Feline Asthma

Approximately 1% of cats are affected by asthma.

Overview

Asthma is a common complaint in cats that is incurable and often linked to allergies. It is the constriction of the airways due to inflammation that cause the cat to have difficulties in breathing.

Cat asthma occurs in young to middle-aged cats and is usually worse in warmer months and following time spent outdoors. Affected cats tend to have intermittent wheezing and coughing but are completely normal between episodes.

Predispositions:

Females are equally affected as males with some studies showing females are slightly more represented
Purebred cats such as Siamese and Himalayan. It has been estimated that nearly 5% of Siamese cats suffer from asthma
Mixed breed cats

Signs

Common signs of asthma:

Wheezing
Shortness of breath
Problems with breathing in
Coughing
Coughing up foamy mucus
Blue lips and gums
Weakness

A common pattern of an asthma attack:

Cat is at rest or playing
Abruptly stops what it is doing
Breathing rapidly increases
Mouth breathing starts
Breathing is shallow and rapid
You may hear wheezing

Causes

Common triggers of asthma:

Allergens such as pollen, mold, dust, dust mites, grass allergens e.g. Bermuda grass, smoke, household cleaning agent vapors, smoke, pollution
Illness
Heart condition
Stress
Parasites
Obesity
Environmental chemicals
Dry air

Other diseases such as heartworm, respiratory disease, lungworm, tumors, heart conditions, and pneumonia can cause asthma-like symptoms.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of asthma relies on ruling out other causes. Your veterinarian will determine the tests required to diagnose the condition such as x-rays and bloodwork.

Asthma categories:

Mild	Intermittent symptoms that do not interfere with daily activities
Moderate	Intermittent symptoms that do interfere with daily activities
Severe	Debilitating symptoms that occur daily
Life-threatening	Severe symptoms that result in oxygen deprivation (normally pink lips, nose, and gums turn blue). This is considered an emergency situation.

Management

Management of asthmatic cats involves veterinary medications such as glucocorticoids that reduce airway inflammation and bronchodilators that reduce bronchoconstriction.

This is usually in the form of either oral tablets or puffers inhaled through a spacer and paediatric face mask (as per diagram below).

Once treatment is started, it is important to follow through with regular check-ups to ensure that the medication doses can be titrated to suit your pet's response.

Environmental management such as the reduction of environmental triggers e.g. dust, smoke, aerosol products, is also recommended.

Mild	It can be managed at home and may not require treatment.
Moderate	May require medication daily or as needed. Bronchodilators can be given every 6-24 hours via an inhaler, aerosol chamber or face mask.
Severe	May require in-hospital treatment for oxygen therapy, mild sedation to reduce stress and bronchodilators to relieve inflammation.

It's important to keep a log to help relate an attack with changes in the environment.

Prevention

Tips to help prevent asthma attacks:

Environmental	Limit exposure to allergens Keep your cat indoors Air filters to reduce allergens Keep shoes at the door to prevent allergens from entering home Avoid using litter that is dusty
Healthcare	Reduce environmental stresses Regular de-worming Regular external parasite controls for fleas and mites
Nutritional	Weight control The use of Omega-3 fatty acids have shown some clinical benefit in reducing inflammation when used in combination with medications