Let Me Clear My Throat: Q&A on Feline Asthma

Let Me Clear My Throat: Q&A on Feline Asthma

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Is your cat’s wheezing and coughing starting to sound like an old lawnmower trying to start up? Or could you be mistaken in your assumption that your cat has a hairball problem when she is actually coughing instead? If these scenarios resemble your cat, your kitty may have Feline Asthma. The Meowing Vet teaches you the causes and signs of Feline Asthma (also called Allergic Bronchitis) as well as how this respiratory disease is diagnosed and treated. Keep reading for details…

Let Me Clear My Throat: Q&A on Feline Asthma

Q: What is feline asthma, and what are similar diseases?

A: Asthma, also known as feline allergic bronchitis, primarily affects the bronchi of cats. Bronchi (plural for bronchus) are the two main stems of the respiratory tree that branch off the trachea (or windpipe) to carry air into and out of the lungs. Inflammation of these airways is termed bronchitis (-itis meaning inflammation). Three main bronchitis conditions can occur: 1) acute bronchitis, 2) allergic bronchitis (or feline asthma), or 3) chronic bronchitis.

Acute bronchitis is temporary inflammation of the bronchi lasting less than 1-3 months in which neutrophils and macrophages (types of white blood cells) cause reversible swelling of the bronchi. Acute bronchitis may occur following transient airway irritation (such as mild smoke inhalation or exposure to a mild allergen) or infection (viral, bacterial, etc.).

Let Me Clear My Throat: Q&A on Feline Asthma

Asthma can worsen seasonally due to blooming plants and high pollen counts.

Allergic bronchitis (feline asthma) is our primary topic for discussion in this article. It occurs when a special type of white blood cell, eosinophils, accumulate around the bronchi and cause swelling, resulting in airway obstruction. This obstruction makes breathing a bit more difficult for your kitty and often results in coughing. The severity and duration of allergic bronchitis may vary greatly between affected felines. As with humans with allergies and asthma, some cats may be affected daily in various degrees of severity or rather, they may only have occasional flare-ups (most commonly during “allergy season” in the spring and summer when the environmental pollen count is high).

Chronic bronchitis occurs following a previous respiratory disease that is typically more severe in nature, causing fibrosis (or the formation of scar tissue) to develop in the bronchi. This prevents the bronchi from dilating or widening appropriately when your cat needs to take a deep breath in (such as during more strenuous activity). Bronchial fibrosis results in a longer disease course, typically 3 months in duration or sometimes much longer — perhaps lasting for the remainder of your cat’s lifetime. Chronic bronchitis may develop following either a nasty case of acute bronchitis that does not improve or else severe and/or untreated allergic bronchitis (asthma).

Let Me Clear My Throat: Q&A on Feline Asthma

Q: What causes feline asthma, and which cats are most affected?

Let Me Clear My Throat: Q&A on Feline AsthmaA: As discussed, feline allergic bronchitis most typically affects individual cats predisposed to allergic reactions. Though not fully understood why, these cats tend to have a hypersensitive immune system, causing an over-exaggerated response of eosinophils to invade the respiratory tract when a molecule deemed foreign by the immune system (i.e. an allergen) is inhaled. Purebred cat breeds may be at an increased risk of developing asthma, but potentially, all cat breeds and mixes can develop this disease. Most commonly, young to middle-aged cats are more likely to first develop signs of asthma.

Various allergens may be a trigger for asthma sufferers: plant pollens, dust and dust mites, cigarette smoke, the fumes of certain household cleaners, perfumes, fireplace smoke… you name it!

Q: What are the signs that my cat has asthma?

A: The most common clinical signs of feline asthma that you may see in your affected cat are:

  • Wheezing
  •  Coughing (your cat may appear to gag or retch following a bout of forceful coughing)

 Don’t confuse your cat’s cough for hacking up hairballs! Many pet owners commonly have difficulty distinguishing coughing vs. hairball issues in their kitties and may miss the most common sign that their cats have asthma. See the videos below.

  • Increased respiratory rate (i.e. fast breathing; the medical term is tachypnea)
  • Transient episodes of open-mouth breathing (your cat may look like he or she is panting like a dog following exercise, like running around or walking upstairs)
  • If your cat has upper airway inflammation due to allergies or a secondary upper respiratory infection, he or she may also experience increased sneezing.
Don’t misinterpret coughing due to asthma for a hairball problem in your cat!

Veterinarian Dr. Greg Martinez discusses asthma attacks in his own cat.

