Cat coughs. What should I do?

AnnieLu

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Hi,
My cat coughs from four days ago so I went took her to vet the day before yesterday. Since she does well on every other thing, eating well, drinking well, energetic, only coughing, the vet only provides her a gel that helps with immune system (Vetoquinol Viralys Gel L-Lysine Supplements). However, after two days, I don't think she does better as she coughs even more but yes.. she still eats a lot and is pretty energetic. I also gave her antibiotics for URI, I feel like it doesn't work.

Do you have any recommendation for medicine that cures cat cough? I feel like it's unnecessary for visiting the vet again until the situation becomes worse.
 
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javi3

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Hi. Did your vet check for heart issues/listen for a heart murmur with their stethoscope? It may be hair balls or asthma, but sometimes it can be a sign of heart issues (although eating/normal energy is a good sign it might not be).

Has she been around any unusual fumes/chemicals in the house such as bleach chemicals, or oven/heater fumes? Did you start running a new oven be or heater recently?

Is your kitty indoors or outdoors?

Sometimes my cat has coughed for a couple of times in a day or so, but it went away.

How often does she cough in each day?
 

Caspers Human

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There are several things that can cause coughing or hacking in cats.

When I was a kid, my father bred hunting dogs. There was a common malady called "Kennel Cough" that is caused by a bacterial infection that produces a type of bronchitis.

As it turns out, cats can get Kennel Cough, too. It's caused by the same bacteria and has similar symptoms.

Technically speaking, the problem is called "Bordetellosis."
Read more about it here: Feline Bordetellosis

Treatment for Bordetellosis ranges from care at home where it can resolve on its own to getting medication from the vet. In severe cases, it can require hospitilzation. (But hospitalization is usually not needed.)

Prevention requires keeping animals separate from one another and keeping the house clean to stop the spread of bacteria from one animal to another. Bordetella CAN be passed between cats and dogs.

From what you tell us, it sounds like this is what your vet thinks is happening. Your cat is already getting antibiotics and supplements to improve the immune system.

In this case, if you don't think your cat is getting better in a few days or a week, go back to the vet and have her looked at again.

Another thing that can cause cats to cough is respiratory spasms... essentially asthma.
Yes, cats can get asthma, just like humans. It's almost the same thing... just in cats.
The symptoms are very similar to human asthma, only scaled down for cats.
The treatments and medicines are almost exactly the same as for people, only the medicine is specially formulated for cats instead of people.

Yup! An asthma inhaler for cats!
There are a few different ways that you can give an inhaler to a cat.
You can spray it in the air in front of your cat's nose and let it breathe in the medicine but that can be messy and it is an inefficient waste of medicine.
You can squirt some of the medicine into a plastic bag and let your cat breathe out of the bag but many cats don't like having their face in a plastic baggie.
You can also get a special mask-thingie that has a chamber where you squirt some medicine then put the mask on the cat's face for her to breathe in the medicine. It's probably the best way but you have to train your cat to use it and many cats don't like having a mask put over their face. You can use treats and behavioral training to teach your cat to use the mask. Some cats are smart enough to understand that the mask has medicine inside that makes them feel better and will easily accept help from a human to get the medicine.

I wouldn't say that asthma is "rare" in cats but it's not the first thing I would think of when a cat coughs.

Finally, it could be respiratory spasms caused by dust and allergies. Again, it's just like people.

Some people are allergic to dust and pollen and it makes them cough and sneeze. The same goes for cats.
If your cat is sensitive to dust, she will cough, hack and sneeze but it should only last for a minute or less.

Casper gets this. It doesn't happen very often. Maybe once or twice per month.
When it happens, we just look after him and make sure he's comfy. As long as it doesn't happen very often and doesn't last for more than a minute, we don't worry. We just pet him and comfort him afterward to help him feel better.

If it is respiratory spasms, do just like you would do for people.
Keep the house clean. Keep the dust away. If there are any things that you can tell are causing the problem, try to minimize them. (Don't smoke in the house. Don't use strongly scented household items. Keep the house well ventilated with lots of fresh air. Change the air filters in your central air system.)

Sometimes the dust from cat litter can cause cats to cough. Heck! It makes me sneeze! Why wouldn't it make a cat cough?

Anyhow, in all three cases, the general idea is all the same.
Be supportive and give her the care that she needs.
Keep the house clean and free of dust and allergens.
Go to the vet if you are unsure.

Maybe it is just Kennel Cough. ("Kitty Cough?" ;) )
Keep an eye on your cat. If she gets worse, go to the vet.
 

LTS3

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It annoys me when vets prescribe "band aid treatments" instead of doing a full exam and necessary tests to get to the bottom of the health issue :bat: I would take the cat to a different vet and insist on having a full exam and blood work done. An x ray of the lungs would show asthma.

Coughing can be any number of things: allergies, exposure to irritants, asthma, bronchitis, etc. A competent vet would be able to make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment. In the meantime, you can keep your home as free of allergens and irritants. Vacuum and dust, use dust-free litter, don't use heavy fragrance household cleaners, schedule an HVAC and vent cleaning, change the air filter for the heat system, etc.
 

Caspers Human

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Sometimes, Kennel Cough / Kitty Cough is accompanied by runny nose or coughing up mucus.

If that happens and the vet notices, it should be a no-brainer to sample it and perform a culture test to see if it is Bordetella.

