Might Be Asthma?

[Ladysnuggable]

I have a black medium hair tuxedo who I believe has asthmam. He started coughing a few months back and I brought him to the vet the same time I brought another in for a uri. The other kitten got over his symptoms with a few trailing sneezes here and there. But boots our tux still has his coughing fits. Once a day minimum. We do now have a follow up vet appointment but I'm wondering what kitty asthma symptoms are. Also what are the typical treatments, and costs? No matter what I'll get him the care he needs I just like to be mentally prepped.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

You may be right about the asthma, although I hate that. It is manageable, and treatment costs vary wildly, depending on what works for your little one.

The following is one of the better, easier to read articles that I found when researching for you:
Asthmatic Kittens

 

[duckpond]

I have a cat with very mild asthma. Before we knew what it was he would hack several times per day. What our vet had us try first, and thankfully it worked, was household care. I got rid of all clay, dusty, or fragranced litter. I use a dust free grass litter, Litter maid walnut litter, Dr. elseys respiratory relief crystal litter, and am testing out a coconut litter. They are all dust free, fragrance free. If i mess up and bring a clay litter back in i dont care how dust free it seems to be he is hacking again within 24 hours.

We also switched to fragrance free laundry soap and softer, the only cleaner i normally use anywhere is clorox kitchen cleaner in the white spray bottle, it does not have much in the way of fragrance or fumes. So no scented household products.

I did away with all candles, wall plugins, essential oils, that kind of thing. We work to keep the house as dust and fragrance free as possible. It keeps my cat healthier, and actually my husband too, who has had mild asthma his whole life. just some thoughts that might help your guy, as long as i stick to my routine and products everything is fine.

Another thing that can cause hacking is parasites, some have a life cycle that involves the lungs. He would need parasite treatment, something like advantage multi that you can get from the vet, for several months in a row.

Let us know how it goes with your guy, what the vet says. Best of luck!

 

[cat princesses]

Do you mix all of those litters together? How do they diagnose parasoites in the lungs? X-ray?
I have a long hair cat with allergies and she grooms a ton. I give her hairball remedy mixed in baby food daily and she likes a hairball multiple times a week. It’s bedoming almost daily where she makes the hairball barf noise and she crouches down low but nothing comes up. I am taking her to the allergy doctor tomorrow. Had also posted a video on this about a month ago. It almost seems like there is fur stuck in her throat or something. She’s only three so I, hoping this is all just allergies related. I use a clay dust free litter however I’m with you it’s still dusty.

 

[duckpond]

no i dont mix the litters, i have 4 cats so i always have 5 litter boxes. usually 2 are filled with silica crystals, the other 3 i use grass litter in a few and walnut litter in a few. they like the different litters, so what the hay, no different to use 3 litters than all 5 boxes with the same litter you might want to give one of these 3 a try for a few months to see if it helps. not sure where you live, but if you have a kroger grocery store, or any other store that carries Abound, i love their grass litter. the Litter maid walnut i only find at walmart, it may be the cats favorite, slightly over the grass. The Dr. elseys i can find at petsmart, petco, or order from chewy online.

I dont know, but i don't think its normal for a cat to barf hairballs, or anything else that often, what has your vet said? Maybe something else going on. She could even have something lodged in her throat, it happens.

they can do x-rays for the lungs, to check for several different things, parasites included. If a cat has not been wormed regularly, or has tested positive for parasites, my vet will treat for parasites with the appropriate medication for a few months, if the hacking stops and no new symptoms then no need for the x ray, or ultrasound. If the cat has any other symptoms, or the hacking continues then he will run the tests. I dont know about what your vet will recommend.

keep us updated!

 

[cat princesses]

I’m worried I have just watched some videos on cardio myopathy or asthma not sure what to think. Here was the video I posted earlier

 

[Ladysnuggable]

I'll try switching litters and see how he reacts to it. I have asthma too and the litter sometimes irritates me. He is so sweet and gentle i hope he doesn't have asthma hes been dewormed already so I'm not to concerned with parasite. He was a feral rescue at about 5 months old and he just loves all the other cats we have he never hissed or anything all he wanted to do was play hes such a good boy <3

 

[nese]

We also have a cat with mild asthma, diagnosed by x-ray. First we made some household changes like eliminating all the carpets, all the scented things, deodorisers, chemical cleaners, all possible things that may gather dust etc... We changed our laundry detergent to unscented hypoallergenic one, we purchased steam cleaner to clean the floors without any detergant, chemical etc... We used antihistamines for couple of months. But what made the actual difference is totally eliminating the clay litter. We have tried many different types and brands of unscented litter, including the ones that are claimed to be hypoallergenic and dust free, but they all have some amount of dust.
We now use wood pellets since 6 months, and she has never need any medicine since we completely switched to pellets. We use it with sifted litter box. I sift it two times a day in order to minimize their contact to pellet dust. It works wonders!

 

[Ladysnuggable]

just switched a few of the litters to a pellet and am gonna see how he reacts! will update

 

[Mamanyt1953]

How's he liking it?

