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Kingsbrook Animal Hospital
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2019-02-10 17:15:18.838011
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Coughing in CatsWhat to consider when cats cough:What to consider when cats cough:Just as we humans cough to clear our throats, likewise our cats cough to clear out irritants from an air passage.Cats maycough when a particle of food goes down the windpipe (trachea) rather than the food tube (esophagus) or when a grassseed is inhaled.In such situations, coughing is a practical and harmless solution to a ticklish problem.Because of this, ifyour cat coughs occasionally without distress, you probably don’t have to be too concerned.Sometimes, though, a catcoughs because somethingiswrong.And veterinary help should be sought if your cat is coughing more than justoccasionally.A chronic cough (one that persists over several weeks); frequent bouts of violent coughing; or coughingaccompanied by wheezing or labored breathing (dyspnea) are all signs of respiratory problems that require immediateattention. Often owners will come to us with coughing cats saying they don’t know what is going on, but it sounds like theircat is repeatedlytrying to get up a hairball– but nothing ever comes up.If your cat coughs and coughs and nothingcomes up, its probablynota hairball.More likely your cat has a lung problem.The causes of respiratory problems in cats are varied–viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites, allergies, heart disease andtumors.However, not all of the respiratory problems caused by these conditions are typically accompanied by a cough.Upper-respiratory-tract problems–often viral–tend to manifest as sneezes, snuffles, watery eyes and runny noses.It isthe lower-respiratory -tract problems–feline asthma, chronic bronchitis, or parasites (lungworms, or heartworms)–thatmore often produce a cough.Getting to the Bottom of a Cough:Getting to the Bottom of a Cough:Diagnosing respiratory disease can be something of a challenge.Cats can be remarkably stoic and have advancerespiratory disease before showing any signs of a problem.Diagnosing begins with a physical examination that includes listening to the cat’s chest with a stethoscope.X-rays are thenext step, although depending on the severity of the disease, X-rays may or may not confirm an some conditions such asasthma.To confirm and determine the cause of some lung problems such as bronchitis, your veterinarian may need toobtain cells and cultures from your cat’s lungs tract for analysis.This usually involves sedating your cat and performingwhat is called a tracheal wash.Your veterinarian will probably also recommend taking a blood sample to obtain a complete blood count (CBC) to helppinpoint the cause of the problem.A specialized fecal filter test–such as the Baermann technique–reveals the presenceof lungworm larvae or eggs in the stool. A blood tests are used to look for Heartworm disease.Although accurate diagnosis is crucial to effective long-term treatment, awaiting results can take time.So, when a cat is indistress, most veterinarians will immediately treat the cat to relieve the distress while waiting to confirm its precise cause.Kingsbrook Animal HospitalKingsbrook Animal Hospital5322 New Design Road, Frederick, MD, 21703Phone:Phone:(301) 631-6900Website:Website:KingsbrookVet.com
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