How to control wheezing attacks ?

[kass2y5]

Does humidifier help with wheezing attacks? My baby is on medication (Prednisolone) This is like his fourth refill, so he only takes it after a wheezing attack every 24 hours ( before it was twice a day for two weeks)
He was doing a little much better on the summer but once the weather changed, his wheezing got a little more frequent.
I got three air purifiers and change his litter to Toffu litter. But sometimes he would be napping on my arm and then woke up to a wheezing attack ( they also occurred mostly at late night or very early in the morning)
I trying to get our place more dust free ( I even got a vacuum) it is a little difficult but I am trying to get rid off of stuffs ( I am little of hoarder when it comes to clothes and books)
I guess it is less than a question and more like seeking advices for those random wheezing attacks ( and how other people deal it)
His doctor mentioned inhaler but also how expensive they are. And when I call to get the name of the medication the assistance to me the doctor isn't too familiar with the cat inhaler ( he is also three weeks away) She did told me his doctor is looking more of his case.
He also did a blood work and nothing bad ( no diabetes or pancreas cancer )

He likes to sleep on top of the wireless keyboard

 

[IndyJones]

Could your laundry detergent or fabric softener be a trigger? It is for some people with asthma/alergies

 

[kass2y5]

Could your laundry detergent or fabric softener be a trigger? It is for some people with asthma/alergies

I was thinking something similar.
It could be the laundry detergente/fabric softener my family use ( my mom did me the favor multiple times do my laundry when I was too tired from work , amazon takes a lot of my energy)
I recently did my laundry but this time I used a different type of detergente ( this one was a vinegar type ) He did had a little wheeze attack much later after me coming from outside. But also, my younger siblings visit me a lot and if it is the ld/fs could their visit trigger his attacks?

 

[IndyJones]

It certainly could. I know Tide makes a fragrance free detergent pod but they are quite pricy.

 

[IndyJones]

Alpaca dryer balls could be used as an alternitive to dryer sheets /fabric softener

 

[CyberTiger]

As a human with asthma, I can say it can be triggered by absolutely anything that can be breathed in. Cold dry air (like in winter) is one of my personal triggers. So that one is not even something in the air, but how the air is. For me, humidifiers did help in winter because of that. Though I would recommend looking into how to really care for and clean them regularly to avoid it becoming something that pumps bacteria into the air.

There is even one exercise I can't do. It's similar to a push-up kind of, but the way you're supposed to move puts pressure on my throat and upper chest in a way that makes my lungs freak out and I start to wheeze.

Keep looking for patterns. Certain places, certain items, after certain things happen, etc. Keep a simple journal/notebook if that makes it easier. Then you can compare notes across different days.

Dust is definitely a common trigger. And with that, I would do any sort of dusting or vacuuming with your cat far away in another room. Because you're going to kick some of the dust up in the air in the process, whether you see it or not.

As a human, I love my inhaler. It helps me prevent a full blown asthma attack if I take it as soon as I catch I'm wheezing. And it rescues me if an asthma attack happens. I take it and it pulls me out from my drowning.

I've seen other cat owners here talk about preferring the inhaler over steroids, but I should let them chime in. I just thought hearing from someone who has asthma might be helpful.

 

[Dunagh]

I once had a cat with asthma many years ago, late 90s early 2000s, so my recollections are not that great. But one thing I do remember is that we had a prescription pill and an inhaler spacer to use with the inhaler. Something like this:

Free-Space Cat/Dog Inhaler Spacer,Feline/Cannie Aerosol Chamber Inhaler for Cats/Dogs,Come with 2 Size Mask and Instruction (Two Mask) Amazon.com

My cat did not appreciate either too much but when used consistently, they did seemed to help.

On a personal note, around a year or two ago, I had my first asthma attack after getting two new kitties and an upper respiratory infection. Freaked me out because COVID was going strong and I thought I caught it and was having breathing complications. It took two weeks, two emergency room visits, two urgent care visits, Prednisone injections and prescriptions later, I was eventually given Flovent which finally allowed me to breathe comfortably. I got allergy tested (the topical skin test, not a blood test) with negative results so no cat allergies. I also did like you and invested in air purifiers. I currently have 6 in my house. I haven't had any major episodes since and I don't have to re-home my floofs.

 

[Mighty Orange]

Cat allergy. My peanut butter also has this. I think I finally found the issue. Chicken. I removed all dry food that has any chicken and been feeding her Tractor supply untamed glacial stream no chicken of any sort for 2 weeks. She no longer has attacks. This took a few years of trial and error. I filtered the air by the litter box, got unscented litter, been rotating through different foods, found chicken to be her weakness. Start with the easy and work into the food. I'm going to try her on duck and other dry foods.

 

[kashmir64]

I've been feeding Taste of the Wild cat food and the one cat that wheezes has almost quit completely. They have all different flavors and none of them are chicken (that I know of). A little expensive, but worth it and they seem to love it. I've tried some of the different flavors, venison is their favorite. However, it's almost to a 'Temptations' level of love, so they don't get that one. Don't need a 300lb cat. They get the duck/quail.

 

[stephanietx]

Has your guy been diagnosed with asthma? If so, you can do a nebulizer treatment to help. I have an asthmatic kitty and her big trigger is airborne allergens and seasonal changes. We give her prednisolone every few days because she's not having daily attacks. When she does, we give it to her for 3 days, then wait a day and give her 1 every other day for a couple of days. We also use a nebulizer to help her in between prednisolone.

Feline Asthma with Fritz the Brave - your comprehensive resource since 2001

 

[silent meowlook]

You need to talk to your vet about getting the aero cat inhaler and the cat version of albuterol. This is good for an attack. Also see about getting a rescue injection of terbutaline in case of a bad attack.

 

[Mighty Orange]

I've been feeding Taste of the Wild cat food and the one cat that wheezes has almost quit completely. They have all different flavors and none of them are chicken (that I know of). A little expensive, but worth it and they seem to love it. I've tried some of the different flavors, venison is their favorite. However, it's almost to a 'Temptations' level of love, so they don't get that one. Don't need a 300lb cat. They get the duck/quail.

Thanks for the suggestion, but it has chicken meal in it.

 

[kashmir64]

Thanks for the suggestion, but it has chicken meal in it.

Didn't realize they all did. Sorry

 

[Mighty Orange]

Didn't realize they all did. Sorry

Just, I have been looking hard to find any non-chicken food. Thanks for the thought.

 

[Cat.mama]

My cat wheezes at night sometimes. She just had a vet visit. Doctor suggested half a Zyrtec at night to see if it helps. If no resolve the next steps will be X-ray

 

[silent meowlook]

The only canned food I have found without chicken in it is the Royal Canin Rx diets, Rabbit, Duck, Venison. And I think the over-the-counter pet store variety RAWZ makes a rabbit only one with no chicken, but I don't remember for sure. Also, the RAWZ turned out to actually be more expensive than the Royal Canin,

 

[Mighty Orange]

I got 3 dry foods that do not contain chicken. All from Tractor Supply all taste of the wild. She rarely eats wet if she does it's Reveal as a treat.