HELP! Cat gasping / coughing / gagging?

[lisahe]

Oh no, I'm so sorry to hear about the coughing attack, that was a long one. And then more coughing... whatever it is, it sounds more serious. I'm glad you were able to get an appointment for tomorrow morning and hope it goes well. It does sound like more tests and another x-ray may well be in order. I hope the new vet is able to get this figured out soon!

 

[amandag1]

Have they looked into cardiac problems? My cat has an asthma like cough from time to time but his cardiologist said its due to an enlarged heart from hcm pressing on his esophagus at times

 

[Furballsmom]

Thinking about you-all this morning

 

[frazzfox]

Ok folks, here's a post-vet update. The vet gave Kila a thorough check-over at the office and, again, she seemed fine to the naked eye (if a little agitated to be back at the vet again). Temperature was normal. We took a new round of x-rays. When he came back into the room he told us there's a possibility this could be feline asthma, and the sneezing and eye weeping could be allergy related, though those symptoms do seem to be clearing up while the coughing is persisting. He gave us a couple of options and recommended that we send the x-rays off to a radiologist for a more detailed review, so we should receive those results this afternoon or tomorrow morning.

Last night she was acting very off -- just listless and staring into space, didn't want to do much, and then at times suddenly seemed afraid of her own shadow. She still ate, went to the bathroom like normal. But she seemed distant and her breathing was pretty fast/heavy. It's been easy to see her sides moving up and down with each breath recently, which either is a new development or I didn't notice it before. I asked the vet about it and he told me just to monitor her, and that if she starts open-mouth breathing it'll be an emergency.

If the radiologist suspects feline asthma, the plan is to try her on a dose of (oral) prednisone for a few days to see if there's an improvement. If there is, we'll treat the asthma from there (I'd want to get her an inhaler rather than continue to pill her). If the radiologist sees something else or can't diagnose her, we'll be taking her to see an internist about 40 mins away to run some more tests.

Have they looked into cardiac problems? My cat has an asthma like cough from time to time but his cardiologist said its due to an enlarged heart from hcm pressing on his esophagus at times

The vet mentioned it might be heart related, and though I'm hoping it's not, it's on our list of things to rule out!

 

[Furballsmom]

 

[amandag1]

Hmmm... I would maybe consider also asking for cardiology? Rapid breathing and stuff is also HCM symptom.

 

[frazzfox]

One final update!

The radiology report came back last evening and we finally got our diagnosis: Kila has bronchitis / asthma. Even though I'm sad that poor girl has to deal with this, I'm happy to have a diagnosis so we can move forward with a treatment plan.

The vet told us that an inhaler would be the best course of action and I agree, but to start off we'll be giving her a half-tablet of prednisone daily, then tapering back to every other day to see how she does. In the meantime we're working hard to identify and remove other potential irritants in the house. These past two days she hasn't been coughing too much or breathing very heavily, so I'm hoping our aggressive cleaning is helping!

I know there's plenty of resources for asthmatic kitties already in existing threads on this site. If anyone else has an asthmatic kitty and would be willing to answer some specific questions about what you've done to create a healthy environment for them, please let me know!

Thanks to everyone who has offered advice and support, or just listened to me ramble here while we figured this all out! It's been an enormous help.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
Cleaning the house to keep the dust down, as you are and maybe an air cleaner or two. Depending on where you live regarding pollution outside, opening windows might be helpful or not so watch to see how she does.

In her case I don't know if utilizing a bathroom with a humid/steamy environment is good or not-you could check with your vet about that.

Having the diagnosis and a plan is so much easier!

 

[She's a witch]

The vet told us that an inhaler would be the best course of action and I agree, but to start off we'll be giving her a half-tablet of prednisone daily, then tapering back to every other day to see how she does. In the meantime we're working hard to identify and remove other potential irritants in the house. These past two days she hasn't been coughing too much or breathing very heavily, so I'm hoping our aggressive cleaning is helping!

I know there's plenty of resources for asthmatic kitties already in existing threads on this site. If anyone else has an asthmatic kitty and would be willing to answer some specific questions about what you've done to create a healthy environment for them, please let me know!

