Hello,
Over a year ago, my cat began to have strong coughs, as if there was something stuck in his throat. I recently decided to go back to the vet for a deeper examination of his lungs and body. I got some X-rays back from his doctor and she did say he has asthma. Based on symptoms, X-rays and this anti inflammatory medication he was on. While on the anti inflammatory medication his coughing did go away for about the two weeks he was on it but I missed one day of giving it to him (bc after the 13 days it was everything other day) his coughing came back. From what I notice is always comes back after a meal and then 30min-1hr he starts to cough as well as sometimes when he plays rough after eating he sometimes coughs as well. But attached I added his X-rays . I hope I can get more feedback on what could be wrong with him. Is it mild asthma is it a hairball? Is it that face that he eats too fast? I’m worried and I just want a second opinion. Thanks.
Hi Emilia,
The common appearance of an asthmatic cough is when a cat hunkers down, extends their neck, kind of sticks out their tongue, and does this kind of wheezing cough. If folks are not certain what they’re seeing, I like to refer them to fritzthebrave.com, a site dedicated to feline asthma, which has some video clips of cats with an asthmatic cough.
It is a common misperception that cats “cough” up a hairball. There are many times clients come in describing that their cat has hairball trouble and that they’ve been using a hairball remedy but it’s not working, only to discover that their cat has an asthmatic cough which has nothing to do with hairballs.
Hairballs form in the stomach and when they come up, they are vomited up. Sometimes with food, sometimes not.
I am assuming that your cat may have been placed on an oral steroid to help with the cough and it sounds like it made a difference. It is common to start on oral prednisolone initially to see how well it controls the cough and then wean it down to being given less frequently.
From there, some cats may be able to have it discontinued but others will need long-term therapy. Depending on the severity and a cat’s temperament, it is possible to transition from oral steroids to an inhaler. You can find more details on inhalers and how they're used in cats at the Fritz the Brave site.
Many cats may exhibit this cough from time to time and not require treatment. But if the coughing happens a couple times a week or more often than that, treatment should be considered.
Now, if you are separately seeing actual hairballs or food vomited up, there are a couple things to consider. Many cats may have an occasional hairball. If it’s a couple times a month, it’s likely nothing to worry about. But if it happens with more regularity, and especially if you also see food vomited, it can indicate a vomiting disorder.
Separate to that, some cats can eat too fast and in so doing, inhale air with it and regurgitate their food. This is not the same as vomiting, and tends to look more like undigested food, especially in a long tube-like shape. I wasn’t clear from your description if you’re seeing something like this after your cat eats or if it was the cough, but hopefully those descriptions are helpful for sorting out what you’re seeing.
Our articles on Hairballs and Feline Asthma may also be of more additional help.