Hello all!
I have a nearly nine-year-old cat, Shade, struggling with feline asthma with lung damage (I forget the technical term). We've been fighting it for close to two years now, but these past two weeks we've reached a breaking point where nothing seems to be really improving her condition. We've tried a wide variety of medications, but she is currently on a Flovent inhaler twice a day, theophylline pills once a day, and dexamethasone shots twice a week. The vet would like to cut out the shots, but I'm really worried that even with all these medications she's on, the asthma is not being controlled.
She acts normally, eats/uses the litterbox fine, regularly interacts with the other cats and me and does not seem lethargic in any way, but she still appears to be taking larger than normal breaths and coughs regularly. I'm not sure what else to do or how much she is suffering. Does anybody have an idea on this? The only time she's done any open mouth breathing was when I initially started giving her the inhaler, but she has calmed down a lot about it over the past week and hasn't fought it at all.
Does anyone have any advice on other things I can do to try to control her asthma? I don't use any aerosols nor do I use any diffusers. I do have a couple of litterboxes with dusty Fresh Step litter, but I also have the Tidy Cats Breeze system with no dust at all and I've seen her use it. I also have a couple of air purifiers. However, I do have a lot of cats and I think my house is still pretty dusty even with the air purifiers, so I don't know if that's what is exacerbating her condition or if I am just stretching it.
Any one have any advice? Things I should do, things I should ask the vet? Thanks for any help you can provide.
I have a nearly nine-year-old cat, Shade, struggling with feline asthma with lung damage (I forget the technical term). We've been fighting it for close to two years now, but these past two weeks we've reached a breaking point where nothing seems to be really improving her condition. We've tried a wide variety of medications, but she is currently on a Flovent inhaler twice a day, theophylline pills once a day, and dexamethasone shots twice a week. The vet would like to cut out the shots, but I'm really worried that even with all these medications she's on, the asthma is not being controlled.
She acts normally, eats/uses the litterbox fine, regularly interacts with the other cats and me and does not seem lethargic in any way, but she still appears to be taking larger than normal breaths and coughs regularly. I'm not sure what else to do or how much she is suffering. Does anybody have an idea on this? The only time she's done any open mouth breathing was when I initially started giving her the inhaler, but she has calmed down a lot about it over the past week and hasn't fought it at all.
Does anyone have any advice on other things I can do to try to control her asthma? I don't use any aerosols nor do I use any diffusers. I do have a couple of litterboxes with dusty Fresh Step litter, but I also have the Tidy Cats Breeze system with no dust at all and I've seen her use it. I also have a couple of air purifiers. However, I do have a lot of cats and I think my house is still pretty dusty even with the air purifiers, so I don't know if that's what is exacerbating her condition or if I am just stretching it.
Any one have any advice? Things I should do, things I should ask the vet? Thanks for any help you can provide.
You sound like you are on the 'right' track', IMO!!
