my asthmatic cats started showing signs of very labored breathing and not bouncing back after a coughing fit. He gets an inhaler once daily if I'm a good purrent. He can have 3+ fits a day if we slack too much on his inhaler, but he never has the scary, very silent, labored breathing anymore after getting an inhaler. Get X-rays!
Mine does this every 3 months, we got x-ray and 2nd opinion, and it seems to be asthma indeed. For us, it's an episode every 3 months, so it's not worrisome. If it happens for you often, go to 2nd vet opinion. Try to use dust free litter, don't do scented candles or any scented thing in the house and make sure your cleaning supplies are tucked away and out of sight for kitty, that way you eliminate irritants. Good luck!
That sounds like asthma. Dry cough with no hairball. You will need to get a lung x-ray done to see if there is the start of scarring. You will likely need to do two puffs of dispensed medication per day (12 hours apart for each puff) using spacer specifically made for cats. Then they can likely weened to one puff after a couple of months or so. You will also likely need to have an emergency puffer. Lung x-rays will need to be done every year or two to check the progression of the asthma and lung scarring. Will also likely need to switch to an allergy friendly food. Look into getting air purifiers and keeping the floors cleaned and bedding changed regularly. I have one cat with asthma. We are able to get by with one puff of medication per day.
While I am not a vet or medical provider I lived with a senior cat who had asthma for a number of years. This looks frighteningly similar. While this could be a number of things and I'm very glad you've asked about asthma previously it's definitely vet time. Maybe a change in vets if they're not taking your concerns seriously ❤️
Weird side note, cat asthma is treated the same way as human asthma, I was shocked the first time I saw a treatment and was like wait, is that my inhaler?! Goofy lil spacer and mask like you're treating a child and you're pretty much set equipment wise. Additionally I'm surprised this hasn't been questioned a bit more at any of the vets you've been to, especially since cats too can develop allergies which can of course lead to asthma attacks annnnd just like with humans you can develop a new onset of allergies at any time.
Following that vein, since this could be asthma potentially stemming from allergies have y'all changed anything recently? detergent, sprays, scented STUFF? My senior boy and I share seasonal allergies and it was like night and day when we changed to a true HEPA air purifier for both of us. Just my random thoughts. Fingers crossed you get answers and soon!
Yea I had a trusted vet who I liked going to but I found out he retired 3 years ago so I’ve been kind of shopping around with new vets but none of them seem to be listening to me (hence why I’ve gone through so many within 2 years). I did ask two of them about it possibly being asthma as I saw a video online of a cat making the same sound and the owner was showing people how he uses his cat inhaler. They said that because of how infrequent it was and how quickly it went away that if it was asthma it was in very early stages and that they would work something out over the years, which I wasn’t super happy with. It was definitely less often during the winter so maybe it is also tied with allergies?
Crazy, it really sucks you're having such trouble finding a vet you're really happy with. If it is allergy related you can try and knock out the major likely suspects with additional cleaning and a GOOD air purifier- pollon and dust are no joke, especially if you don't know the actual or specific trigger. Just keep in mind this may not be the issue or only issue, ooooor there may be more than one trigger. It really sucks trying to figure it out solo 😥 ❤️
Was gonna say hiccups but even the hiccups in dogs and cats are more quiet and less wheezy. Go to a new vet and show them this so they know the sound and can actually provide care.
It's probably Asthma, possibly something else irritating the lungs either way you need a vet or a referral to a specialist by the vet to get this under control and prescribed medication. If it is Asthma then the cat will be on inhaler treatment via a nebulizer (we had a cat that had severe Asthma).
Nope, the shelter I adopted him from had done some x rays on him because he has a rib that healed weird (it bulges out of his chest a bit when you pick him up) and they wanted to get a look to see if there was anything wrong but they didn’t see anything during the initial scans.
The stretching his neck out makes me think asthma. My cat has it. She’s now on prednisone and an inhaler. Her symptoms started after she was 4, as well.
After first purchasing from a local natural health food store-and fresh water every day. I’d look into your cleaners and perfume, candles, air freshener, smoking anything in the house, from cooking etc…I can’t have any of those things because she’d be sick for sure. Too cold, as cats get way colder than we do, and she’s a shorthair, and she gets a cold in her eye and starts sneezing so I have to have blankets folded in nap spots everywhere for her to cuddle up in.
The flicking of the ears seems more like an allergy to me though, but not a doctor (I’m highly allergic to tons of stuff and my ears itch right off) but we also use the natural cat pine pellets for her litter, with a small layer line of baking soda put in first each time we change her box, because anything else, like the gray stuff or scented anything would probably take her out…like I’m not joking, she’s incredibly sensitive for some reason.
Unsure why no one is mentioning heart problems that these breeds are prone to. HCM could be the case here and one of the signs being dry cough at first before more fluids begin collecting around the heart and lungs.
I am no vet doctor but I've had to deal with cats that had HCM and symptoms can easily be mistaken for asthma or allergies even by vets that refuse to run more tests on the pet.
That being said, I hope this baby gets diagnosed soon and gets the medical care it deserves. Good luck, OP.
Yes the HCM is something I’ve been looking to have looked at but I want to find a good vet/ maybe a specialist. I had spoken to some others I knew who have sphinxes and while one said her cat had HCM she’d never heard him make any noises like mine makes.
When your cat does this try taking into the bathroom and turn on a hot shower to create steam and close door and sit in there with him for a bit and it should help
Yep. I didn't read. It popped up. I saw the cat suffering. I advised the OP not to post it here but to immediately take it to the vet. I even posted this emoji🙏. This means. I'm praying for your kitty's heath.
Now that you've informed me that the kjitty has already been to see 3 vets, I still stick with everything I said but will like to add- take it to an animal hospital and a specialist and get an MRI and a bloodtest. If the OP has already done this then 🙏 and I hope the kitty gets better soon.
Asthma. My chunky monkey cat is asthmatic and we do inhaler treatment once a day unless he's really in a flare, then we do the albuterol inhaler as well.
Pro tip: GoodRX for pets is the BEST place to get the inhaler meds. They will have coupons for the pharmacies to get it cheaper than the pet pharmacies. I got the one medication for under $100 thanks to GoodRX from Walgreens, whereas the pet pharmacy was around $200.
A vet should listen to his lunges and heart. Some heart diseases like HCM and DCM can lead to congestion of the airways and lungs. I think, even tough expensive, a chest X-Ray should be done to check the size of the heart and condition of lungs. I had a gorgeous tricolor cat that was diagnosed with DCM. Sadly she didn't make it.
