Comments on: Feline Asthma

By: What You Need to Know About Feline Asthma « Undercover Kitty

What You Need to Know About Feline Asthma « Undercover Kitty — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 14:52:41 +0000

[...] Feline Asthma | The Conscious Cat Feline asthma is a respiratory condition that involves inflammation and excess mucous build-up in the airways. Muscles spasms cause constriction of the airway, resulting in respiratory distress. Feline Asthma shares some characteristics with asthma in humans, including symptoms. [...]

By: Esme

Esme — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 20:36:53 +0000

P. went back to the vet this morning-not sure if it was an asthma attack or just some fuzz stuck because she decided to chew her blanket. The vet said that we can stick with Sweat Scoop-the wheat based litter. Given I was at BEA all last week-it may have been because I cleaned the house yesterday-lots of dust. Thanks for the link. I have heard about perfume also-we do not have anything scented in the house-which is not a big deal as I have sensitivity to this stuff myself and do not like chemicals to be permeating the air I breath.

P. is doing good.

By: Ingrid

Ingrid — Mon, 31 May 2010 22:11:16 +0000

Esme, that’s a great point about getting rid of scented candles and plug ins. I’ve also heard that some cats react to their humans’ perfumes, so that may be something else to look at.

I use a clay based clumping litter, but I’m aware that these litters generate a lot of dust, and there are health issues associated with the dust, both for the cats and for humans. I’ve heard good reports on a litter called World’s Best Cat Litter – it is corn based, but there are potentially some toxicity issues with that as well. I suppose nothing is 100% risk free. One of my blogging friends wrote an excellent article comparing several different kinds of litters recently, maybe that will be helpful for you. Here’s the link: http://www.thedailytail.com/reviews/the-best-cat-litter/

By: Esme

Esme — Mon, 31 May 2010 21:07:28 +0000

Thanks for this-both P. and M. have asthma -M. has never had an attack-I was concerned because he breathes heavy-P. did have some hacking episodes which is what made me take her to the vet. She received a steroid injection. We use a wheat based litter-I will need to speak to my vet about possibly changing it for them. I am not the most neurotic housekeeper but do try to dust and vacuum regularly-another fact cat owners may not realize-get rid of all scented candles and plug ins. Any suggestions on an alternative litter?

By: Chari

Chari — Fri, 28 May 2010 18:08:37 +0000

I definitely will keep you up to date when I get him checked out… I do have one more question… Should I put him on pet health insurance before I bring him just incase they do determine he has feline asthma, or would I be able to insure him after a diagnosis? I know the medicine and treatments must get expensive without the insurance…

By: Renee Austin

Renee Austin — Fri, 28 May 2010 13:47:01 +0000

Debbi-that was a really tough time for you-and I don’t think I’ll ever forget your Amber. Great site, CSF, and the link to Modern Cat is great, Ingrid. Chari-it might also be of benefit if you have some video footage to show your veterinarian when you take your kitten in. Let us know what happens if you do have him checked. Ingrid-I almost forgot that about Brogan. He would shake me awake at night when he was in the early stage of a big attack. I started to sleep with his inhaler under my pillow and it became so routine that I got to where I barely had to open my eyes to treat him. Wow-those were the days…

By: Ingrid

Ingrid — Wed, 26 May 2010 17:17:46 +0000

Cat Scratch Fever, I’m glad you found this article helpful. Thanks for sharing.

I love your website – great information.

By: Ingrid

Ingrid — Wed, 26 May 2010 17:17:11 +0000

Chari, if you have any doubts about whether your kitten’s breathing is anything other than panting after a hard play session, you should have your veterinarian take a look at him. You might want to check out the videos Kate Benjamin posted on her Moderncat site in the link I posted in a comment above -the first video shows a cat having an asthma attack.

By: Chari

Chari — Wed, 26 May 2010 15:37:21 +0000

When my kitten plays for a long time and very intensely, he starts panting like a puppy. Is this feline asthma, or is he just out of breath from playing so hard?

By: Cat Scratch Fever

Cat Scratch Fever — Wed, 26 May 2010 07:20:36 +0000

Thanks heaps for the post. I knew a little bit about human asthma but was really good to read this about cats and what to look out for. Have bookmarked and will recommend other cat owners have a read.

By: Ingrid

Ingrid — Tue, 25 May 2010 18:13:27 +0000

I would like to add a link to a post about feline asthma my blogging friend Kate Benjamin of Moderncat added yesterday – it contains some excellent resources for feline asthma, including some great videos:

http://www.moderncat.net/2010/05/24/diagnosis-feline-asthma/