Monthly cough-gag sounds

[amandag1]

Hi all!
My 2 y/o ragamuffin boy has CHF/HCM ....and is on Lasix, Plavix, Atenolol. I say this to give a brief background on him.
Diet: mix of Origin dry and wet - FF/Weruva/Sheba, he is picky so I change it up alot.

His last vet visit was with his cardiologist, saying he looks pretty good and to keep on with his medicines.

I've noticed that every few weeks or so......he'll make a coughing/gag/hack noise and it sounds sort of watery. Even after he is done with the hacking noises, his meow sounds watery. Its almost like a hairball noise, but he doesn't produce a hairball. He is a long haired cat and does groom quite a bit...
but its been a while since I've seen a hairball.

I've told his cardiologist, but he said coughing is uncommon for CHF/HCM cats and if it is this infrequent to just keep an eye on it if it worsens.
It scares me because he sounds pretty bad even though it only lasts 20-30 seconds.
What could this be?

 

[LTS3]

Has asthma been ruled out? Can you get the coughing on video to show the vets?

Another possibility is what my vet calls " post nasal drip. It sounds like a combo of watery gasping and hacking. My vet isn't concerned about it but your vet might be due to the health issues your cat has.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. With the watery meow sounds, I am not sure if it would be hairball related or not. But, if/when he does have a hairball, the coughs/gags might be just enough to dislodge the placement of it so that it is moved on through his digestive system and passes in his stool eventually. If you don't give him anything to help with hairballs on a routine basis, you can try something as simple as a dab of butter/margarine - either from your finger or placed on his paw - for him to lick. To start with, you might want to do this 2-3 days in a row, and then back off to a maintenance dose a couple times a week. Regular brushings will also help.

 

[lisahe]

Has asthma been ruled out?

This was my first thought, too. One of our cats has had very occasional coughing like this. It pretty much stopped after we switched her kitty litter to Dr. Elsey's Respiratory Relief. (We'd been using very dusty and perfumed Fresh Step.)

With the watery meow sounds, I am not sure if it would be hairball related or not.

The watery meow sounds are mysterious! If hairballs are a problem, though, I definitely second the thought of some sort of fat t help move it along. I've used Vaseline (following the general advice on this page) and it really worked. Our cat who accumulates fur needs to be brushed daily; we also add egg yolk to some of her food, to help keep fur from clumping in her stomach.

Good luck!