Below is another video of a cat coughing due to asthma. See how similarly feline coughing can look like your cat is expelling a hairball?!

Q: When is an asthma attack an emergency?

A: In severe cases, your cat may experience an acute asthma crisis, known as status asthmaticus, which can be life-threatening. Some cats may abruptly enter such a crisis without previously showing the above signs of having asthma and can quickly worsen with possible sudden death. Know the signs for which to monitor, and seek emergency veterinary attention immediately if your cat is displaying the following:

  • Prolonged open-mouth breathing or gasping for air (dyspnea)
  • Blue-tinged gums (cyanosis; a sign that due to respiratory obstruction, your cat is not receiving proper oxygenation)
  • Collapse

In addition to respiratory disease, open-mouth breathing in your cat may also be a feature of a cardiac emergency and should be promptly differentiated and treated accordingly by your veterinarian.

Let Me Clear My Throat: Q&A on Feline Asthma

If your cat is breathing through an open mouth or panting like a dog, it could be a sign of a respiratory or cardiac emergency!

Q: How is asthma diagnosed?

A: If you have detected the clinical features of asthma (such as coughing, etc.), as addressed above, and have discussed them with your veterinarian, your vet will likely already be suspicious of a bronchial disease. When your vet performs a physical examination on your cat, he or she may hear wheezing and harsh lung sounds when listening to your cat with a stethoscope and may elicit coughing just be lightly pressing on your cat’s windpipe, a sign of tracheal inflammation.

Let Me Clear My Throat: Q&A on Feline AsthmaTo gauge the severity of your cat’s respiratory disease and to rule out other causes of the clinical signs, your vet will likely recommend thoracic radiographs, or chest X-rays, which will show evidence of bronchial disease (thickened bronchi due to eosinophilic infiltration) in asthma patients. To further rule out other causes of coughing and harsh lung sounds in felines, your vet may also wish to check a stool sample to search for evidence of possible pulmonary parasites (such as lungworms), run a heartworm test to ensure that your cat does not have heartworm disease, or else perform an endotracheal wash (in which a sample of fluid is taken from your cat’s airways for further analysis of abnormal cells and the presence of any infectious diseases). Moreover, your vet may recommend a cardiac work-up with a veterinary specialist, including an echocardiogram (or “echo”, a heart ultrasound) to ensure that your cat’s respiratory disease is not secondary to an underlying heart issue. Your vet may also wish to run bloodwork, which may show an increased level of eosinophils in your cat’s bloodstream (termed eosinophilia) in 20% of asthma cases.

Due to cost constraints, your vet may instead elect for a medication trial to see how your cat responds to treatment for asthma. If he or she improves, the diagnosis is likely allergic bronchitis as suspected. However, if there is no response or if your cat worsens on the prescribed therapy, further diagnostic tests are required in order to determine the culprit behind your cat’s respiratory disease.


Learn more about the dangers of Heartworm Disease in dogs and cats here. ❤️

Looking for a good heartworm prevention for your pet? Download The Meowing Vet’s handy charts, guiding you on the various flea, tick, and heartworm products currently on the veterinary market.


Q: What are the treatments for feline asthma?

A: In most cases, feline asthma is not necessarily “cured”; it is merely “managed”. And keep in mind that your vet may change your cat’s individual therapy regimen over time according to your cat’s response and disease severity.

Let Me Clear My Throat: Q&A on Feline AsthmaTreatment typically starts with an anti-inflammatory dose of a corticosteroid: either oral prednisolone or injectable methylprednisolone acetate. Prednisolone is to be administered at-home to your cat orally in either tablet or liquid formulation; it is the number one choice by most veterinarians as it decreases inflammation of the bronchi in 90% of asthmatic cats. If you are unable to dose oral medications to your cat, the second best option would be injectable methylprednisolone acetate (Depo-Medrol®), which is administered intramuscularly by your veterinarian every few weeks. Some cats require only occasional corticosteroid therapy while others may require long-term and even lifelong use. Side effects of chronic steroid use (primarily at higher doses) include increased urination and water consumption (polyuria and polydipsia, or PU/PD), increased appetite and weight gain, diabetes mellitus, thinning skin, and increased susceptibility to certain infections. Never stop a chronic steroid medication abruptly unless directed by your veterinarian; always follow your vet’s recommended taper if your cat is to be weaned off steroids.

Your vet may also prescribe a bronchodilator to your cat. This class of medications does exactly what its name suggests: dilates the bronchi to allow easier air movement when your cat breathes in and out through otherwise inflamed and obstructed airways. Such bronchodilators include oral theophylline (which can cause increased excitability in your feline companion) or terbutaline, which comes in either oral or injectable formulations.