 

[cat princesses]

We also have a cat with mild asthma, diagnosed by x-ray. First we made some household changes like eliminating all the carpets, all the scented things, deodorisers, chemical cleaners, all possible things that may gather dust etc... We changed our laundry detergent to unscented hypoallergenic one, we purchased steam cleaner to clean the floors without any detergant, chemical etc... We used antihistamines for couple of months. But what made the actual difference is totally eliminating the clay litter. We have tried many different types and brands of unscented litter, including the ones that are claimed to be hypoallergenic and dust free, but they all have some amount of dust.
We now use wood pellets since 6 months, and she has never need any medicine since we completely switched to pellets. We use it with sifted litter box. I sift it two times a day in order to minimize their contact to pellet dust. It works wonders!

Would you please share a link for the litter that you are using that you like? I'm going to arrange for the entire house to be steam cleaned, all carpets and hardwood areas. I'm currently using the precious cat 99.9% dust free by Dr. elseys but the vet said switching would be a good idea. What do you like about this current litter? Does it clump nicely? Pros/cons too of what other litters crystals etc that you have tried would really help me to make a good decision as well. Did you slowly transition and mix with your old litter or just went cold turkey switch? Thanks!

 

[cat princesses]

duckpond would you also please share with me links to the brands of litters that you like and maybe give me a pro's cons list of each one? I have 2 cats so I'm worried about making the switch. I too do not burn any candles, air freshners, plug ins etc. I am going to up my game and call in Stanley Steamer to clean all the carpets and wood floors.
Mulan saw the internal medicine specialist today and he said she has mild to moderate asthma. The video I had posted is an asthma attack and not a hairball. He is starting her out on something equivalent to a z pack for humans just to make sure it's not bacterial in nature and then repeat the x ray to see if there is any change. If the antibiotic causes any GI upset he said we will stop the antibiotic immediately and switch to a steroid. He also mentioned using an inhaler treatment for her. I told him I'm part of some online cat support groups and that others mentioned litter makes a huge difference and he agreed. I am currently using the 99.9% dust free precious cat by Dr. Elseys. I have 2 cats and 2 extra jumbo litter boxes so it's like I have 4 litter boxes basically due to the massive size of these ones ( it's the big long wide rectangular one with the scooper slots on the far right side ). No idea what is best to buy so looking to hear from those asthma mommies and daddies so see what litter you all like and if they clump, easy to clean, and how you transitioned from clay to the new? Looking forward to the replies!

 

[FakeGourmet]

I know you have a cat, but when my brother's asthma worsened, he and his wife ditched all the carpeting. Magically, his 2 dogs with asthma no longer had any symptoms of it. Carpeting holds a tremendous amount of dust and some is spewed into air every time you walk over the carpeting. In addition, if your carpets are more than 8 years old, the padding underneath starts wearing, adding to the problem.

 

[duckpond]

these are the litters that helped my cat. I keep 5 or so boxes out all the time. I keep some with grass, some with walnut, and some with the Dr. Elseys respiratory relief. I like to give them choices Right now i think the Litter Maid walnut litter is the favorite. they seem to go back and forth.

I like Dr. elseys Respiratory relief silica crystals, they are easy to use, scoop the poop and stir the litter, no pee clumps to scoop. The odor control is very good. all the cats like it, and there were no issues too transition the cats. i have tried larger pieces crystal litter in the past, like fresh step, they hated it. This one is fine like sand they all like it. i put about 1 2/2 inches which is about 1/2 of the bag in my box, scoop and stir daily. it may not need changed every two weeks, but that's my routine. dump, clean and refill every two weeks, with all my litter. I really dont have a complaint against this litter, it is the easiest litter to use, less scooping, its the one i always use in husbands office as it is low maintenance. The urine will dry, even if you dont remember to stir it, and the poo dries out to little bits of nothing, the cats will continue to use this litter if it is not scooped daily...husbands...lol
Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat Respiratory Relief Silica Gel Cat Litter, 7.5-lb bag

I also use Litter maid walnut litter. i have tried other walnut litters, but they were always a bit dusty. With Litter maid i do not notice dust at all. Only problem with it is i can only find it at walmart. i fill my big boxes with two bags per box. no top up during use, then in 2 weeks or so i clean the box and refill. this litter covers odors very well. I dont have anything bad to say about it. cats love it, took to it right away.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/LitterMaid-Natural-Premium-Walnut-Clumping-Cat-Litter-9-lb/352579767

I like grass litters too, i started out using pioneer pet smart cat, i still like it, and my cat did not hack at all using it. However he has longer hair, especially in the britches area i did find this litter always left a bit of residue, maybe dust on his butt nothing major, and he has never hacked with the litter. Our local Kroger started carrying their store brand, Abound grass litter so i tried it. Seems very much the same, but does not leave the bit of residue, or dust on kitten britches Grass litter clumps well, odor control with urine is very good, may not cover poo smells as well as the walnut and silica crystals. its light weight, cats took a week or so to get use to it, i recommend start with only two or 3 inches for the first week, they tend to sink in it a bit and it took a week or so for them to get use to this. Now they don't seem to mind at all. Nothing bad to say about this one either, except the bit of dusty residue on fuzzy kitten britches.
Pioneer Pet / Litter / Litter & Accessories / Cat - Free shipping at Chewy.com
https://www.kroger.com/p/abound-natural-clumping-cat-litter/0001111080010