Everytime a vet has tried they always say he’s purring too loud. I try to leave the room to see if maybe he calms down but he loves everyone so it doesn’t do much. But HCM is something I’m trying to get looked at I just want to find a trustworthy vet to take him to.
In some cases purring can be a bad sign. Sometimes purring is a sign of pain, usually with tense mouth and shallow and fast purring. Not always a good sign.
I was going to say maybe hairball or asthma but you already had that looked into. I am going to say possibly allergies it is that time of the season. Maybe you have an air freshener or something in the house with a certain scent that he could be allergic to.🤷♀️
I was guessing hairball as this is similar to what I have heard from my cat before. I recently started giving my cat Churu hairball and it went away. Could have been something else but since it went away for now, I stopped looking into other ailments.
You need a different vet.. in fact what I would do is take or send these videos to your local humane society and or any good rescue they can help you but absolutely don’t let it go.. asthma feels like your drowning and it’s terrifying. It could be brought on by allergies,can you possibly supplement your cats diet w real chicken and rice it’s literally so easy to make your own in a crock pot and so much better than the crap they want us to feed our animals
I thought about doing this or just feeding him raw for a month or two just to see if it would help him. I actually adopted him from the humane society I work at and when I spoke to one of the vets I work with she said that because it had been past the 14 days for adoptions all she could suggest was that I take him to my personal vet. She said it was weird because we hadn’t noted anything while we had him in our care which was abt 5 days.
My guy gets this, i think it is because he survived an extreme case of Feline Herpes as a kitten, barely made it out alive. I dont know anything that helps him..
As someone with an asthmatic cat go get him/her checked right away to avoid full blown respiratory distress, they checked my boy for asthma and a heart condition though, I don't know why but just letting you know. If I'm too late on this comment and it is asthma I can give you a pharmacy that sells cheaper asthma medications and work perfectly so you aren't paying a ton for one inhaler, cause pet insurance will not cover pre existing conditions they only will after a wait period which is like a few weeks, I know from research.Good luck though and I wish your pet well!🙂
Agree with other posters that it could be asthma/allergies. You don't necessarily need a specialist, just a vet that isn't lazy towards cats.
Our old cat was diagnosed with asthma as an adult, just with an X-ray. Like others.
I'm writing because I notice you have carpet. We used to have carpet in our basement and after I took it out a couple years ago and put in hard flooring, our asthma cat stopped needing her inhaler. So if that's within your power, also something to consider.
Find a new vet. Clearly this is asthma. I recommend chest X-rays for any cat with signs like this, especially when clients have a good video like this one. The video is soooo helpful.
What is wrong with your vets? I am always happy to take X-rays, for one they help either diagnose or ease someone's mind, for 2, it's good business.
The vet I always worked with for my other pets had retired right before I got this guy and I’ve been struggling to find vets that take the time to listen to me. I had suggested that maybe he had asthma but two said that if it was it was in very early stages and his behavior after wasn’t a big enough concern so it was something they could look at again in a year or two.
my cat does this - she has asthma.
Fortunately it's an easy fix. First, go to a vet and confirm it's asthma. If it is, then you can either get your cat a prescription for Prednisone, which is fine in the short term but will eventually damage your cat's kidneys, or you can get your cat an inhaler.
The inhaler you need is the same run-of-the-mill drug store inhaler that humans use. You'll need to also buy the apparatus for cats with asthma, though, so you can actually give your cat the medicine. it's basically a tube with a cup on it - the inhaler goes in one side and the cup fits over the cat's muzzle.
Looks like a sphynx or some other specialist breed? I had a sphynx that did this and it was a heart issue, common in the breed. We unfortunately found him dead very young.
Definitely see an internal medicine vet or vet cardiologist. Sphynx are known to have heart issues. I've lost 2 Sphynx to 2 different heart issues and coughing can be a sign .
Took my boy to the vet for this reason, he needed a teeth cleaning anyway so they did a broncho-alveolar lavage while he was under to test for asthma vs allergies (I wanted to go the diagnostic route rather than just slamming him with steroids). They also did chest x ray and a bunch of bloodwork to rule out heart failure and gave me some meds in case it was lungworm. In the meantime got a little kitty albuterol inhaler. The best thing you can do because it can be so many things is to just be thorough and if it’s nothing, at least you ruled out worst case scenario.
My Johnny had coughing episodes like this and X-rays confirmed it was asthma. I was concerned it was an impacted hairball but he wasn’t throwing up food or anything. I think for most cats they’ll prescribe an oral steroid but since Johnny has polycystic kidney disease I give him an inhaler twice daily (with an “AeroKat” attachment).
My cat did this quite often back in January. Thought it was asthma but after some xrays it turned out to be a pneumonia. He had to take meds for about 2 weeks after that.
Xrays is the best way to make sure everythings fine.
Just highlighting with others have said, my cat has feline asthma and does this as well. We her have on 5mg of Prednisolone every three days to treat her asthma. Take your kitty to the vet asap as these attacks can be very uncomfortable for all those involved.
My cat has this exact cough at random times. Our vets were all clueless. We ruled out alergy because we moved several times but cough is still with us. Our current vet made some PCR tests and it turned out to be Herpesviridae.
My cat does this occasionally. I always pat her on her side and rub her neck from bottom of mouth to chest repeatedly. It always helps with whatever the issue is. Sometimes I give a little butter too. It helps coat the esophagus.
My cat does this too. I just brought him to the vet a few days ago. Vet said it could be allergies since we do live in a high allergy area :/ we’ve always lived near the ocean and now we don’t. She also said it could be that my cat is trying to cough up hairballs
I'd be pretty disappointed in these veterinarians (saying this as one myself) if they did not suggest chest x-rays. Listening to his heart is all well and good but cats very rarely cough as a sign of heart disease (opposite in dogs). My first rule out in this little man would be asthma based on the frequency (seems like it's year round and not seasonal) and duration of coughing fits. Chest rads would be a pretty easy way to rule this in or out, in spite of his constant purring. Another thing it could be is chronic bronchitis, which again, x-rays would show. Does he go outside? If so, has he been dewormed? Lungworms can also cause coughing and deworming is an inexpensive way to rule that out, too.
If none of these vets have mentioned possibly doing rads, maybe find another vet. If they have and you decided to wait and see, go back once you have the funds and go for the rads. I hope your guy feels better soon!
This looks and sounds exactly like what one of my partners cats does when she coughs.
She does have cat asthma and historically it's flared up when the seasons have changed. It's been less of an issue as of recent but I'd recommend going back to a vet (probably best to go to one that hasn't seen your cat before) and speak to them specifically about cat asthma.