That's the treatment my kitty had at the beginning. It really helped and along with twice daily inhaler, it stopped her symptoms completely (apart from one episode caused by miscommunication). I'd make sure to overlap starting the inhaler while still tapering the prednisolone.
Unless you have a pet insurance, I'm guessing you'd want to buy inhalers from overseas pharmacies, they cost fortune in the US. Order it as soon as you can as they take around 2 weeks to arrive.
re healthy environment, luckily I've always been an aspiring minimalist, and when my girl was diagnosed, that was additional motivation to get rid of the things that do nothing but gather dust. So yeah, dusting is a must. Robotic vacuum was super useful in my case, until we moved and it no longer works on our dark floors..(the one we've been using is on sale on Amazon and I can recommend it, unless well you have dark floors...) so we're vacuuming the floors daily. If you have area rugs or carpet, or heavy window curtains, well, they require extra attention and cleaning, so it may make sense to get rid of them if you can... Smoke is a no-go, no tea lights, no incense sticks. Aerosols are no-go. Strong scented cosmetics are no-go. I started cleaning with natural methods as much as possible (spray bottle with smelly vinegar+water is my best tool). In our case, humidifier seemed to help, but in some cases, dump air is the trigger so dehumidifier could be a better choice..
If you have any specific questions, let us know.

 

[She's a witch]

to start off we'll be giving her a half-tablet of prednisone daily

I've just noticed prednisone, I'd make sure the vet prescribes PREDNISOLONE instead as this works the best with cats.

 

[frazzfox]

Hi!
Cleaning the house to keep the dust down, as you are and maybe an air cleaner or two. Depending on where you live regarding pollution outside, opening windows might be helpful or not so watch to see how she does.

We live downtown in a city so I'm thinking that keeping the windows closed is probably a better bet. We have an air filter running, it's not a HEPA filter but it's the best we can do for right now.

Unless you have a pet insurance, I'm guessing you'd want to buy inhalers from overseas pharmacies, they cost fortune in the US. Order it as soon as you can as they take around 2 weeks to arrive.

I was just looking at Universal Drugstore as an option, it seems like their inhalers are much less expensive!

Unfortunately we live in a fully carpeted apartment so not much can be done about that besides frequent vacuuming. I'm hoping once we move in a few years we can live somewhere with hardwood floors.

 

[She's a witch]

We live downtown in a city so I'm thinking that keeping the windows closed is probably a better bet. We have an air filter running, it's not a HEPA filter but it's the best we can do for right now. We'l



I was just looking at Universal Drugstore as an option, it seems like their inhalers are much less expensive!

Unfortunately we live in a fully carpeted apartment so not much can be done about that besides frequent vacuuming. I'm hoping once we move in a few years we can live somewhere with hardwood floors.

Yes, that's reasonable price. I know lisahe was researching Canadian pharmacies not that long ago and I'm sure she can tell you all about it.
Oh, and buying AueroKat chamber on Amazon is usually much cheaper than at the vet office, I paid $60 as opposed to $90 at the vet's.

 

[lisahe]

Yes, that's reasonable price. I know lisahe was researching Canadian pharmacies not that long ago and I'm sure she can tell you all about it.
Oh, and buying AueroKat chamber on Amazon is usually much cheaper than at the vet office, I paid $60 as opposed to $90 at the vet's.

I was just looking at Universal Drugstore as an option, it seems like their inhalers are much less expensive!

Unfortunately we live in a fully carpeted apartment so not much can be done about that besides frequent vacuuming. I'm hoping once we move in a few years we can live somewhere with hardwood floors.

I get obsessive when I research these things so visited every pharmacy site that's CIPA certified. There are, uhm, dozens. I also wanted a pharmacy site that was listed on Pharmacy Checker. I like the rules (safety-oriented) that went along with those organizations' listings. I ended up with one that had very quick service and very helpful customer service reps. They (and at least one other site also part of Coastal Health Group) did have some sort of data breach recently. I thought they handled it well (far quicker and better than other, larger companies I've used that had data breaches!) and I may well continue to use them. (What I do when the prescription runs out may depend more on offerings -- see below! -- than anything else.)

