You are not using a supported browser We recommend upgrading now to one of the browsers below. If you have an existing online account, sign in below.We value your privacy and security I've shopped by phone before and want to use my existing information.Feline asthma has sometimes been called chronic bronchitis, bronchial asthma, and allergic bronchitis. Asthma causes spasms in the bronchi, resulting in airway inflammation and swelling. This restricts airflow, causing respiratory distress, which can become life threatening in a matter of minutes. The most common symptoms in cats with asthma are wheezing and coughing. There may be labored breathing and/or open mouthed breathing. Some cats don't have wheezing at first in the early stages, that the humans can hear at any rate. The coughing is a dry, hacking cough that looks gagging or retching. The cat will typically be squatting with shoulders hunched, neck extended & low to the ground. The cat will often shake his head back and forth, as if trying to get something out of his throat that seems to be choking him and will look as is he is struggling to breathe.

Frothy mucous may be coughed up, since asthma often causes excess mucous production. Symptoms may come and go, with the cat being fine in between episodes. Many cats are misdiagnosed as having hairballs when people tell the vet about what they have seen with their cat. However, if no hairball ever comes up after a day or two, the hacking cough would not likely be from a hairball. In addition, cats don't cough up hairballs on a daily basis even when they do have excess fur in their stomachs, so a cat hacking or retching on a daily basis for a week or more should never be dismissed as simply having hairballs.air purifier causing sore throat If a vet merely dismisses your reports and concerns as "hairballs", insist on chest x-rays and blood work anyway, or go to a different vet! best air purifier for sleeping

It is very important to find out why the cat is having the problems, since it could be asthma, which is a chronic progressive disease that cannot be fully cured and will only get worse over time without treatment. Or, the cat could have cardiomyopathy, heartworms, or pneumonia that also need treatment. The vet cannot know what is going on with a cat if he doesn't do any tests! Pictures on the left show Simon having an asthma attack.�His first vet dismissed Simon's symptoms as hairballs.�But that vet was so very wrong, as x-rays, blood work and then treatment for asthma revealed.�Simon originally took pills, but now uses inhaled medication, dispensed via the AeroKat.air purifier recommended by allergists Below is a video of a cat having an asthma attack. There is no one definitive test to diagnose feline asthma. Since symptoms of asthma can mimic other diseases, such as heartworm, pneumonia and congestive heart failure, those diseases and conditions need to be ruled out using chest x-rays, a complete blood count, a feline heartworm test, and sometimes transtracheal wash, bronchial wash, or bronchoalveolar lavage- techniques to sample cells from the lower airways.

Chest x-rays may be normal in some cats with asthma, while others will have signs of bronchial inflammation or over inflation of the lungs. Blood work will often show elevated eosinophils, which are related to allergies. Allergies can be responsible for asthma attacks in cats, just as can be the case in humans. If other conditions that have the same symptoms are ruled out, a cat can be tried on a cortiocsteroid, such as prednisolone, to reduce lung inflammation. If the cat's symptoms improve, one can conclude that the cat does have asthma. Medications can reduce the symptoms of asthma a great deal, but may not be able to eliminate coughing fully. However, without treatment, the asthma will get worse, causing permanent damage to the lungs. Treatment for feline asthma includes corticosteroids, which work to reduce inflammation.  The cat would take the corticosteroid on a daily basis, to help prevent asthma attacks from occurring, and to prevent worsening, permanent damage to the lungs.

Some corticosteroids used in cats are Prednisone, Prednisolone and Depo-Medrol. Cats often will also be given a bronchodilator, such as aminophylline, or theophylline. These are usually in pill form. In recent years, it has been found that the most effective therapy for feline asthma may be to use inhalers such as human asthmatics use. The medication then is delivered directly to the lungs, where the problem is. A mask and spacer system, called AeroKat®, has been invented to enable cats to use inhalers. This system is similar to the mask and spacer system used to treat babies and small children. Cats use the inhaled asthma medication, fluticasone (Flovent), which is an inhaled steroid. This is used daily, to prevent or minimize lung and airway inflammation, which can keep asthma attacks from occurring, or reduce the severity of attacks that do occur. For stopping attacks in progress, cats can use the bronchodilator albuterol. Albuterol is used on an as-needed basis for cats already on daily steroids for asthma, and displaying cough or wheezing.

Using bronchodilators alone will not help prevent asthma attacks from occurring, nor will they prevent further damage to the lungs. Using an air purifier with a HEPA filter will help cats, and people, with asthma be able to breathe better. Air purifiers really do make a significant difference! - An excellent site with a great deal of very helpful information! Ideal for helping to increase purification of the air within homes. They are suitable for removing xylene and toluene and can increase air quality. Great for homes that are exposed to factory or city smog, smoke, or fumes. They are also suitable for homes which are freshly painted or where paint fumes exist. Load 1 more imageWhen my mother was pregnant with me, my parents had a Great Dane named Lucifer. Don't let the name fool you; Lucifer was anything but the devil. He was a loving, gentle dog. As her due date approached, many people expected her to "get rid" of the dog. That wasn't an option: Lucifer was a member of the family.

After I was born, my mom would joke that Lucifer believed HE was my mother. He was by my side day in and day out. He loved me, protected me and made sure my mom and dad always knew when I needed them. He was as in love with me as my parents were. Growing up, our animals -- dogs and cats alike -- were always a huge part of our family. This held true even after my pet allergies revealed their ugly head. Our animals provided us with joy, happiness, love, companionship and emotional support that was indispensable. I couldn't imagine growing up without pets, and hope to provide my child with the same experience. As a mom-to-be, I've been privy to many parenting forums about various topics, and most recently, I read one that discussed getting rid of pets when a child is allergic. I was saddened by some of the harsh criticism and "quick-to-dispense" attitudes of some of the participants. Some of those who believed getting rid of their pets was the only right option sounded as if their pets were merely accessories and were only worth having around when it was convenient.

Unless you, a family member or your child suffer from extreme asthma or respiratory conditions as a result of your pet, throwing away an animal due to allergies is like saying you would toss away or divorce a spouse if they smoked. Smoking is just as detrimental to the respiratory system as a pet's dander, yet many parents don't give up the habit. Having pet allergies myself, I realize how uncomfortable they can be, but the good news is that getting rid of your animal doesn't have to be the automatic go-to solution. There are so many things we can do today to naturally help alleviate most allergies. First, it pays to understand that pet allergies are not caused by the animal's hair, they are caused by the pet's dander, or the dead skin cells that are contained in the hair when it sheds. As a result, minimizing or decreasing the amount of dander in and around your home is key. If your baby is prone to pet allergies, consider some of these highly effective solutions before giving away your pet.