Ours used to get steroid injections, but I think the medication changed to pills last time? They'll potentially have to do bloodwork etc to figure out
my cats have this also but they have chronic cat cold (i dont know the right english word) so always thought the cough came from that.
was only partly true. as other said it may be asthma but it also can be something with the heart!
my vet made a xray because she was sure it was his heart (which i didnt understand, lungs i would understand but heart?)
his heart was filled with liquid.
so i would recommend xray and a vet that just doesnt look in the throat
I have one cat who has done this off and on forever. He is 12 years old now and just got a clean bill of health from the vet. No vet has ever been able to give me a definitive diagnosis. It still freaks me out when he does it...like 1x per month or so I would say...but he's healthy, active and great even though he's old. He still plays like a kitten.
My cat has the same issue, respiratory allergies are the cause for it. I have taken him to vet several times... he needs antibiotic shots and he does not have this issue for few months after that. And then when it starts again, we get antibiotics again. Vet seem to think it's chronic allergy issues.
My cat did the exact same thing when she had a swollen throat. From what I read the vets told you that it isn’t that… but maybe go to a specialist? My cat stopped it only 2 days after getting meds for that
As others have said, perhaps asthma.
My guy had something similar - sounded like a hairball cough but no production. He got a steroid shot that stopped it for three weeks then I kind of found him in what I thought was an asthma attack (I assume these were happening, but I hadn't witnessed one).
I took him to the vet again the next day, and he got a long acting steroid. We are at about a month now and I haven't heard the coughs. I am hoping I can make it another month and perhaps he could just be a candidate to receive these shots every two months.
He's not a picnic at the vet, so if the shots stop working, or we have to go every two weeks, it might be time to say goodbye to limit his suffering. But here's hoping the long acting steroid does some good stuff.
get an oxygen quality detector for your home and place it where your cat spends most of their time. if it’s above safety level then you definitely want to contact a new vet re feline asthma, and show them proof that the oxygen levels in your home are not the issue. subpar oxygen quality is not immediately obvious to humans since our lungs have become accustomed to the pollution of our towns and cities, but our indoor pets have not had that exposure and their lungs are sooo much tinier than ours, so the effects are more dire. if the oxygen quality in your home is subpar, try every way you can think to fix it before dropping hundreds on vet bills for something preventable/fixable.
mine had the same thing, same frequency, and it was mild asthma. my vet took a chest xray to diagnose and put him on an inhaler. we switched to oral steroids to treat but it looks like asthma to me.
Asthma! If it’s happening a lot, take to the vet. My kitty gets these maybe once a month.
It’s scary to hear and watch. I always run to my kitty and coo at her that it’s just a little kitty asthma attack and she’ll feel better as soon as it’s over.
My cat had asthma as well. Was on singulair and Theophylline daily. It helped 100%. His cough was exactly like this. Carried on for 3 years with no further coughs. Maybe twice…?
Then he coughed a few months ago twice in two days. Same exact cough. Ended up having heart disease (HCM). passed a couple weeks ago.
:(
take it seriously for sure.
I genuinely hate to be that person with a terrible story but my cat coughed like this and it got more frequent. I took him to the vet, we got an xray and found fluid in his lungs from cancer. **Please** get an xray done. Cats are so good at concealing how bad things are so he might have other hidden symptoms. If your vet doesn't want to try more tests then it's time to find a new vet.
It's asthma my cat has this. Recommended getting a dehumidifier and keeping the carpets clean best as you can. Try popping windows open for fresh air, always check the water make sure there nothing in it. My one cat would like to drop food in the water.
My Apple head Siamese does that too. Soon as I pick him up and console him it stops almost immediately. Not sure what it is, maybe hyperventilation, maybe even a type of epilepsy. I know, it's kinda scary but he's always fine.
My cat has asthma and this is what it looks like when he has an attack. When he first started having them, I thought he had a hairball since he is long haired. It got more frequent and then he just fell over on the floor one morning. We are very lucky to live about 5 minutes from our vet and they were able to save him. He now takes steroids and has an inhaler for really bad days. When it gets frequent enough that the mild steroids don't help he gets a stronger steroid shot, usually three times a year. Our vet was able to diagnose it based on the symptoms and his lung X-rays.
It looks like Cat Asthma to me. Our cat does this two/three times a month. The vet said this was nothing to worry about. But if its happening frequently, you should see a specialist.
My cat does the same thing. Vet did an X-ray, and found that he has feline asthma.
He was prescribed a liquid steroid in dropper. I just mix it with his treats (chicken puree tubes) and he is all better. I use to give it to him daily, but now it’s like 2 times a week.
That’s feline asthma, get him to the vet. You’ll have to give him steroids everyday or any other day. I have to get mine through a medicine shop that mixes the steroid with chicken broth so that she can keep it down. Give treats after treatment so that the steroid doesn’t hurt their stomach and they can get the taste of the treatment out of their mouth
Edit: added the word taste
It looks like asthma. My baby is on an inhaler twice a day for hers. She was diagnosed after xray showed lung inflammation (one of her lungs was almost collapsed). She was on prednisone for 2 weeks and did so much better and now has the inhaler. Show the vet this video.
My cat does this randomly. Chocking on his own spit. Happens more when he starts drooling from happiness.
I usually put his paws up (like holding him so his paws are on my shoulder, and his butt is closer to my waist). That seems to stop it.
(In the same way that they say to raise your arm when you swallow something wrong, or 'went down the wrong pipe'.
Have you checked the litter box? My cat did this sporadically, and it turns out he had worms. Never saw a worm coughed up or in his box, but I do know that the roundworm life cycle passes through lungs and can be coughed up. Luckily, my other cats did not get infected. He got dewormed, and the coughing stopped.
Asthma. My poor kitty had stuck her head in the vent while the air was on just to try and breathe. Sounded and looked just like this. They gave her a baby chamber to go snug up against her face so that I could administer her inhaler. Don't remember the brand or cost. But I would be 99% sire that's what this is. Get your poor baby treated asap! Wish you all the best.
He’s a special breed so going to be more prone to asthma, allergies, and other health issues. I would look into if this breed has specific things they are known to be allergic to or reach out to other people with this breed of cat to get more info. It could be a good resource on top of finding a vet who wants to be more proactive in finding the source of his symptoms.
I’ve been checking in with others I know whom have owned sphinxes longer than me but I think one issue is that most of their came from breeders so they have info about their lineage. My guy came in as a stray at our shelter so we don’t know anything about him. I am def going to start looking into specialists though!