Part of why I got obsessive about this research project is that I was fascinated by how there are a few companies (like Coastal and Candrug) that have so many pharmacy sites. And those sites often have very differing looks (I think they aim to appeal to as many customers as possible) and even prices. It really pays to shop around. And to call to ask about policies and procedures for ordering, which seem to vary. Do you already know, frazzfox , what dosage your vet is prescribing?

Oh, all that cleaning! This has been the biggest and hardest adjustment for me.

 

[frazzfox]

I've just noticed prednisone, I'd make sure the vet prescribes PREDNISOLONE instead as this works the best with cats.

I wanted to get home and check my cat's pills before I responded to this but yes, the prescription is 1/2 tablet of 5mg prednisolone! Daily for five days and then every other day for several weeks after that, but the doctor said I'd be able to transition to the inhaler at any point during that time. I'll just have to call him and grab the prescription.

It really pays to shop around. And to call to ask about policies and procedures for ordering, which seem to vary. Do you already know, frazzfox , what dosage your vet is prescribing?

I don't yet -- I haven't gotten the prescription from him, but I should be able to call and get one ASAP!

 

[frazzfox]

Well... she's been on prednisolone since Friday morning now and has had two more coughing attacks (shortly after her first dose on Friday and just now). While her breathing seems to have relaxed, as far as the coughing goes it seems like she's getting worse rather than better. I'll have to call the doctor on Monday morning. I thought we'd figured this out...

 

[Furballsmom]

hang in there!

 

[lisahe]

Well... she's been on prednisolone since Friday morning now and has had two more coughing attacks (shortly after her first dose on Friday and just now). While her breathing seems to have relaxed, as far as the coughing goes it seems like she's getting worse rather than better. I'll have to call the doctor on Monday morning. I thought we'd figured this out...

Oh, no, I am so sorry to hear this. Are the coughing attacks longer than before? (Our vet's biggest concern is if they are "prolonged," though of course that can be a bit subjective.)

 

[frazzfox]

They're about 30-50 seconds each. Not necessarily longer episodes but they're starting to happen more frequently. Afterwards she tends to breathe a bit heavy and be sleepy, especially if they occur at night. She also tends to groan and grumble in her sleep (almost sounds like a balloon whining as it releases air) a lot after having an episode, and she'll sigh really deeply for a few seconds at a time as well. Like fill her whole lungs up with air and then release them with a huffing sound.

One thing I've also noticed, that I thought was a bit odd, is that she still has weepiness in her eyes and discharge coming out of her nose / sneezing (even though we did a full course of neo / poly / dex for her conjunctivitis). The vet said it's unlikely that she would have both upper and lower respiratory issues at once (he mentioned pneumonia, but her x-rays don't show fluid in the lungs) but I'm not convinced. Maybe she's still working on a URI along with the asthma? Or maybe it's allergy related and the asthma is only part of the full picture?

I actually messaged her foster mother last night to ask if this has ever happened before. She fostered Kila for about a year between when she was born and when she was adopted out the first time, and then again for a short time when her first adopter gave her up late last year. She said Kila experienced something similar to this once before, when she moved homes the first time, and that it was cleared up with Clavamox and Lysine. Possibly a herpes flare-up? She also thought it might be food related (apparently Kila's been eating pretty low-grade food her whole life) though I'm not sure about that. She really likes the grain free turkey food we give her and her appetite and litterbox habits have been great.

I feel like I have so many little puzzle pieces but I have no idea how to put them all together. I trust the vet's / radiologist's diagnosis of bronchitis but the sneezing and sniffling seem like another problem. Going to be calling again tomorrow morning to see if the vet agrees we should do a round of antibiotics to be sure.

 

[Furballsmom]

poor sweetie!

 

[She's a witch]

I’m not sure but I’d think steroids should work already, but maybe the dose is too small? I’d ask vet about this. Also, it might be bacterial bronchitis, they are usually caused by mycoplasma, bortedella, or even chlamydia. I know she took some antibiotics but I’d really test for these through PCR respiratory panel, if anything, just to rule this out.
Good luck!!!