Let Me Clear My Throat: Q&A on Feline AsthmaIn patients with more severe disease or to keep on hand in case of emergencies, your vet may prescribe an inhaler, such as fluticasone, which contains a corticosteroid.

Other products that have been used in cats with asthma yet do not work well include leukotriene inhibitors, such as montelukast (ex. Singulair® labeled for humans). And although it may seem counter-intuitive, anti-histamines, such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl®) or cetirizine (Zyrtec®) should be strictly avoided in cats with a documented diagnosis of asthma. Though anti-histamines are commonly used in patients with allergies, they have the potential to cause dangerous bronchospasms in cats with asthma (i.e. sudden constriction of the muscles around bronchioles, smaller branches off main-stem bronchi, which results in abrupt difficulty in breathing). Thus, these medication types should be avoided in asthmatic cats.

As discussed, sustained open-mouthed breathing, blue gums, or collapse are all signs of an asthma crisis, a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment by your veterinarian. Such treatments include the administration of injectable corticosteroids (typically dexamethasone or Dex-SP), an injectable dose of a bronchodilator (aminophylline or terbutaline), inhaler use (typically albuterol), and supplemental oxygen therapy. The administration of epinephrine may also be required in extreme emergency cases.


Struggling with administering medications to your cat? The Meowing Vet’s tip of using gelatin capsules to coat your pet’s pills may help. Check out our article:
Life Hack: Pet Edition #1: Empty Gel Caps for Easier Medicating


Q: What other at-home treatments should I be doing to improve my cat’s respiratory health?

A: In addition to the medication therapy explained above, improving the air quality for your cat is a vital part of managing feline asthma. This may mean keeping outdoor or indoor-outdoor cats strictly indoors during times of the year when the pollen count is highest. Maintaining good quality air inside your home is important as well. You should avoid strong odors such as perfumes, room deodorizers, and certain household chemicals while minimizing the use of household fires, burning candles, and blooming house plants or those that produce a lot of pollen. You may also consider switching to a dust-free cat litter. Cigarette smoking inside the home should be strictly prohibited to prevent asthma flare-ups in your cat; even residual cigarette smoke on clothing can exacerbate bronchitis. Increasing the frequency of vacuuming and dusting in order to minimize dust mites, which is a common household allergen, is also important. Some pet owners have found great success in adding hypoallergenic filters to their air conditioning systems as well as using humidifiers in areas of the home where their cats are most likely to spend time.

Let Me Clear My Throat: Q&A on Feline Asthma

Ensuring good indoor air quality is important in managing feline asthma.

Keeping your cat up-to-date on his or her annual vaccinations is also important, specifically those that reduce your cat’s risk of developing an upper respiratory infection (URI). Cats with bronchial disease are more susceptible to developing secondary bacterial or viral infections of the respiratory tract, so boosting your cat’s immune system with appropriate vaccines against common respiratory pathogens is important to reducing this risk.


Learn more about cat and dog vaccinations and other means of preventative medicine in The Meowing Vet’s other articles:
🐱 Cat & Kitten Vaccines
🐶 Dog & Puppy Vaccines


Q: Can dogs develop bronchial disease?

Let Me Clear My Throat: Q&A on Feline Asthma

Dogs can develop forms of bronchitis too.

A: Dogs can certainly develop bronchitis as well, which tends to be more of a chronic nature. Older to middle-aged dogs are more commonly affected, and signs are similar to those in cats with feline bronchitis: wheezing, coughing (which may be followed by gagging), and possibly difficulty breathing with increased effort upon exhaling in severe cases. Treatment may include long-term use of bronchodilators (such as theophylline or albuterol inhalers), corticosteroids (i.e. an anti-inflammatory dose of prednisone), and anti-cough medications (most commonly, hydrocodone; ex. Tussigon®). As with cats, improving the air quality of your home is equally important in managing canine chronic bronchitis. Preventing excessive activity (such as running) or an over-excited state is also important as is proper weight management. Keeping excess weight off your dog will allow him or her to breathe more easily.


Veterinarian Karen Becker, DVM, provides additional information on feline asthma in this informative video:


Keep learning with The Meowing Vet! Now that you know the signs of Feline Asthma, you’ll know when to take your cat to the veterinarian should your kitty develop a cough or other features of respiratory disease.

Maranda Elswick, DVM

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Let Me Clear My Throat: Q&A on Feline Asthma

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