I like, and use all 3 of these litters, all fragrance free, and as totally dust free as i have found. Cats like all of them, and i really have no complaints about any of them. I do try to scoop gently. i have found that with all litter vigorous scooping leads to litter break down, and dust. i have one scoop i love as it is so easy to use. I really could not pick between Dr. Elseys and the Walnut litter. The grass might come in as my 3rd choice, but only by a little, because of the dusty bottom, odor control for poo may not be quite as good, and it tracks just a bit more.

 

[cat princesses]

THANK YOU SO MUCH! I am leary about the crystals to me it seems kinda gross if the pee just absobs into the silica but nothing to scoop. Hard to wrap my brain around that! LOL I do clean the litter boxes 2x per day so I'm already very disciplined with keeping everything scooped and clean. I'll have to research these options more and make a choice by the weekend to test out.

 

[duckpond]

THANK YOU SO MUCH! I am leary about the crystals to me it seems kinda gross if the pee just absobs into the silica but nothing to scoop. Hard to wrap my brain around that! LOL I do clean the litter boxes 2x per day so I'm already very disciplined with keeping everything scooped and clean. I'll have to research these options more and make a choice by the weekend to test out.

lol i understand your thoughts on the crystals. But if you want you can carefully scoop most of the pee crystals out, just dont let them get too dry. i use to worry about it too, but i dont think there is any litter that some little bits dont get left behind. the crystals seem to absorb and lock down everything. Until its time to change you cannot smell anything. and they dry well, not damp. there are lots of choices, the three i use are the ones i like, you may not, or you may find something different. good luck. and let us know what you try, and what you think of it.

 

[cat princesses]

Will do! Thank you again so much! Very helpful!!!!

 

[nese]

Would you please share a link for the litter that you are using that you like? I'm going to arrange for the entire house to be steam cleaned, all carpets and hardwood areas. I'm currently using the precious cat 99.9% dust free by Dr. elseys but the vet said switching would be a good idea. What do you like about this current litter? Does it clump nicely? Pros/cons too of what other litters crystals etc that you have tried would really help me to make a good decision as well. Did you slowly transition and mix with your old litter or just went cold turkey switch? Thanks!

Dr. Elsey's brand is not available where i live, but I have tried many different unscented brands that claim to be 99,9% dust-free, all of them have some amount of dust, it is impossible to have completely dust-free clumping litter.
Our current litter is wood pellets; made of pine and hornbeam trees. Some says pine is irritating for cats respiratory system due to its phenol content, others say the phenols are removed by kiln drying. If you have other pellet alternatives in your region like, paper, other woods than pine etc. these may also worth to try.

Wood pellets are very different to use than clumping litter. It has some pros and cons. Pellets do not clump, instead they dissolve when they come into contact with pee. That is why if you are using it with sifted litter box, it is very easy to clean the dissolved pellet dust. You just sift it and all the pellet dust goes to the under tray.
Its dust is not as fine as clumping litter dust, so you do not have to worry you or your cat will breath it when you sift the litter box.

Regarding the odor, it covers pee odor very well, and stool odor to some extent. But do not expect same performance with clumping litter. It does not absorb the moisture in stool and make it harder like clumping litter.

Much cheaper than 99,9% pricey clumping litters, and lasts longer.
Some cats may adjust quickly, some may require slower transition period. We first put some pellet litter to another litter box next to their current litter box with clumping litter. Than we sprinkled some pellets on to their clumping litter, but not much. After they get used to it, we increased the amount we sprinkle from day to day, slowly.
Day by day they got used to the shape, feel and smell of pellets. After they started to use the box fulled with only pellets, on their own, we removed the other box.

I did not try crystal litter, but I do not recommend it, especially for kitties with breathing problems. It may seem good at first but silica fume is known to be very harmful for lungs both for humans and for pets, in long term.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Dunno about cats, but I do know that pine and cedar are NOT good for rats as bedding. Even with the kiln drying process, enough volatile oils remain to affect their little respiratory systems. Now, they are much smaller, and LIVE on the bedding, but if I had a cat with asthma, I might not risk it.

 

[duckpond]

Dunno about cats, but I do know that pine and cedar are NOT good for rats as bedding. Even with the kiln drying process, enough volatile oils remain to affect their little respiratory systems. Now, they are much smaller, and LIVE on the bedding, but if I had a cat with asthma, I might not risk it.

I have also been afraid of this as well. I tried a pine/cedar blend cat litter once. I did think it smelled really good and fresh, the cats would not go near it, they total avoided that litter box. I am guessing due to the smell.