Cats are naturally active creatures. They are playing, darting and waiting to pounce at a moment's notice. Nevertheless, feline asthma can slow a once-active cat down to a crawl. If your cat is sluggish and he has chronic coughing spells, feline asthma may be the culprit. Careful observation of your cat and his symptoms can help you decide if medical treatment is in order.
Risk
Cats that live indoors are more likely to develop feline asthma than cats that spend most of their time outside. This may be due to increased exposure to airborne chemicals from cleaning solutions, synthetic carpet and upholstery fibers, trapped mold spores, laundry soap residue on bedding, solvent vapors, smoke from scented candles and incense or room deodorizers. Indoor cats are exposed to airborne pollutants in higher concentrations, which may trigger asthma attacks.
Coughing
Frequently a cat will eat something objectionable or swallow a hairball and a coughing spell will ensue. Although an asthma attack may mimic choking, there are additional symptoms to watch for. If your cat gags during his coughing spell and expels some foamy mucus, he may be having an asthma attack. While coughing, he will sit on his haunches and extend his head and neck forward and downward. During the attack, he may attempt to swallow forcibly.
Breathing
Cats don't always cough during an asthma attack. If your cat is drawing very little oxygen, he may lower himself to the floor in a weakened state. If you are close enough to hear his respiration, you may notice that he is taking rapid shallow breaths. His eyes may be closed or semi-closed and you may hear a wheezing sound as he breathes.
Duration
Determining between a feline asthma attack and a coughing spell due to a respiratory infection, choking or another disorder may be difficult, since each condition's symptoms mimic the others'. However, if you suspect asthma, observe the duration of the coughing attack. If your cat has more than three attacks in one day or the attacks continue longer than five minutes, it might be feline asthma.
Vital Signs
When feline asthma attacks, your cat's respiratory tract swells, cutting down on the amount of air he can comfortably breathe. A normal adult cat breathes approximately 22 times in one minute. With asthma, you cat may take more than 30 shallow breaths per minute. In addition, asthma raises your cat's heart rate. Locate your cat's pulse on either side of his neck, slightly towards the front. If his heart rate exceeds 140 beats per minute, call your veterinarian.
Additional Symptoms
While not every cat with asthma will have all of the above symptoms, he will likely have one or more. Other symptoms of feline asthma include excess eye mucus following an asthma attack and a reduced energy level. If you think your cat may have asthma, contact a veterinarian who may prescribe anti-inflammatory medication for your cat and give you tips on how to alter your home environment to prevent future attacks.
