Have you noticed your cat coughing, wheezing, or having dry heaves, almost like she can’t catch her breath? Feline asthma just might be the culprit—especially if you cat is overweight—and it could fatal if left untreated. Much like human asthma, the condition causes the lungs to constrict and the air passages to go into spasms, making it hard to breathe. Allergens, dust mites, pollen, tobacco smoke, and airborne irritants are all potential causes.

If you suspect your cat has asthma, you should make an appointment with your veterinarian. He will perform a chest X-ray to see if her lungs are over-inflated and a brochoscopy to rule out other respiratory problems; and then prescribe oral or inhalant medication to treat the symptoms. In the meantime, there are a few things you can do at home to keep cat asthma at bay:

• Keep your cat indoors when outdoor hay fever alerts are high.
• Use a humidifier to keep moisture in the air. Dry air can exacerbate asthma symptoms.
• If you smoke cigarettes, take the habit outside.
• Maintain a consistent cleaning schedule to keep dust mites out of your home.
• Stop using any new products—laundry detergent of cleaners—that may have caused the asthma symptoms.
• Switch to dust-free litter.

Even though these changes will help prevent attacks, it’s crucial to properly diagnose and treat feline asthma to prevent long-term damage to your cat’s airways. If you don’t yet have pet insurance, this will be seen as a pre-existing condition and therefore will not be covered—so you may want to purchase a policy before you visit your veterinarian.

Tags: cat asthma, cat asthma signs