Cat With Asthma

My girlfriend's cat has asthma and she's had a difficult time treating
it successfully. The cat has at least two attacks per day lasting
anywhere from a few seconds to about a half minute. She is using
homeopathics given to her by the vet of her choice with the option to
move into more potent drugs- I think steroids or cortisone- if she
felt the cat was having too difficult a time. Have any cat owners
out there dealt successfully with the problem of feline asthma without
needing to resort to drugs which could have serious side effects down
the road? thanks

"soinie" wrote in message
...
My girlfriend's cat has asthma and she's had a difficult time treating
it successfully. The cat has at least two attacks per day lasting
anywhere from a few seconds to about a half minute. She is using
homeopathics given to her by the vet of her choice with the option to
move into more potent drugs- I think steroids or cortisone- if she
felt the cat was having too difficult a time. Have any cat owners
out there dealt successfully with the problem of feline asthma without
needing to resort to drugs which could have serious side effects down
the road? thanks

Asthma is nothing to screw with. Her cat could die during one of
these attacks. Also, if not controlled asthma causes permanent
damage that cannot then be adequately treated.

My cat's asthma is controlled a couple of Depo Medrol
(steroid) shots a year and avoidance of irritants. For example
I do not wear perfume as I found that was a trigger for her,
and we sleep with a HEPA filter in the room, the only filter
that cleans the air on the molecular level. (It really helps with
dust.)

On Sun, 13 Mar 2005 22:11:05 -0500, "Mary"
wrote:


"soinie" wrote in message
.. .
My girlfriend's cat has asthma and she's had a difficult time treating
it successfully. The cat has at least two attacks per day lasting
anywhere from a few seconds to about a half minute. She is using
homeopathics given to her by the vet of her choice with the option to
move into more potent drugs- I think steroids or cortisone- if she
felt the cat was having too difficult a time. Have any cat owners
out there dealt successfully with the problem of feline asthma without
needing to resort to drugs which could have serious side effects down
the road? thanks

Asthma is nothing to screw with. Her cat could die during one of
these attacks. Also, if not controlled asthma causes permanent
damage that cannot then be adequately treated.

My cat's asthma is controlled a couple of Depo Medrol
(steroid) shots a year and avoidance of irritants. For example
I do not wear perfume as I found that was a trigger for her,
and we sleep with a HEPA filter in the room, the only filter
that cleans the air on the molecular level. (It really helps with
dust.)

Thanks for the reply. She does use an air filter and humidifier and
doesn't wear perfume. She does, however, live in a very major
metropolis so I'm certain the auto pollution and restaurant exhaust is
having an effect on the cat. When she got the cat from a shelter, it
was suffering from a respiratory infection which probably contributed
to the asthma problem. Are there any negative side effects of the
steroid shots down the road? And do the shots completely prevent the
recurrence?

"soinie" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 13 Mar 2005 22:11:05 -0500, "Mary"
wrote:

Asthma is nothing to screw with. Her cat could die during one of
these attacks. Also, if not controlled asthma causes permanent
damage that cannot then be adequately treated.

My cat's asthma is controlled a couple of Depo Medrol
(steroid) shots a year and avoidance of irritants. For example
I do not wear perfume as I found that was a trigger for her,
and we sleep with a HEPA filter in the room, the only filter
that cleans the air on the molecular level. (It really helps with
dust.)

Thanks for the reply. She does use an air filter and humidifier and
doesn't wear perfume. She does, however, live in a very major
metropolis so I'm certain the auto pollution and restaurant exhaust is
having an effect on the cat. When she got the cat from a shelter, it
was suffering from a respiratory infection which probably contributed
to the asthma problem. Are there any negative side effects of the
steroid shots down the road? And do the shots completely prevent the
recurrence?

The negative side effects, according to my vet, come with a frequent
use of steroids over a long period of time. When I weaned my cat
down to three per year and still expressed worry, he said, "Listen,
when we say frequent, we mean there are cats that need these
every month. Three or four times a year should pose no danger.
That said the chief negative side effect I recall is diabetes.

The way the Depo works (in my limited knowledge) is to
decrease the two main culprits in asthma--inflamation and
irritation that causes the passages to narrow. (I have severe
asthma, hence my interest.) Allergens and other things like
smoke and even cold air can "trigger" muscle spasms
that close up the passages. If you "lock down" in a
place where you cannot get medical help, you can
die. Asthma is incurable, but the important thing is
that it can be controlled. If it is controlled the damage
it causes (it actually changes the structure of the lungs)
is controlled. Get your friend off the homeopathic
idea. As an asthmatic, I can tell you and her that it
is no fun to feel like you as suffocating. Get that cat
on Depo. Her vet can tell her about other means of
delivery, and other steroids--prednisone, etc. But
having the cat get a shot three times a year beats
the hell out of pilling her twice a day. Good luck, and
keep us posted about the kitty.



