Cat Coughing?

[tom272]

Hey guys, my 6 month old Kitten, Jack, has this cough every now and then for about 15-20 seconds at a time, at least a couple times a week like he's trying to cough up a hairball but nothing comes out. More often than not it happens when he's excited like when I just get home. Hes been doing it for at least a couple months, what do you guys think it is? Should I schedule a vet appointment? Thanks in advance for any input!

https://thecatsite.com/media/jack-coughing2.422343/

 

[She's a witch]

Yes, I'd schedule a vet appointment to check against asthma/other lower airways diseases; I would ask for x-rays to confirm/rule this out. If he doesn't have any other symptoms and if he never actually produces any material, it's a likely cause of cough.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Coughing can also be an indicator of heart issues, so be sure to ask about that. There is a simple blood test they can do to check for that. Better to be safe than sorry.

 

[stephanietx]

I have 2 cats who do this. They have both been diagnosed with asthma. It seems to flare up when the seasons change. For them, it's worse in the fall than in the spring. Definitely get to the vet for a chest x-ray.

 

[basschick]

hopefully it's something easy to deal with. our late cat, jeep, had the periodic 20 second coughing sessions, so we took him to the net. it turned out to be a symptom of a rare kind of congestive heart failure - his chest was filling with fluids. there are treatments, though, so knowing what's wrong can be important and can save your cat.

 

[tom272]

Thanks everybody, I have a vet appointment on Thursday, I'll let you guys know!