Case Study | Breathing easy | Ash Tree Veterinary Centre
Healthcare Plan Sign Up

The Ash Tree Vets Healthcare Plan is a super way to help you budget monthly by direct debit and save money, whilst ensuring your pet receives the best in preventative health care.

Learn More

Case Study | Breathing easy

By Ash Tree Vets | 13th December 2017

Dexter is a very handsome 4 year old Ragdoll cat who presented to us as he’d started having coughing fits and was feeling pretty miserable.

On examination at the surgery, and after the stress of a car journey, Dexter was now showing signs of breathing through his mouth (never a good sign in a cat), and had a rapid breathing rate. Wheezes could be heard when we listened to his chest with a stethoscope.

X-rays of his chest under general anaesthetic showed an airway pattern characteristic of asthma and bronchitis. The X-ray also helped to rule out other conditions such as heart disease, which can present with similar signs. In addition we looked at a sample of his airway secretions under a microscope (cytology). This showed a pattern of inflammatory cells (eosinophils and neutrophils) often associated with allergic airway disease.

With Dexter’s symptoms, his age, and his X-ray and cytology results we made a diagnosis of Feline Asthma.

Feline asthma is a condition characterised by inflammation of the airways. This can result in spasm of the airways and increased mucus production, making breathing more difficult. Inability to clear this mucus can leave a cat at risk of secondary infections, and they can develop damage to lung tissue.

These changes can cause signs such as an increase in breathing rate and effort, wheezing sounds and coughing. Often the coughing can be mistaken for trying to cough up a hairball. Signs typically develop in cats from 2-6 years of age, though can affect them at any time.

Diagnosis is based on the presenting signs, X-rays, cytology and ruling out other conditions.

To treat feline asthma, we usually prescribe corticosteroids to reduce inflammation in the lungs. These can be used with or without bronchodilators to dilate the airways. Both of these types of drugs come in oral, inhaled, and injectable forms.

Dexter was initially given a rapid-acting corticosteroid injection which greatly improved his breathing within a few hours. He was then started on a course of tablets. Oral corticosteroids can cause side effects so, if possible, it is often safer to administer the medication via an inhaler – directly to where it is needed in the airways.

Once Dexter was stable and his cough had improved we started getting him used to using an inhaler and spacing chamber, a bit like the ones used for children. Once he was regularly using the inhaler without stress we were able to wean him off his oral medication. A fantastic result!

Feline asthma is often a progressive condition and affected cats may experience occasional asthmatic flare-ups that vary in intensity from mild to life threatening. Although cats can never be truly ‘cured’ of asthma, careful monitoring, and intervening with medication when needed, can help asthmatic cats live happily for years.

Dexter is living a normal and happy life and tolerates his inhaler incredibly well. What a star!