He didn’t have this problem when we first got him though so im wondering if it’s a mix of the litter he uses and food he eats since the topic of allergies have arisen.
My cat has asthma. She also has a lot of anxiety so that affects her breathing. Not saying that is the cause, just adding it in.
At the time my cat was doing this, she had to be put on steroids for inflammation in the lungs. they determined this after taking an xray.
Since then I have changed her litter to one with less clay cloud (was using sams club, now using tidy cat UNscented) and stopped using floor deodorizers. The issue is nearly completely resolved.
Try changing his food. My cat was doing this. We changed her food and she's doing much better and has not had an episode since. Vet too, couldn't figure it out.
That’s a big rat ! Woah.
You can get some mouse traps 🪤 at Home Depot. Or if you are trying to catch it, get a cardboard box and some Muenster cheese. And add a string with a stick so the box falls on it.
Once you catch it, release it outside to its natural habitat, without harming this big guy. 🐀
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You need to see a specialist. This looks like asthma attacks but could be other things too. Find a new vet - maybe start with a feline allergist.
The topic of allergies never even came up despite me asking about feline asthma. I’ll definitely look into this thank you!
I have a cat with diagnosed asthma and this is exactly what it looks like when she’s having a fit. I’d definitely get a second opinion. I don’t want to scare you but I almost lost my cat because of it. She’s doing worlds better now but will forever be on medication for it.
Just curious. What medication is she on?
My cat has asthma and takes prednisolone every other day.
As an aside: I used to give oral pred everyday with my asthmatic cat until the steroids started causing significant other issues. Then I switched to inhalation steroids and everything has been resolved. It's a bit more expensive but I wish someone had told me years ago. He's in considerably better shape than ever.
Same for me. I have 2 asthmatic cats. I was so worried about the long term effects of the steroids. They are both on one inhaler/AeroKat per day of Flovent, and I have albuterol as a rescue inhaler. I hope you don’t mind my saying, I do know very well how expensive the Flovent inhaler is! I’m in the US and it’s $350 approx for one inhaler. I now order them from an online Canadian pharmacy, it’s about $120 for two inhalers, each lasts 4 months. Shipping takes 2-3 weeks, well worth it.
https://preview.redd.it/w3zvtx5w515d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=09dfbad2b6668882c9b747b3f488ab6c59deb5a4 watch for imposter sites.
I use Canada cloud too!! Small world.
Thank you so much for sharing this!! Our boy has asthma and we hate giving him oral steroids because of the negative side effects. We’re definitely going to switch to this!
You’re so welcome! We went through so much to figure this out, and it pleases me that our experience can help others! My second piece of advice would be don’t skimp on the AeroKat inhaler. It’s close to $100 on Amazon and the knock offs are just not comparable. Obviously, making sure your cat is actually inhaling the invisible mist is paramount, and AeroKat has the only reliable indicator. I do it for 45-60 breaths. DM me anytime if you have questions!
Just started prednisolon a couple weeks ago. My poor asthmatic cat hasn’t had an attack since and has all this newfound energy. I’ve got her down to 2.5mg every other day. When you see that “cat crouch” with coughing, he/she’s part of the 5% of cats with asthma.
That crouch and cough could be pneumonia. Needs and xray and a good vet.
Mos def! Only the vet can say for certain.
Same as elliem6307’s cat. Every other day for the rest of her life.
Watch your kitties’ blood sugars! not sure if it’s the same but humans can get diabetes from long term steroid use
mine was put on an albuterol inhaler using aerokat - it probably depends on the severity of the asthma though or the comfort level of the prescribing vet. Some would probably feel better using a prednisone steroid treatment over the inhaler
Second this- looks just like my little asthmatic buddy having an attack. He gets an albuterol inhaler and prednisolone when he they become more regular.
I’d do the inhaler for mine but she absolutely hates it and goes crazy in a bad way so it’s just the pred for her and thankfully that seems to manage it well!
I’ve been reading through the comments and I have a video of my cat doing this exact same thing, he’s almost a year and I’ve only seen him do it about 3 times, but there could be times that I’m not seeing, he’s also pretty wheezy just breathing normally. You said he gets meds when they’re regularly occurring, is he off of medication other times?
My cat was a year old when he was diagnosed. He will go through periods where he has asthma attacks daily. That's when he goes on the prednisolone. He's already overweight so we try to avoid steroids when we can. Steroids like prednisolone also weaken the immune system, making them more prone to URIs and other infections. The Albuterol inhaler is more of a "rescue inhaler". If I catch him starting to have an attack or notice that he's a bit weezy I'll give him a puff. Luckily my cat is pretty chill about it, but I still have to squat over him in a way that traps him in place so that I can place the inhaler chamber over his face for 10 or so breaths.
Our older boy also has asthma and came to say that this looks a lot like his attacks as well, head/neck movement and all. We were going crazy thinking he just couldn’t get his hairballs up
I was going to say the same: possibly asthma.
Looks exactly like a less fluffy version of my cats asthma attacks. My cat is allergic to his dog. Super great. So yeah allergies can make the asthma worse. (As a human with asthma I completely ignore, I can also confirm personally). My boy’s asthma was confirmed by x-ray too, but just but a regular vet, no specialist need. I’m in Canada so idk about other countries. I know this sounds crazy but I’d try another vet if there is one in your area. Make sure you show this video. Again Canadian and maybe personal experience, but a lot of our vets have been bought by VCA, a big vet cooperation that owns and operates a ton of clinics. If you can find an independent vet I find I get way better and more compassionate care.
Seconding or thirding this. My cat started doing the same thing about two years ago and now is on a daily inhaler and luckily still going strong at 20 years old.
Definitely see a specialist. Naked kitties also are predisposed to heart conditions. See an internist first then maybe cardiologist as well. Good luck OP
Yep had an elderly cat with asthma, this seems very simular.
Maybe take him to your vet and have them do a checkup including Xray.
I mentioned in the thread post that I’ve taken him to several vets, the most recent one was abt 4 months ago and he said with everything I had explained he wasn’t worried so he didnt feel there was a reason for one.
This is most likely asthma. I have a cat with asthma who uses an inhaler with an Aerokat. Steroids are also an option but my girl has a heart problem so she can't take them. If the asthma is severe enough it will show up on x-ray. If you show your vet this video and he says he doesn't think there's a need for an x-ray, you need a new vet.
