Cat Has Asthma - Driving Myself Crazy!

[mayabear]

I took her to the vet, concerned about her not wanting to play and sitting in her cat tree with her head extended like she's trying to get extra air in the same position she does when she has the coughing fits, but she wasn't coughing. She also squints her eyes when she's in this position.

After blood work and x-rays they said she was fine. Before we got back the Senior Profile results, the vet said there might be a chance she doesn't even have asthma! She said that asthma was an exclusionary diagnosis, so when there's no other problems they say it's asthma. But then when we got the results back from the Senior Profile and they were also fine, she said that then it's probably Maya's asthma getting "a lot" worse and we will need to increase her meds a lot too. Now she's up to 1-1 1/2 5mg predinisolone tablets per day, in addition to 2.5 terbutaline 2x per day. I HATE that she's on this much medicine.

Maya's had a pretty mild case, no open mouth breathing or wheezing, just the coughs and not every day ::knock on wood::. How does it go from "she might not even have asthma" to "it's getting a lot worse" ?

Also, her meow is kind of "squeaky" sometimes, similar to how a human voice sounds when we are losing our voice. I don' think that's a symptom of asthma...

I guess for now I'll have to wait and see if the extra meds make an improvement, but I'm skeptical. And sad. I miss my Mayabear.

 

[Furballsmom]

Do you have a way to have her live in a different location for a week or so to see if she improves?
The vet didn't help you regarding testing the theory that this is actually a side effect...
Maybe see a different vet with a video of what she acts like at home on the tree.
Is your nose still burning and those cabinets still smelling odd?

 

[mayabear]

Do you have a way to have her live in a different location for a week or so to see if she improves?
The vet didn't help you regarding testing the theory that this is actually a side effect...
Maybe see a different vet with a video of what she acts like at home on the tree.
Is your nose still burning and those cabinets still smelling odd?

I sent a video to a different vet (the vet that she first saw after we moved, the one who makes house calls) before going to the most recent vet and he said it did look like she had discomfort in her chest. But wouldn't the x-rays show if something was wrong?

There's nowhere else for her to go. I'm really alone here. Considering how stressed she gets when going places, idk if she'd do well anyway. I did have a burning nose, but it started at work so I don't think it was related. i also thought it was from the dryer, but it's on today and yesterday and I'm fine and her breathing looks ok. I don't really smell the cabinets anymore unless they are open. Yesterday, Maya actually crawled in one and didn't have any obvious symptoms after. She tried to open the cabinet and since it was a little ajar, I moved some stuff around so it closed al the way, and she jumped in when she saw an opening. I'm tempted to think "at least she's a little herself" because I believe jumping on the counter/trying to open the cabinets is food-driven (though I have treats & dry food in a supposedly airtight container.) She's hungrier than normal, which is a side effect of the pred.

 

[Furballsmom]

But wouldn't the x-rays show if something was wrong?

I don't know, but it seems like they would...
Glad to hear about the cabinets not being an issue.

though I have treats & dry food in a supposedly airtight container.)

Yeah, they can smell anything it seems LOL

 

[Furballsmom]

By the way, do you have a way to set up a humidifier tent? Plant growers use these, if you could pick up a smaller one it might help her, or a steamy shower - see if the heated steam helps her airway, I think read that it's supposed to be 15 minutes a couple times a day, something like that...

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

My kitty has asthma and I am going crazy because nothing I do seems to help her. ...
I feel like I’m doing everything I can. I:

• Give her .25 terbutaline 2x day, and 1/2 tab Prednisolone tab when it seems like it's flaring up more. I don’t want to give her the Pred but I feel like I don’t have a choice sometimes. ...

Her vet before I moved, who's familiar with the situation (I bet they are glad I moved so I stop calling them all the time!), suggested an inhaler, which I have but never used. Maya is not going to let me do that. And there has to be a better way than giving her terbutaline, pred, AND an inhaler.

...

Asthma is a chronic disease. My understanding is that just giving a bronchodilator daily (whether or not the cat is having an attack of difficult breathing) is not going to stop any progression of the disease. A bronchodilator only masks the problem -- it does nothing to help out with the chronic inflammation of asthma.
Feline Asthma & Other Respiratory Disorders

Most asthma in cats, mild inflammation or otherwise, is often aided with corticosteroids, either Prednisolone (or another oral steroid), or things like Flovent, an inhaled steroid used with an Aerokat device for the cat. You should really consider trying the Flovent/Aerokat combo. Most cats do well using just that level of steroid, and it is safer than using an oral steroid (long-term). There are steroid shots, too, but you will have to decide what works best for your situation.
Inhaler Asthma - Difficulties! Advice Please


The steroids help with the inflammation. They must be given daily in order to help the cat's issue, not just given only at a time when an "attack" comes on. Asthma inflammation is usually chronic, with times of more severe flare-ups. Many cat owners --with their vets-- decide on short doses of oral Pred for 2-4 weeks then a slow taper back off of it. They do this a few times a year. Each cat is individual in what works best for them. Sometimes it takes a while to find the right "program" to help them.

