Re: Feline asthma What are some natural ways to reduce the frequency and/or severity of attacks?
We are a multiple cat household, and the most recent newcomer appears to suffer from feline asthma. I would not describe the attacks as severe, but we don't want him to have them at all! He doesn't react well to steroids and other medications, so we're trying to eliminate all the "triggers" that could be prompting these attacks.
We've gone totally green with household cleansers (this seemed especially important with the dishwasher - we switched from Cascade to Seventh Generation, and I believe this helped). Whenever he does have a spell I usually open the back door or turn on a fan - the airflow seems to reduce the duration of the attack.
I don't wear cologne now and my hairspray is unscented. He does seem to do better outdoors, but it's too cold right now to put him out. We bring everyone inside during the winter, and I think the change in his environment has made this situation worse.
Should I also consider changing his food? I didn't know whether certain ingredients (like corn or wheat) could be a trigger or not.
Please help! We love this little fella and want to do what's best - again, the medicines seem to sort of whack him or not agree with him, so we're looking for holistic options.
Thanks for your help! Cassandra
I'm leaving the question open for a few more days, but these responses have already been so helpful!
Here's one that really seems to be working, so I hope this will help you: A small humidifier. It is like night and day. The spells continued the first day we plugged in the humidifier, although they were obviously less severe. By that night no more attacks...AND WE HAVE SEEN NO MORE ATTACKS SINCE! His eyes are less red and he seems to be feeling better, so who would have thought a little moisture in the room could make so much difference? Just be sure to use filtered or distilled water.....but so far, this in conjuction with the advice I have received here, is working wonders!!!!
Answer by larnie
The muscles around the airways tighten and block the airflow.
The walls of the airways swell and become narrower, blocking the airflow.
The airways produce extra mucus, causing more narrowing.
As in humans, it is believed that there is a genetic predisposition for asthma.
What are the symptoms of feline asthma?
Dry, hacking cough which may be mistaken for hairballs, wheezing, laboured breathing, exercise avoidance. Symptoms may be mild or severe. In mildly affected cats they may cough of wheeze occasionally. Severely affected cats may cough & wheeze daily, leading to airway constriction & open mouthed breathing/panting. A severe asthma attack can lead to death.
How is it diagnosed?
There are other medical conditions with similar symptoms to asthma, so your vet may want to rule out the following; heartworm, pneumonia, Bordetella & congestive heart failure.
Your vet will do the following:
Listen to the cat's chest/breathing.
Take a chest x-ray to look for signs of bronchial inflammation & enlarged lungs, flattened diaphragm & doughnuts.
Tracheal wash to check for the presence of eosinophils (a type of white blood cell).
How is it treated?
There is no cure for asthma, although in most cases it can be managed.
Steroids (oral form) may be prescribed. These reduce inflammation. There may be side effects from long term use of steroids such as diabetes, pancreatitis, increased urination, weight gain, behavioural changes.
Steroids (inhaler form). Same as above, they reduce inflammation. There is a relatively new inhaler system on the market called AeroKat, Flovent is the most commonly used inhalant steroid. Inhaled steroids generally don't get into the system as much as oral steroids, thus side effects are greatly reduced.
Bronchodilators: These help open the airway at times of severe coughing or wheezing.
In an emergency, get your cat to the closest vet immediately. You will not be able to treat this at home. Your veterinarian will usually inject a corticosteroid to reduce inflammation & use a bronchodilator to help open the airway. Ephedrine may be given in a life threatening attack.
Triggers:
There are many possible asthma triggers. Some include; cigarette smoke, fireplace smoke, pollens, cat litter dust, aerosols, sprays & cool temperatures.
sorrys its a bit long but i hope it helps
Answer by kittyweezy
That's a good question you've got there. I am certainly no vet, but with small children, when all the medications fail, sometimes it is best to see if they will "grow out of it". Thanks for being so concerned about your pets. Best of luck.
Answer by Gina C
I have a dog with asthma, and for him what has eliminated his attacks are dusting every day, and vacuuming the furniture along with shampooing the carpets frequently. Funny that animals can be allergic to alot of human allergens, but it worked for me, he is asthma free now!
Answer by J C
Asthma can have an environmental component of course. Eliminating dusts and molds can go a long way towards lessening the symptoms, same as in humans. If you smoke, doing it outdoors will help. Frequent dusting and vacuuming is important, with a bag in the vacuum designed to keep allergens in the bag, not blown out the back end. There are air filters that you can put on your heating system as well. Eliminating as may dust particles in the air as possible will make his bronchial passages less irritated.
There are many steroids that can be prescribed for asthma. My Rex (a rescue) is asthmatic - he responds well to prednisone when he gets one of his infrequent attacks. The pred does nothing, however, for my vet's asthmatic cat, and he gets oviban. She's told me there are many steroid options available for cats, so discuss this with your vet.
Some cats are extremely allergic to corn (my lynx point Siamese is one). Switching to a good with no corn at all surely can't hurt and will only improve his general health as cats really derive little to no nutrition from corn. Foods with corn often are full of dyes and chemical preservatives, and these surely are not good for anyone.
Good luck!
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