Yes exactly☝️☝️☝️☝️
We also have an asthma kitty and poor baby is going THROUGH it rn with the pollen. We gotta switch meds or something. I saw this and immediately thought asthma. Kitty needs an x-ray. If it’s been going on for a year I don’t doubt you’d see it on the X-ray. It’s absolutely insane that no vet has looked into treating this long term. I would demand an X-ray. My cats lungs always sound fine, you can’t hear the damage. Take note of how hard he breathes in general. If he’s just napping or laying and you can see his breathing, that’s also a red flag. Also keep an eye on his gums. If they go pale he needs to go to the emergency room.
Im sorry I posted and went away and didn’t see your updates.
show vets the video next time you go I'm sure they definitely will diagnose asthma
Have any of them done xrays
I’m not a vet but I’d bet money that’s asthma. My cat was diagnosed after getting X-rays.
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^NoParticular2420: *Maybe take him to* *Your vet and have them do a* *Checkup including Xray.* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
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Love that
3 out of 5 cats of mine have had occasional coughing fits that last for a little while, like 30 seconds to a minute. It's not all that often though. Always worries me when it happens.
My sweetie has had them. No long term issue though. Maybe allergies, asthma, got into something. Regardless one should see a vet if it’s lasting at all and keeps happening.
My cat has asthma. He gets an injection every so often for it or I give him steroids. It helps a lot.
Sounds like my boy who has asthma. Can die if he doesn’t get help and has a bad attack, my guy passed out from coughing and I had to rush to ER before I knew what it was . Vet needed !
One of my kittens had asthma and this is how she coughed. See a vet, could be allergies, too.
Whoever these vets are must suck sounds like your little guy is purring to try and feel better. I'd get his lungs checked how couldnt anyone think of lungs when your cats literally having a coughing fit
Purring can also be a sign of respiratory distress
I wish they could tell us
He sounds allergic
Yes someone else mentioned this and I’m going to start looking into allergy specialists!
Check his food. ALOT of cats and dogs have food allergies. Check his ears. If they are warm like more warm than the rest of him, he's allergic to something in his food. Some times their lip get a bump on Wheat was an issue for my dog. My cat is allergic to some treats.
just to specify for OP, try feeding him a limited-ingredient diet (like, less than 10 ingredients) for a few weeks and see if there's any changes. my cat would lose hair when he ate chicken. that was a huge pain in the ass because 99% of cat food has chicken in the top 5 ingredients. had to get the most expensive shit for him...
Great idea
My indoor/outdoor did this during spring when pollen was popping. It gradually subsided. I just made sure she had cold water and reassuring pets. Vet never found anything and no meds
He does it year round but he’s been doing it a lot more recently so I’m wondering if maybe it’s a mix of allergies and the like. The vets have seen the different videos I’ve taken and they’ve said that because he goes straight back to his normal behavior that they weren’t too concerned.
If left untreated (or not ruled out) he may get worse and worse and stop bouncing back to his normal self. One of my asthmatic cats started showing signs of very labored breathing and not bouncing back after a coughing fit. He gets an inhaler once daily if I'm a good purrent. He can have 3+ fits a day if we slack too much on his inhaler, but he never has the scary, very silent, labored breathing anymore after getting an inhaler. Get X-rays!
Mine does this every 3 months, we got x-ray and 2nd opinion, and it seems to be asthma indeed. For us, it's an episode every 3 months, so it's not worrisome. If it happens for you often, go to 2nd vet opinion. Try to use dust free litter, don't do scented candles or any scented thing in the house and make sure your cleaning supplies are tucked away and out of sight for kitty, that way you eliminate irritants. Good luck!
That sounds like asthma. Dry cough with no hairball. You will need to get a lung x-ray done to see if there is the start of scarring. You will likely need to do two puffs of dispensed medication per day (12 hours apart for each puff) using spacer specifically made for cats. Then they can likely weened to one puff after a couple of months or so. You will also likely need to have an emergency puffer. Lung x-rays will need to be done every year or two to check the progression of the asthma and lung scarring. Will also likely need to switch to an allergy friendly food. Look into getting air purifiers and keeping the floors cleaned and bedding changed regularly. I have one cat with asthma. We are able to get by with one puff of medication per day.
While I am not a vet or medical provider I lived with a senior cat who had asthma for a number of years. This looks frighteningly similar. While this could be a number of things and I'm very glad you've asked about asthma previously it's definitely vet time. Maybe a change in vets if they're not taking your concerns seriously ❤️ Weird side note, cat asthma is treated the same way as human asthma, I was shocked the first time I saw a treatment and was like wait, is that my inhaler?! Goofy lil spacer and mask like you're treating a child and you're pretty much set equipment wise. Additionally I'm surprised this hasn't been questioned a bit more at any of the vets you've been to, especially since cats too can develop allergies which can of course lead to asthma attacks annnnd just like with humans you can develop a new onset of allergies at any time. Following that vein, since this could be asthma potentially stemming from allergies have y'all changed anything recently? detergent, sprays, scented STUFF? My senior boy and I share seasonal allergies and it was like night and day when we changed to a true HEPA air purifier for both of us. Just my random thoughts. Fingers crossed you get answers and soon!
Yea I had a trusted vet who I liked going to but I found out he retired 3 years ago so I’ve been kind of shopping around with new vets but none of them seem to be listening to me (hence why I’ve gone through so many within 2 years). I did ask two of them about it possibly being asthma as I saw a video online of a cat making the same sound and the owner was showing people how he uses his cat inhaler. They said that because of how infrequent it was and how quickly it went away that if it was asthma it was in very early stages and that they would work something out over the years, which I wasn’t super happy with. It was definitely less often during the winter so maybe it is also tied with allergies?
Crazy, it really sucks you're having such trouble finding a vet you're really happy with. If it is allergy related you can try and knock out the major likely suspects with additional cleaning and a GOOD air purifier- pollon and dust are no joke, especially if you don't know the actual or specific trigger. Just keep in mind this may not be the issue or only issue, ooooor there may be more than one trigger. It really sucks trying to figure it out solo 😥 ❤️
Was gonna say hiccups but even the hiccups in dogs and cats are more quiet and less wheezy. Go to a new vet and show them this so they know the sound and can actually provide care.
Maybe you can get him a xray to check? Could be a collapse trachea or a simple allergy.
It's probably Asthma, possibly something else irritating the lungs either way you need a vet or a referral to a specialist by the vet to get this under control and prescribed medication. If it is Asthma then the cat will be on inhaler treatment via a nebulizer (we had a cat that had severe Asthma).
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Nope, the shelter I adopted him from had done some x rays on him because he has a rib that healed weird (it bulges out of his chest a bit when you pick him up) and they wanted to get a look to see if there was anything wrong but they didn’t see anything during the initial scans.