My cat has allergies/asthma, and working with the vet, we've found so far that her disease is generally controlled best with both Flovent in the mornings (with the aerokat face mask) and just a bit of oral steroids as well, usually daily or every other day for the latter. When spring and summer arrive, there are certain strong pollens in the air outside that can trigger her asthma even more. In the winter, she can have a few weeks when very cold weather & drier air inside can also trigger her attacks. During those times, minor adjustments need to be made with the steroid we use. It is very important to control her coughing, as the asthma attacks themselves trigger even more inflammation.

We've never had to use a bronchodilator, as my cat's asthma hasn't advanced to such a point.

There could be a possibility that the bronchodilator you are using every day isn't having a good effect on your cat? Please talk with the vet, to see if this can be determined in some way. You and your vet will need to decide how best to help your kitty as both of you, together, will know your cat's symptoms and health the best. But maybe just concentrating on getting the coughing and inflammation under control can be approached with a slightly different combo of meds?

I just know that I don't use a bronchodilator with my cat and instead, I use steroids to help with her lung inflammation. We do all the other things to decrease triggers in our house, just like it seems you are doing (we use the same litter as you and I even sift it further to decrease dust!). But sometimes things are just not under our control -- like an extensive amount of pollen blowing in your windows form outside, or even if a lot of construction is going on in your neighborhood! In my neighborhood, there are construction sites everywhere, as older homes and buildings are torn down to be replaced with, sadly, those "pod" efficiency apartments... as a result, dust, plaster, and God knows what, are ever present. We are constantly vacuuming, sweeping, cleaning dust.


Some day, maybe all this construction will end. I bet my cat will breathe easier at that point! I like our apartment building too much to move at this time, though.

 

[mayabear]

Maya tested positive for heartworm antibodies. This could be contributing. I never thought I’d say this but I wish it was just her asthma getting worse

 

[Furballsmom]

.

 

[cmayau]

What's her diet like? For asthmatic cats I would recommend avoiding dry food and grains altogether as this tends to cause inflammation.

Adding a teaspoon of virgin coconut oil to their food once a day might also help.

 

[mayabear]

I feed her wellness selects wet food. No grains. I will look into the coconut oil! Thank you!

 

[Scat Man]

My kitty has asthma and I am going crazy because nothing I do seems to help her. Sometimes she seems so uncomfortable and not herself. She didn’t even want to play with her favorite toy!

I feel like I’m doing everything I can. I:

• Give her .25 terbutaline 2x day, and 1/2 tab Prednisolone tab when it seems like it's flaring up more. I don’t want to give her the Pred but I feel like I don’t have a choice sometimes.

• Have 2 air purifiers which run constantly, except when I'm not home and at night. One of which has a light on it that indicates air quality. If it turns red and I don't know why, I freak out. I also freak out if she has symptoms when the air is good.

• Have an air quality monitor which I check often.

• Have a humidifier. I thought maybe the a/c is causing dry air, which is a trigger.

• Switched to Dr. Elsey's respiratory relief litter.

• Don't use harsh cleaning supplies.

• Keep the windows closed if the pollen is high (advised by the vet).

• Put Jackson Galaxy "Breathe Easy" in her food every day and Jackson Galaxy "Stress Stopper" in her water every day.

• Have Feliway plugs (I have 3, maybe not enough? Maybe not the right placement? I'm limited to where I can put them).

• Try to vacuum and dust as much as possible, yet there always seems to be dust!

• Haven't even been cooking, running the dishwasher, or doing laundry because I'm afraid it will trigger an attack (when I say "attack" I mean coughing like she has a hairball). I switched to unscented The Ecology Works Anti Allergen Solution Laundry Detergent and Ecover Automatic Dishwasher Soap Tablets, but have not used them yet since I just switched, and am actually still afraid.

• Been coming home earlier from work (more like 7pm instead of 8pm). Maybe me getting home late is stressing her out?

• Not listening to music because I am afraid the sound will stress her out.

• Maybe it's stress because we moved recently (hence the stress stopper and Feliways). We moved about a month ago and the apartment is still not "home." I had to get new furniture but I'm afraid to start moving stuff around, not just because of potential dust, but also because I hate to keep making noise and changing her environment. I know that I have to just get it done, but she started having an attack one day when I was unpacking. I read that you should keep your cat as calm and stress-free as possible, so of course I feel terrible.

• I thought moving would help. My last apartment was like a cave. Small, dark, and had no air flow. We smelled everything that people cooked. The neighbor's Taco Tuesday used to bother her (actually, me too), even with the air purifier on. My apartment now is much bigger, and I rarely smell anything.

• I'm constantly struggling with: leave the air conditioner on or off (what if there's dust in the vents that I can't see?), open the windows or keep them closed (I personally need air flow and the air quality monitor suggests opening the window to air the place out, but if there's pollen, that might worsen the situation), should I clean now or wait until she naps? What if she doesn't nap soon?! She tends to follow me around. Is it better to clean and risk her having an attack?

• I'm obsessed with the idea that there might be mold somewhere-because of google. There must be black mold in the washer/dryer, washer/dryer closet, and walls! I'm constantly sniffing for weird smells.