If a cat's humans notice they should point it out to the vet because, sometimes, it goes unnoticed. Even a good vet can overlook things like that.

Things like watery eyes or itching might be signs of allergies but they, too, can often go unnoticed.

Yes, I don't like when vets (or human doctors) prescribe "Band-Aid" treatments just to placate patients, either.
How often do you see me writing about how I think it's important for vets and clients to communicate in detail about medical issues with their pets?

If you're not satisfied with your vet's communication skills, tell them you need to know more. If they don't respond, find another vet.

You also have the right to tell them why you are going to a new vet.
 
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AnnieLu

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Hi. Did your vet check for heart issues/listen for a heart murmur with their stethoscope? It may be hair balls or asthma, but sometimes it can be a sign of heart issues (although eating/normal energy is a good sign it might not be).

Has she been around any unusual fumes/chemicals in the house such as bleach chemicals, or oven/heater fumes? Did you start running a new oven be or heater recently?

Is your kitty indoors or outdoors?

Sometimes my cat has coughed for a couple of times in a day or so, but it went away.

How often does she cough in each day?
The vet only did a basic examination. She is only indoor. It seems that she coughs more often when she wakes up. And each cough won't last long
 
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AnnieLu

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There are several things that can cause coughing or hacking in cats.

When I was a kid, my father bred hunting dogs. There was a common malady called "Kennel Cough" that is caused by a bacterial infection that produces a type of bronchitis.

As it turns out, cats can get Kennel Cough, too. It's caused by the same bacteria and has similar symptoms.

Technically speaking, the problem is called "Bordetellosis."
Read more about it here: Feline Bordetellosis

Treatment for Bordetellosis ranges from care at home where it can resolve on its own to getting medication from the vet. In severe cases, it can require hospitilzation. (But hospitalization is usually not needed.)

Prevention requires keeping animals separate from one another and keeping the house clean to stop the spread of bacteria from one animal to another. Bordetella CAN be passed between cats and dogs.

From what you tell us, it sounds like this is what your vet thinks is happening. Your cat is already getting antibiotics and supplements to improve the immune system.

In this case, if you don't think your cat is getting better in a few days or a week, go back to the vet and have her looked at again.

Another thing that can cause cats to cough is respiratory spasms... essentially asthma.
Yes, cats can get asthma, just like humans. It's almost the same thing... just in cats.
The symptoms are very similar to human asthma, only scaled down for cats.
The treatments and medicines are almost exactly the same as for people, only the medicine is specially formulated for cats instead of people.

Yup! An asthma inhaler for cats!
There are a few different ways that you can give an inhaler to a cat.
You can spray it in the air in front of your cat's nose and let it breathe in the medicine but that can be messy and it is an inefficient waste of medicine.
You can squirt some of the medicine into a plastic bag and let your cat breathe out of the bag but many cats don't like having their face in a plastic baggie.
You can also get a special mask-thingie that has a chamber where you squirt some medicine then put the mask on the cat's face for her to breathe in the medicine. It's probably the best way but you have to train your cat to use it and many cats don't like having a mask put over their face. You can use treats and behavioral training to teach your cat to use the mask. Some cats are smart enough to understand that the mask has medicine inside that makes them feel better and will easily accept help from a human to get the medicine.

I wouldn't say that asthma is "rare" in cats but it's not the first thing I would think of when a cat coughs.

Finally, it could be respiratory spasms caused by dust and allergies. Again, it's just like people.

Some people are allergic to dust and pollen and it makes them cough and sneeze. The same goes for cats.
If your cat is sensitive to dust, she will cough, hack and sneeze but it should only last for a minute or less.

Casper gets this. It doesn't happen very often. Maybe once or twice per month.
When it happens, we just look after him and make sure he's comfy. As long as it doesn't happen very often and doesn't last for more than a minute, we don't worry. We just pet him and comfort him afterward to help him feel better.

If it is respiratory spasms, do just like you would do for people.
Keep the house clean. Keep the dust away. If there are any things that you can tell are causing the problem, try to minimize them. (Don't smoke in the house. Don't use strongly scented household items. Keep the house well ventilated with lots of fresh air. Change the air filters in your central air system.)

Sometimes the dust from cat litter can cause cats to cough. Heck! It makes me sneeze! Why wouldn't it make a cat cough?

Anyhow, in all three cases, the general idea is all the same.
Be supportive and give her the care that she needs.
Keep the house clean and free of dust and allergens.
Go to the vet if you are unsure.

Maybe it is just Kennel Cough. ("Kitty Cough?" ;) )
Keep an eye on your cat. If she gets worse, go to the vet.
The vet told me they cough due to a virus but the vet only did a basic examination. Is it the first case? The vet only checked her temperature and it costs me $70 which I feel isn't worth that price. Oh, her temperature is normal.

She coughs more when she wakes up in the morning. She sleeps in my room(not a big room with a big litter box) in the night and plays in the living room after she has breakfast. She doesn't cough often after she's outside. It seems that my room is too dusty..
 

javi3

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The vet only did a basic examination. She is only indoor. It seems that she coughs more often when she wakes up. And each cough won't last long
Hmmmn, that is bafflingly. I seem to remember that my cat did this in the morning, but it wasn't more than once/twice a day for a few days, and it stopped (Although on a rare occasion she'll still do it). I do think hair balls that were not coming up was the issue with her.
Try brushing her 1-2× day .
Would definitely get her back to vet if this persists/worsens.
Good luck💗
 
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