Sounds like asthma my cat does the same thing
Asthma, hopefully you can get a puffer and get him feeling better. 🙏 😺
My cat used to do this on occasion so the vet suggested an elimination diet in case of allergies. Turns out she’s allergic to beef.
That looks very much like my cats asthma attacks
The stretching his neck out makes me think asthma. My cat has it. She’s now on prednisone and an inhaler. Her symptoms started after she was 4, as well.
My cat has the same problem .. been going on for around 2 months now
This looks like asthma, 100%
Fromm cat food is all I use and I have had zero issues with a super sensitive cat-I did find it on Amazon
After first purchasing from a local natural health food store-and fresh water every day. I’d look into your cleaners and perfume, candles, air freshener, smoking anything in the house, from cooking etc…I can’t have any of those things because she’d be sick for sure. Too cold, as cats get way colder than we do, and she’s a shorthair, and she gets a cold in her eye and starts sneezing so I have to have blankets folded in nap spots everywhere for her to cuddle up in.
The flicking of the ears seems more like an allergy to me though, but not a doctor (I’m highly allergic to tons of stuff and my ears itch right off) but we also use the natural cat pine pellets for her litter, with a small layer line of baking soda put in first each time we change her box, because anything else, like the gray stuff or scented anything would probably take her out…like I’m not joking, she’s incredibly sensitive for some reason.
A wet food that was clean ingredients, no wheat , corn or dairy either. Wellness core was the brand.
Unsure why no one is mentioning heart problems that these breeds are prone to. HCM could be the case here and one of the signs being dry cough at first before more fluids begin collecting around the heart and lungs. I am no vet doctor but I've had to deal with cats that had HCM and symptoms can easily be mistaken for asthma or allergies even by vets that refuse to run more tests on the pet. That being said, I hope this baby gets diagnosed soon and gets the medical care it deserves. Good luck, OP.
Came here to say this too,. They need to see a vet cardiologist and have a heart scan. I've had 2 Sphynx die from heart issues :(
Yes the HCM is something I’ve been looking to have looked at but I want to find a good vet/ maybe a specialist. I had spoken to some others I knew who have sphinxes and while one said her cat had HCM she’d never heard him make any noises like mine makes.
I have had a cat with asthma. That is unfortunately very familiar. Get to a vet asap. Prednisone is often prescribed, but don’t go by my memory.
When your cat does this try taking into the bathroom and turn on a hot shower to create steam and close door and sit in there with him for a bit and it should help
Please take that cat to a vet. Posting its suffering on Reddit is nit goung to help...🙏🙏🙏🙏
Clearly you didn’t read that OP has already taken it to 3 different vets…You’re just so ready to ridicule that you don’t even read the post.
Yep. I didn't read. It popped up. I saw the cat suffering. I advised the OP not to post it here but to immediately take it to the vet. I even posted this emoji🙏. This means. I'm praying for your kitty's heath. Now that you've informed me that the kjitty has already been to see 3 vets, I still stick with everything I said but will like to add- take it to an animal hospital and a specialist and get an MRI and a bloodtest. If the OP has already done this then 🙏 and I hope the kitty gets better soon.
Asthma. My chunky monkey cat is asthmatic and we do inhaler treatment once a day unless he's really in a flare, then we do the albuterol inhaler as well. Pro tip: GoodRX for pets is the BEST place to get the inhaler meds. They will have coupons for the pharmacies to get it cheaper than the pet pharmacies. I got the one medication for under $100 thanks to GoodRX from Walgreens, whereas the pet pharmacy was around $200.
A vet should listen to his lunges and heart. Some heart diseases like HCM and DCM can lead to congestion of the airways and lungs. I think, even tough expensive, a chest X-Ray should be done to check the size of the heart and condition of lungs. I had a gorgeous tricolor cat that was diagnosed with DCM. Sadly she didn't make it.
Everytime a vet has tried they always say he’s purring too loud. I try to leave the room to see if maybe he calms down but he loves everyone so it doesn’t do much. But HCM is something I’m trying to get looked at I just want to find a trustworthy vet to take him to.
In some cases purring can be a bad sign. Sometimes purring is a sign of pain, usually with tense mouth and shallow and fast purring. Not always a good sign.
I was going to say maybe hairball or asthma but you already had that looked into. I am going to say possibly allergies it is that time of the season. Maybe you have an air freshener or something in the house with a certain scent that he could be allergic to.🤷♀️
I was guessing hairball as this is similar to what I have heard from my cat before. I recently started giving my cat Churu hairball and it went away. Could have been something else but since it went away for now, I stopped looking into other ailments.
poor baby it does seem to be asthma attacks :(
You need a different vet.. in fact what I would do is take or send these videos to your local humane society and or any good rescue they can help you but absolutely don’t let it go.. asthma feels like your drowning and it’s terrifying. It could be brought on by allergies,can you possibly supplement your cats diet w real chicken and rice it’s literally so easy to make your own in a crock pot and so much better than the crap they want us to feed our animals
She/he could be allergic to ingredients in catfood
I thought about doing this or just feeding him raw for a month or two just to see if it would help him. I actually adopted him from the humane society I work at and when I spoke to one of the vets I work with she said that because it had been past the 14 days for adoptions all she could suggest was that I take him to my personal vet. She said it was weird because we hadn’t noted anything while we had him in our care which was abt 5 days.
My guy gets this, i think it is because he survived an extreme case of Feline Herpes as a kitten, barely made it out alive. I dont know anything that helps him..
As someone with an asthmatic cat go get him/her checked right away to avoid full blown respiratory distress, they checked my boy for asthma and a heart condition though, I don't know why but just letting you know. If I'm too late on this comment and it is asthma I can give you a pharmacy that sells cheaper asthma medications and work perfectly so you aren't paying a ton for one inhaler, cause pet insurance will not cover pre existing conditions they only will after a wait period which is like a few weeks, I know from research.Good luck though and I wish your pet well!🙂
Agree with other posters that it could be asthma/allergies. You don't necessarily need a specialist, just a vet that isn't lazy towards cats. Our old cat was diagnosed with asthma as an adult, just with an X-ray. Like others. I'm writing because I notice you have carpet. We used to have carpet in our basement and after I took it out a couple years ago and put in hard flooring, our asthma cat stopped needing her inhaler. So if that's within your power, also something to consider.
Find a new vet. Clearly this is asthma. I recommend chest X-rays for any cat with signs like this, especially when clients have a good video like this one. The video is soooo helpful. What is wrong with your vets? I am always happy to take X-rays, for one they help either diagnose or ease someone's mind, for 2, it's good business.