This is certainly an indoor only cat, right?

On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 13:14:19 -0500, "Mary"
wrote:


"soinie" wrote in message
.. .
On Sun, 13 Mar 2005 22:11:05 -0500, "Mary"
wrote:

Asthma is nothing to screw with. Her cat could die during one of
these attacks. Also, if not controlled asthma causes permanent
damage that cannot then be adequately treated.

My cat's asthma is controlled a couple of Depo Medrol
(steroid) shots a year and avoidance of irritants. For example
I do not wear perfume as I found that was a trigger for her,
and we sleep with a HEPA filter in the room, the only filter
that cleans the air on the molecular level. (It really helps with
dust.)

Thanks for the reply. She does use an air filter and humidifier and
doesn't wear perfume. She does, however, live in a very major
metropolis so I'm certain the auto pollution and restaurant exhaust is
having an effect on the cat. When she got the cat from a shelter, it
was suffering from a respiratory infection which probably contributed
to the asthma problem. Are there any negative side effects of the
steroid shots down the road? And do the shots completely prevent the
recurrence?

The negative side effects, according to my vet, come with a frequent
use of steroids over a long period of time. When I weaned my cat
down to three per year and still expressed worry, he said, "Listen,
when we say frequent, we mean there are cats that need these
every month. Three or four times a year should pose no danger.
That said the chief negative side effect I recall is diabetes.

The way the Depo works (in my limited knowledge) is to
decrease the two main culprits in asthma--inflamation and
irritation that causes the passages to narrow. (I have severe
asthma, hence my interest.) Allergens and other things like
smoke and even cold air can "trigger" muscle spasms
that close up the passages. If you "lock down" in a
place where you cannot get medical help, you can
die. Asthma is incurable, but the important thing is
that it can be controlled. If it is controlled the damage
it causes (it actually changes the structure of the lungs)
is controlled. Get your friend off the homeopathic
idea. As an asthmatic, I can tell you and her that it
is no fun to feel like you as suffocating. Get that cat
on Depo. Her vet can tell her about other means of
delivery, and other steroids--prednisone, etc. But
having the cat get a shot three times a year beats
the hell out of pilling her twice a day. Good luck, and
keep us posted about the kitty.



This is certainly an indoor only cat, right?

Yes, it is an indoor only cat since we got him- we're not sure of the
cat's history before we got it from the shelter other than it was sick
with the respiratory disease that seems to be so prevalent in cats
that spend some time in a shelter. I'm definitely going to pass this
info on; we would really like to make the cat as comfortable as
possible without creating more serious problems in the future; I'm
sure you can understand that sentiment. If the steroids are only
needed several times a year then and they are effective, then that
certainly seems to be the avenue to take. Thank you for the detailed
info and encouragement.

"soinie" wrote :

Yes, it is an indoor only cat since we got him- we're not sure of the
cat's history before we got it from the shelter other than it was sick
with the respiratory disease that seems to be so prevalent in cats
that spend some time in a shelter. I'm definitely going to pass this
info on; we would really like to make the cat as comfortable as
possible without creating more serious problems in the future; I'm
sure you can understand that sentiment. If the steroids are only
needed several times a year then and they are effective, then that
certainly seems to be the avenue to take. Thank you for the detailed
info and encouragement.

Soinie, on the good side, once you get it under control
aside from a little congestion that you can hear when they
purr, you have a normal cat. At least that is what happened
with mine. She was having an attack or two every day
when I got her at the shelter. After the depo, it was an attack
every two months. After two years of the Depo three or
four times a year, I got her a shot last July and she has
not needed another yet. I expect she will cough once
or twice in March or April as things begin to sprout
outside, and I will get her another. It is a miracle
worker.Best of luck, you are a good friend to this
cat. Let us know what your vet says.

She needs to quit screwing around and get this cat to a vet and get him on
medication. She is going to kill him a hell of a lot sooner by screwing
with homeopaths. They have their place but when a cat can't breathe it's
serious business.

A cat having any attack on a daily basis is not acceptable. It's an awful
feeling when your cat is gasping for air and their lips & tongue are blue.
Obviously the asthma attacks are not this severe YET or she wouldn't be
messing around but eventually they will get worse if you don't get them
under control now.

