Vet-Approved Content
Cats are prone to asthma, whereas dogs are not, which only goes to show that cats are not small dogs — especially when it comes to health problems.
Feline asthma can develop at any age but is most common in young to middle-aged animals.
The youngest patient I’ve treated with asthma was a 12-week-old kitten, although this is not typical. A more common age of onset is 7 to 8 years old.
Again, a quirk of cat medicine is that felines rarely cough, but asthma is one of those few conditions that may produce a cough, and a cat may even have an audible wheeze.
If you notice your cat showing signs of asthma, contact your veterinarian immediately.
Symptoms of Asthma in Cats
Asthma affects the lower airways and causes narrowing of the bronchi, increased mucus production and decreased mucus clearance. The end result is a cat who struggles to breathe.
Signs of asthma in a cat can be minor to severe. A dry, hacking cough is most often mistaken for a hairball, and this coughing may be occasional or daily.
Additional symptoms may include:
- Open-mouthed panting or breathing
- Easily tired or often lethargic (more than usual — upward of 16 hours or more a day)
- Labored breathing
- Faint wheezing
- Foamy mucous coughed up
- Hunched on the ground/floor with neck extended
- Lips and gums appear blue
A coughing cat is a rare thing and is commonly linked with feline asthma.
However, the absence of a cough does not rule asthma out. During an asthma attack, many cats have a wheeze that you can hear from across the room — but again, not all cats do. However, a cat in the grip of an asthma attack does have problems breathing.
Signs of difficult breathing include the cat sitting in the same spot for ages to rest and concentrate on breathing. They extend their head and neck into a straight line and open their mouth (all signs of respiratory distress), and their chest moves in and out in an exaggerated manner.
Sometimes, the cat’s airways are so narrow that they have to use their stomach muscles to push air out of their lungs to get ready for the next breath — this is known as “abdominal effort.”
A desperately ill cat has gums tinged lilac or blue instead of a healthy pink. If you suspect your cat is having difficulty breathing (for whatever reason), never stress them. Leave them resting while you contact the vet and follow the vet’s instructions.
What Causes Asthma in Cats?
Feline asthma is an allergic reaction of the airways to something that was inhaled. Unfortunately, cats are exposed to any number of potential allergens that can sensitize their delicate airways.
Common offenders include cigarette smoke, air fresheners, aerosol sprays, hair sprays or perfumes.
A sensitive cat only needs to stroll into the room the same time you are spritzing yourself with scent, and an asthma attack could occur. Other trigger factors include house dust mite allergens or even dust from cat litter.
The allergic reaction causes muscle spasms in the walls of the small airways, which are then further narrowed. In addition, more mucus is produced, but the airway cannot clear it away, resulting in the airways becoming the equivalent of a blocked drain.
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Asthma can also be caused or exaggerated by obesity, parasites, stress or another illness.
While asthma can affect any cat, it is more common in females. Two breeds and breed mixes that seem to be susceptible to asthma are the Siamese and Himalayan breeds.
Diagnosis
The first step in identifying asthma is to rule out other possible conditions or illnesses such as heart conditions, parasites, pneumonia and heartworms.
Your vet may perform a series of tests to pinpoint the problem and develop a treatment plan.
The vet’s first priority is to stabilize the patient with oxygen.
Once the cat is breathing more freely, the investigation can start. The most useful test is a conscious X-ray (taken in a calm environment so as not to stress the cat).
A good X-ray can rule out other causes of breathing difficulty (such as fluid around the lungs or lung tumors) and show patterns of thickening within the airways that may suggest asthma.
More sophisticated tests for asthma include a bronchial wash (this harvests cells for examination under the microscope, which can help rule out pneumonia), but this should be done only if the cat is strong enough to withstand the intervention necessary to collect the cells.
Once your vet is able to rule out other possibilities and confirm your cat has asthma, it’s time to devise a treatment plan.
This helpful video shows how to properly dose an asthmatic cat when using an inhaler:
How Vets Treat Asthma in Cats
Cats can have asthmatic symptoms for a single occurrence, a short time, a few years or an entire lifetime. The important goal is to be prepared for future attacks.
While asthma can’t be cured, it can be successfully managed. This can be achieved by working with your vet or respiratory specialist and following the instructions given to you.
A cat having an asthma attack needs intravenous steroids to desensitize the airways and reverse inflammation.
Inhalers are also a great way to manage the condition, although getting the cat to breathe in the medication can be tricky, even with specially designed dosing chambers.
I remember talking to an eminent internal medicine specialist with an asthmatic cat. As is typical with many animals belonging to veterinarians, this cat refused to take medication (inhaler or pills), and so her mom (who lectured on the subject) was forced to give a less sophisticated treatment of once-monthly depot injections of steroid.
Long-term steroids are extremely effective at suppressing inflammation.
Reducing Occurrences of Asthma in Cats
While asthma has no cure, removing risk factors, such as spray aerosols or scented cat litter, can go some way in reducing the likelihood of it developing.
Indeed, the specialist mentioned above advocated getting rid of carpets (which harbor dust mites) and banning cats from sleeping on the bed — neither of which she did!
In addition to removing triggers for asthma, you should also reduce any stress to which your cat is exposed, provide a high-quality food, switch to a dust-free litter and don’t miss any vet appointments.
References
- “Disorders of the trachea and bronchi.” Nelson & Couto. Small Animal Internal Medicine. 3rd edition. Mosby. 291–295.
This pet health content was written by a veterinarian, Dr. Pippa Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS, with contributions from other members of the Petful veterinary team of writers. It was last reviewed Feb. 4, 2019. 