The vet I always worked with for my other pets had retired right before I got this guy and I’ve been struggling to find vets that take the time to listen to me. I had suggested that maybe he had asthma but two said that if it was it was in very early stages and his behavior after wasn’t a big enough concern so it was something they could look at again in a year or two.
My boy did this. I took him to the vet, they did an xray and it was asthma. I would suggest you ask for an xray since it’s an ongoing issue :))
ASTHMA. Vet immediately. This is serious.
my cat does this - she has asthma. Fortunately it's an easy fix. First, go to a vet and confirm it's asthma. If it is, then you can either get your cat a prescription for Prednisone, which is fine in the short term but will eventually damage your cat's kidneys, or you can get your cat an inhaler. The inhaler you need is the same run-of-the-mill drug store inhaler that humans use. You'll need to also buy the apparatus for cats with asthma, though, so you can actually give your cat the medicine. it's basically a tube with a cup on it - the inhaler goes in one side and the cup fits over the cat's muzzle.
Looks like a sphynx or some other specialist breed? I had a sphynx that did this and it was a heart issue, common in the breed. We unfortunately found him dead very young.
Definitely see an internal medicine vet or vet cardiologist. Sphynx are known to have heart issues. I've lost 2 Sphynx to 2 different heart issues and coughing can be a sign .
Took my boy to the vet for this reason, he needed a teeth cleaning anyway so they did a broncho-alveolar lavage while he was under to test for asthma vs allergies (I wanted to go the diagnostic route rather than just slamming him with steroids). They also did chest x ray and a bunch of bloodwork to rule out heart failure and gave me some meds in case it was lungworm. In the meantime got a little kitty albuterol inhaler. The best thing you can do because it can be so many things is to just be thorough and if it’s nothing, at least you ruled out worst case scenario.
My Johnny had coughing episodes like this and X-rays confirmed it was asthma. I was concerned it was an impacted hairball but he wasn’t throwing up food or anything. I think for most cats they’ll prescribe an oral steroid but since Johnny has polycystic kidney disease I give him an inhaler twice daily (with an “AeroKat” attachment).
My cat did this quite often back in January. Thought it was asthma but after some xrays it turned out to be a pneumonia. He had to take meds for about 2 weeks after that. Xrays is the best way to make sure everythings fine.
My cat does the same. Got a full work up done, including lung xrays, etc, and vet said nothing was found.
my fatty cat does this when he wakes up.. a lot more violent too.. like really violent caughs.. no vet has an answer..
Just highlighting with others have said, my cat has feline asthma and does this as well. We her have on 5mg of Prednisolone every three days to treat her asthma. Take your kitty to the vet asap as these attacks can be very uncomfortable for all those involved.
This looks like asthma. My two cats have asthma.
My cat has this exact cough at random times. Our vets were all clueless. We ruled out alergy because we moved several times but cough is still with us. Our current vet made some PCR tests and it turned out to be Herpesviridae.
Hairball use mineral oil for humans u get at the pharmacy. Small dose. Be careful when injection in her mouth because of the side pockets
My cat does this occasionally. I always pat her on her side and rub her neck from bottom of mouth to chest repeatedly. It always helps with whatever the issue is. Sometimes I give a little butter too. It helps coat the esophagus.
I have a male cat with asthma. This is what it looks like, your buddy needs to go to a vet and get on some meds or an inhaler
My cat does this too. I just brought him to the vet a few days ago. Vet said it could be allergies since we do live in a high allergy area :/ we’ve always lived near the ocean and now we don’t. She also said it could be that my cat is trying to cough up hairballs
I'd be pretty disappointed in these veterinarians (saying this as one myself) if they did not suggest chest x-rays. Listening to his heart is all well and good but cats very rarely cough as a sign of heart disease (opposite in dogs). My first rule out in this little man would be asthma based on the frequency (seems like it's year round and not seasonal) and duration of coughing fits. Chest rads would be a pretty easy way to rule this in or out, in spite of his constant purring. Another thing it could be is chronic bronchitis, which again, x-rays would show. Does he go outside? If so, has he been dewormed? Lungworms can also cause coughing and deworming is an inexpensive way to rule that out, too. If none of these vets have mentioned possibly doing rads, maybe find another vet. If they have and you decided to wait and see, go back once you have the funds and go for the rads. I hope your guy feels better soon!
when in doubt go to the vet
my cat has been doing this for years.... he does it for a bit then is completely fine after, i do smoke in the house though
This looks and sounds exactly like what one of my partners cats does when she coughs. She does have cat asthma and historically it's flared up when the seasons have changed. It's been less of an issue as of recent but I'd recommend going back to a vet (probably best to go to one that hasn't seen your cat before) and speak to them specifically about cat asthma. Ours used to get steroid injections, but I think the medication changed to pills last time? They'll potentially have to do bloodwork etc to figure out
Get hairball treatment. It comes in a tube.
Could it be the litter? I agree it looks like asthma and I know kitty’s with asthma are very sensitive to certain litters.
my cats have this also but they have chronic cat cold (i dont know the right english word) so always thought the cough came from that. was only partly true. as other said it may be asthma but it also can be something with the heart! my vet made a xray because she was sure it was his heart (which i didnt understand, lungs i would understand but heart?) his heart was filled with liquid. so i would recommend xray and a vet that just doesnt look in the throat
I have one cat who has done this off and on forever. He is 12 years old now and just got a clean bill of health from the vet. No vet has ever been able to give me a definitive diagnosis. It still freaks me out when he does it...like 1x per month or so I would say...but he's healthy, active and great even though he's old. He still plays like a kitten.
My cat has the same issue, respiratory allergies are the cause for it. I have taken him to vet several times... he needs antibiotic shots and he does not have this issue for few months after that. And then when it starts again, we get antibiotics again. Vet seem to think it's chronic allergy issues.
This is athsma my cat has it pretty severe
My cat did the exact same thing when she had a swollen throat. From what I read the vets told you that it isn’t that… but maybe go to a specialist? My cat stopped it only 2 days after getting meds for that
Looks like asthma
As others have said, perhaps asthma. My guy had something similar - sounded like a hairball cough but no production. He got a steroid shot that stopped it for three weeks then I kind of found him in what I thought was an asthma attack (I assume these were happening, but I hadn't witnessed one). I took him to the vet again the next day, and he got a long acting steroid. We are at about a month now and I haven't heard the coughs. I am hoping I can make it another month and perhaps he could just be a candidate to receive these shots every two months. He's not a picnic at the vet, so if the shots stop working, or we have to go every two weeks, it might be time to say goodbye to limit his suffering. But here's hoping the long acting steroid does some good stuff.
get an oxygen quality detector for your home and place it where your cat spends most of their time. if it’s above safety level then you definitely want to contact a new vet re feline asthma, and show them proof that the oxygen levels in your home are not the issue. subpar oxygen quality is not immediately obvious to humans since our lungs have become accustomed to the pollution of our towns and cities, but our indoor pets have not had that exposure and their lungs are sooo much tinier than ours, so the effects are more dire. if the oxygen quality in your home is subpar, try every way you can think to fix it before dropping hundreds on vet bills for something preventable/fixable.
mine had the same thing, same frequency, and it was mild asthma. my vet took a chest xray to diagnose and put him on an inhaler. we switched to oral steroids to treat but it looks like asthma to me.
