BreathEazy

It has been estimated that about 1% of domestic cats suffer from asthma. Siamese and Himalayan cats may be predisposed and it is commonly diagnosed in younger animals. It often goes unreported as owners may think that the coughing is due to a 'fur ball' and normal for their pet.

The affected animal will often adopt a characteristic low posture with extension of the head and neck. Often the tongue is protruded. This is in comparison to a very upright posture with pronounced abdominal effort as is seen in vomiting.

Bronchitis typically occurs in cats between two and eight years. Many cats with bronchitis start showing signs at about two to three years. The most common symptoms are cough and respiratory distress. These episodes vary from very mild to life threatening, and most cats are free of symptoms between episodes. A sudden fit of coughing that resolves within several weeks is diagnosed as acute bronchitis. A long-standing cough (usually with increased respiratory effort) is diagnosed as chronic bronchitis.

Download a video clip of an asthmatic cat coughing -

Coughing cat.wmv (2.3MB)

Video used with the kind permission of Kathryn Hopper and James Perkins (www.fritzthebrave.com)
Video and voice-over script (C) 2005: J. Perkins, K. Hopper
Production (C) 2005: Trudell Medical International