• The cabinets do have a smell kind of like spices from the prior tenant. It's been a challenge getting it out. I tried washing with baking soda and vinegar, leaving baking soda in there, leaving vinegar in there, leaving both in there, adding an activated charcoal pouch. It lingers...I haven't even been able to put anything in one cabinet because the smell is still so strong, kind of like vegetables. But, if it is the cabinets, what do I do???

• I write incredibly long threads on cat forums.

Her vet before I moved, who's familiar with the situation (I bet they are glad I moved so I stop calling them all the time!), suggested an inhaler, which I have but never used. Maya is not going to let me do that. And there has to be a better way than giving her terbutaline, pred, AND an inhaler.

Maybe it's important to note that taking her to the vet is really a last resort. The closest 24/7 one is 25 min away. Even when I give her something beforehand she gets extremely upset. I found a vet that will make house calls, but I only used once when she recently had an ear infection and then URI. He examined her and everything was fine.

I'm supposed to go away later this month for 3 nights and am seriously considering canceling and eating the $2k because I haven't found a vet I trust with this situation. If she's going to be home by herself for most of the day, how will the sitter know if she's struggling? Especially if she's not familiar with feline asthma. Also, if the place isn't "home" yet, I don't want to leave her alone when she's still stressing about it. How am I supposed to relax?

As I said, I'm driving myself crazy. Literally. I'm constantly checking on her which I'm sure isn't making her feel better. If I hear a noise in the other room my heart stops because I assume its her coughing. I try to go in another room when I cry like she won't know, because I feel like that's stressing her out too. I know she knows, though.

Am I worrying too much? Am I too obsessed?

We have one with the same problem..He goes to the vet about every six months for a shot and they work...We don't do anything special for him and he gets along fine...

 

[1 bruce 1]

Maya tested positive for heartworm antibodies. This could be contributing. I never thought I’d say this but I wish it was just her asthma getting worse

Oh my goodness. I am so sorry to hear that =(
Are the vets able to help this? I know heartworm can be a nasty thing to clear but it can be done. It's just a long process but hopefully there's something that can be done to get rid of them!!
Maybe she will, and you'll find out she doesn't have asthma after all...?

(Since you understand that over-protective thing I'm eyeing our asthmatic and wondering if a HW test would be a good plan...he's never been outside??)

 

[kitty chew]

Hello there, I know how stressful this is. My cat has just got started on her inhaler. It is almost impossible to get her to use it. She also just has a cough like your kitty at the moment. The inhaler is the best way to go. It goes right to the lungs, and has less side effects than other meds. The problem is, getting the cat to use it. Pepe has been hiding from me almost all day after her ordeal. It takes two of us to use it. Very difficult.

 

[mayabear]

Oh my goodness. I am so sorry to hear that =(
Are the vets able to help this? I know heartworm can be a nasty thing to clear but it can be done. It's just a long process but hopefully there's something that can be done to get rid of them!!
Maybe she will, and you'll find out she doesn't have asthma after all...?

(Since you understand that over-protective thing I'm eyeing our asthmatic and wondering if a HW test would be a good plan...he's never been outside??)

My cat never goes outside except for when I take her to the vet and she’s in a carrier.

 

[1 bruce 1]

My cat never goes outside except for when I take her to the vet and she’s in a carrier.

We open windows and sometimes see bugs fly in. Rarely but it happens.
Are you in a high HW area of the country? Even with screens I know some bugs are sneaky little buggars and can make their way in.

 

[mayabear]

We open windows and sometimes see bugs fly in. Rarely but it happens.
Are you in a high HW area of the country? Even with screens I know some bugs are sneaky little buggars and can make their way in.

Nope. Maya is an indoor-only cat living in NYC on the 13th floor of an apartment building. Before we moved we were on 4th and 5th floors (still in nyc). I think it was a mosquito that came in the apartment in a moving bin I rented. I saw a really nasty one dead in the bin, but maybe it died after biting Mayabear
I don’t know why this happened though...it’s so rare.

It’s come to the point where I’m afraid to be around her bc every time she meows and I think it’s bc she’s in pain or needs something and I can’t help her bc I don’t know what she needs. (sometimes when I pet her on the right back side she meows like it hurts, but not all the time...so that’s another issue). Anytime she goes in the cat tree I watch her and worry that at any minute she’ll start coughing. When I don’t know where she is I go look for her and pray she’s not in the cat tree or under the bed. I’m afraid to try to play with her bc I don’t want to get her respiratory rate up. I don’t know how to hang with her anymore. I don’t know what to do. I’m so upset.

 

[Furballsmom]

Can you talk with your vet about your concerns?

 

[mayabear]

Can you talk with your vet about your concerns?

Yes, I have been. They are pretty much like, “it is what it is.” I’m going to talk to another vet about everything, but haven’t been able to connect yet.

 

[Furballsmom]

My very best wishes that you find one you can talk and communicate with

 

[mayabear]

My very best wishes that you find one you can talk and communicate with

Thank you