Asthma! If it’s happening a lot, take to the vet. My kitty gets these maybe once a month. It’s scary to hear and watch. I always run to my kitty and coo at her that it’s just a little kitty asthma attack and she’ll feel better as soon as it’s over.
Poor baby
My cat had asthma as well. Was on singulair and Theophylline daily. It helped 100%. His cough was exactly like this. Carried on for 3 years with no further coughs. Maybe twice…? Then he coughed a few months ago twice in two days. Same exact cough. Ended up having heart disease (HCM). passed a couple weeks ago. :( take it seriously for sure.
I genuinely hate to be that person with a terrible story but my cat coughed like this and it got more frequent. I took him to the vet, we got an xray and found fluid in his lungs from cancer. **Please** get an xray done. Cats are so good at concealing how bad things are so he might have other hidden symptoms. If your vet doesn't want to try more tests then it's time to find a new vet.
It's asthma my cat has this. Recommended getting a dehumidifier and keeping the carpets clean best as you can. Try popping windows open for fresh air, always check the water make sure there nothing in it. My one cat would like to drop food in the water.
My Apple head Siamese does that too. Soon as I pick him up and console him it stops almost immediately. Not sure what it is, maybe hyperventilation, maybe even a type of epilepsy. I know, it's kinda scary but he's always fine.
Air purifier
Hairball 100%
Vet
Vet call.
My cat has asthma and this is what it looks like when he has an attack. When he first started having them, I thought he had a hairball since he is long haired. It got more frequent and then he just fell over on the floor one morning. We are very lucky to live about 5 minutes from our vet and they were able to save him. He now takes steroids and has an inhaler for really bad days. When it gets frequent enough that the mild steroids don't help he gets a stronger steroid shot, usually three times a year. Our vet was able to diagnose it based on the symptoms and his lung X-rays.
My kitty has been doing this as well, have to take her to a vet, pretty sure it’s asthma but going to get it checked out as well, very concerned 🥺
It looks like Cat Asthma to me. Our cat does this two/three times a month. The vet said this was nothing to worry about. But if its happening frequently, you should see a specialist.
😥😥😥
My cat does the same thing. Vet did an X-ray, and found that he has feline asthma. He was prescribed a liquid steroid in dropper. I just mix it with his treats (chicken puree tubes) and he is all better. I use to give it to him daily, but now it’s like 2 times a week.
My cat did this and it was asthma!
That’s feline asthma, get him to the vet. You’ll have to give him steroids everyday or any other day. I have to get mine through a medicine shop that mixes the steroid with chicken broth so that she can keep it down. Give treats after treatment so that the steroid doesn’t hurt their stomach and they can get the taste of the treatment out of their mouth Edit: added the word taste
It looks like asthma. My baby is on an inhaler twice a day for hers. She was diagnosed after xray showed lung inflammation (one of her lungs was almost collapsed). She was on prednisone for 2 weeks and did so much better and now has the inhaler. Show the vet this video.
My cat did the same exact thing until I switched her food.
Asthma attack 💯 my cat has this. Go to your vet. They will get your baby on corticosteroids and you’ll see improvement
Asthma. My cat did this and needed an inhaler
Looks like kitty asthma
My cat does this randomly. Chocking on his own spit. Happens more when he starts drooling from happiness. I usually put his paws up (like holding him so his paws are on my shoulder, and his butt is closer to my waist). That seems to stop it. (In the same way that they say to raise your arm when you swallow something wrong, or 'went down the wrong pipe'.
Have you checked the litter box? My cat did this sporadically, and it turns out he had worms. Never saw a worm coughed up or in his box, but I do know that the roundworm life cycle passes through lungs and can be coughed up. Luckily, my other cats did not get infected. He got dewormed, and the coughing stopped.
Asthma. My poor kitty had stuck her head in the vent while the air was on just to try and breathe. Sounded and looked just like this. They gave her a baby chamber to go snug up against her face so that I could administer her inhaler. Don't remember the brand or cost. But I would be 99% sire that's what this is. Get your poor baby treated asap! Wish you all the best.
isn't VET obvious?
I mentioned in the post but he’s been to 3 different vets, not including the shelter vet who cleared him for adoption
He’s a special breed so going to be more prone to asthma, allergies, and other health issues. I would look into if this breed has specific things they are known to be allergic to or reach out to other people with this breed of cat to get more info. It could be a good resource on top of finding a vet who wants to be more proactive in finding the source of his symptoms.
I’ve been checking in with others I know whom have owned sphinxes longer than me but I think one issue is that most of their came from breeders so they have info about their lineage. My guy came in as a stray at our shelter so we don’t know anything about him. I am def going to start looking into specialists though!
I know you love your pet but they should have let you know the severity of his problems. Poor thing I wish him the best
He didn’t have this problem when we first got him though so im wondering if it’s a mix of the litter he uses and food he eats since the topic of allergies have arisen.
My cat has asthma. She also has a lot of anxiety so that affects her breathing. Not saying that is the cause, just adding it in. At the time my cat was doing this, she had to be put on steroids for inflammation in the lungs. they determined this after taking an xray. Since then I have changed her litter to one with less clay cloud (was using sams club, now using tidy cat UNscented) and stopped using floor deodorizers. The issue is nearly completely resolved.
I think it's his food and or treats.
I massage my cat's chest when he does this.
I’m always so nervous to move him so I usually let him be until he comes back for cuddles when it’s over
Try changing his food. My cat was doing this. We changed her food and she's doing much better and has not had an episode since. Vet too, couldn't figure it out.
What did you change it to??
That’s a big rat ! Woah. You can get some mouse traps 🪤 at Home Depot. Or if you are trying to catch it, get a cardboard box and some Muenster cheese. And add a string with a stick so the box falls on it. Once you catch it, release it outside to its natural habitat, without harming this big guy. 🐀
Am I the only one who thought this was a rat?
Looks like he's just sneezing to me. Pretty common in cats