I had a cat who had SEVERE asthma the most severe my vet had ever seen. We
successfully treated her with a combination of prednisone pills daily (shots
when it was severe) and theophyline on a daily basis. I also kept her in
air conditioning with a hepa filter running to help clean the air further.
As she got older we had to add lasix to the medications because the
prednisone will cause them to retain fluid which can be hard on their heart.
We managed to get Skippi under control to the point that she would have
attacks about ever 10 or 12 weeks. I learned over time to watch her closely
and could about 90% of the time catch the attack and dose her up on Pred
before she had a full blown asthma attack but it takes a lot of close
observation to watch their behavior and know the warning signs.

Skippi eventually died from a heart attack at the age of 4.

Celeste

"soinie" wrote in message
...
My girlfriend's cat has asthma and she's had a difficult time treating
it successfully. The cat has at least two attacks per day lasting
anywhere from a few seconds to about a half minute. She is using
homeopathics given to her by the vet of her choice with the option to
move into more potent drugs- I think steroids or cortisone- if she
felt the cat was having too difficult a time. Have any cat owners
out there dealt successfully with the problem of feline asthma without
needing to resort to drugs which could have serious side effects down
the road? thanks

Have any cat owners out there dealt
successfully with the problem of feline
asthma without needing to resort to drugs
which could have serious side effects
down the road?

Treating what is from your description an obviously seriously asthmatic
cat with homeopathics is IMO malpractice and is putting this poor cat at
serious risk of death. This cat needs to be treated with medication
ASAP. Your friend can start with steroids for the short term just to
give this cat relief and in the meantime look into getting an inhaler.
Inhalers direct the medication into the lungs where it is needed and
nowhere else, so you don't have the potential side effects that you
might have with oral or injected steroids. Inhaled meds are bedoming the
treatment of choice for asthmatic cats. I have a cat that is at present
on oral steroids for his asthma, but I've just received the inhaler and
will be transitioning to inhaled meds soon. You can read more and order
the inhaler apparatus he
http://www.aerokat.com

Megan



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nothing."

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elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and
splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then
providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision,
raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and
material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his
way."

- W.H. Murray

On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 19:41:44 -0600, wrote:

Have any cat owners out there dealt
successfully with the problem of feline
asthma without needing to resort to drugs
which could have serious side effects
down the road?

Treating what is from your description an obviously seriously asthmatic
cat with homeopathics is IMO malpractice and is putting this poor cat at
serious risk of death. This cat needs to be treated with medication
ASAP. Your friend can start with steroids for the short term just to
give this cat relief and in the meantime look into getting an inhaler.
Inhalers direct the medication into the lungs where it is needed and
nowhere else, so you don't have the potential side effects that you
might have with oral or injected steroids. Inhaled meds are bedoming the
treatment of choice for asthmatic cats. I have a cat that is at present
on oral steroids for his asthma, but I've just received the inhaler and
will be transitioning to inhaled meds soon. You can read more and order
the inhaler apparatus he
http://www.aerokat.com

Megan

Why would prescribing a homeopathic remedy be considered malpractice?
You're might be assuming that homeopathics are a joke, but they are
very successful in treating pets of a variety of illnesses, and humans
too I might add and are used extensively in Europe. And the side
effects won't ultimately destroy your pet with another serious
illness. The remedy was prescribed by a vet, by the way; I may have
given the impression that its choice was a guess on my friend's part.
We're thinking of the cat's longevity and want to balance treatment
with that factor.

"soinie" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 19:41:44 -0600, wrote:


Why would prescribing a homeopathic remedy be considered malpractice?
You're might be assuming that homeopathics are a joke, but they are
very successful in treating pets of a variety of illnesses, and humans
too I might add and are used extensively in Europe. And the side
effects won't ultimately destroy your pet with another serious
illness. The remedy was prescribed by a vet, by the way; I may have
given the impression that its choice was a guess on my friend's part.
We're thinking of the cat's longevity and want to balance treatment
with that factor.

Soinie---asthma is one of those things homeopathic medicine
does not help and may actually hurt. To even try this or consider
it is upsetting. Asthma does not play. It is a killer. It has only
been recently that there are drugs that actually control it.
Zuzu means well--and is actually right--she just has a tone.
I was tempted to reply in the same vein, only out of worry
for the cat and knowing asthma as I do. Nothing personal.
I am not into pumping drugs into things that don't need
them either.