7-year-old cat with "smoker's cough" !

Does anyone recognise the following?

Puss will be sleeping happily and then he'll start "coughing". It seems
he's trying to move something. He keeps on coughing but whatever it is
doesn't move or stop aggravating him and so he gets anxious and gets
quickly down onto the floor and into the crouch position, stretching his
neck out parallel to the floor and almost touching the floor with his
chin. In this position he keeps "coughing", perhaps for a whole minute,
until the irritation stops. Then he returns to entirely normal
behaviour - until next time.

This has been going on for some weeks now. About a month ago he had
some kind of nasal or sinus infection, resulting in yellow discharge
from one nostril, and the vet prescribed five days of an antibiotic.
That cleared that problem, but this occasional "coughing" remains.

We have thought it must be a hairball because this is much the same kind
of "coughing" that he and his twin brother have done occasionally ever
since they were kittens. So each week they are always given a bit of
hairball oil. However, for this cat we have been giving him some
hairball oil every day now for the past week, to hopefully clear any
hair, if hair is indeed the problem. But he's still having a
"coughing" session daily - perhaps two or three times per day.

When you get down the floor with him when this happens you get the
impression that it's like "smoker's cough", that there's something
there, if not hair, then perhaps some buildup of mucous or other fluid.

It's a very long journey from our house to the nearest vet, so I thought
I would first see if anyone here recognises this condition and knows
about it.

Thanks for any advice.

Eddy.

Eddy wrote:
Does anyone recognise the following?

Puss will be sleeping happily and then he'll start "coughing". It
seems he's trying to move something. He keeps on coughing but
whatever it is doesn't move or stop aggravating him and so he gets
anxious and gets quickly down onto the floor and into the crouch
position, stretching his neck out parallel to the floor and almost
touching the floor with his chin. In this position he keeps
"coughing", perhaps for a whole minute, until the irritation stops.
Then he returns to entirely normal behaviour - until next time.

This has been going on for some weeks now. About a month ago he had
some kind of nasal or sinus infection, resulting in yellow discharge
from one nostril, and the vet prescribed five days of an antibiotic.
That cleared that problem, but this occasional "coughing" remains.

We have thought it must be a hairball because this is much the same
kind of "coughing" that he and his twin brother have done
occasionally ever since they were kittens. So each week they are
always given a bit of hairball oil. However, for this cat we have
been giving him some hairball oil every day now for the past week, to
hopefully clear any hair, if hair is indeed the problem. But he's
still having a "coughing" session daily - perhaps two or three times
per day.

When you get down the floor with him when this happens you get the
impression that it's like "smoker's cough", that there's something
there, if not hair, then perhaps some buildup of mucous or other
fluid.

It's a very long journey from our house to the nearest vet, so I
thought I would first see if anyone here recognises this condition
and knows about it.

Thanks for any advice.

Eddy.

Well, if he was a Human, you would get him a "CAT" scan. (No pun intended)
But, since he's just a cat, there wouldn't be much you could do about it if
he has some kind of tumour anyway, so there isn't much you can do, but wait
to see if it gets worse, and then put him down near the end. He might be
allergic to something, or it may be just hair or dander. This is the season
for excess hair. Be sure you brush him frequently.

Bill Graham wrote:

Well, if he was a Human, you would get him a "CAT" scan. (No pun intended)
But, since he's just a cat, there wouldn't be much you could do about it if
he has some kind of tumour anyway, so there isn't much you can do, but wait
to see if it gets worse, and then put him down near the end. He might be
allergic to something, or it may be just hair or dander. This is the season
for excess hair. Be sure you brush him frequently.

Thanks, Bill.

I've been brushing him every day since he was a kitten. From April this
year until about now I have been quite alarmed how every day I have got
so much fur out of his coat, using a flee comb. So I've been doing my
bit. But as I always feel there is still probably some loose fur even
after I have given him a good brushing, it's possible I suppose that he
is still managing to lick down some fur. On the other hand, I wonder
why his current coughing has not occurred to such a degree in each of
his previous six summers.

Eddy.

On Sep 9, 10:58*am, Eddy
wrote:
Bill Graham wrote:
Well, if he was a Human, you would get him a "CAT" scan. (No pun intended)
But, since he's just a cat, there wouldn't be much you could do about it if
he has some kind of tumour anyway, so there isn't much you can do, but wait
to see if it gets worse, and then put him down near the end. He might be
allergic to something, or it may be just hair or dander. This is the season
for excess hair. Be sure you brush him frequently.

Thanks, Bill. *

I've been brushing him every day since he was a kitten. *From April this
year until about now I have been quite alarmed how every day I have got
so much fur out of his coat, using a flee comb. *So I've been doing my
bit. *But as I always feel there is still probably some loose fur even
after I have given him a good brushing, it's possible I suppose that he
is still managing to lick down some fur. *On the other hand, I wonder
why his current coughing has not occurred to such a degree in each of
his previous six summers.

Eddy.

Have you considered allergies? Is he an outdoor cat? Have you made
any changes in household?

honeybunch wrote:

Have you considered allergies? Is he an outdoor cat? Have you made
any changes in household?

Hi, Honeybunch. Only last night did I start to consider the possibility
of allergies, and that was after discovering many videos on YouTube when
I typed in "feline asthma". One of these videos features a presentation
by a vet and is most helpful. Others also mention the possibility of
allergy.

This is a big house with wooden floors downstairs and carpet upstairs
and today I've spent the whole day cleaning, hoovering and mopping.
Just in case.

As for anything else inside the house that might be causing an allergy,
no, there have been no additions or changes. The packaging of his cat
food changed about 2 months ago so I checked that this morning and it IS
only the packaging that's changed and not the actual contents of the
tins. However as up until 2 months ago, or thereabouts, puss used to
have similar coughing fits perhaps once a fortnight and since he was a
kitten, I'm thinking of buying a stash of new cat food, a different
brand, just in case there's something causing an allergy in the brand
that he has been on continuously since he turned a year old.

Apart from that we do live in the country and farmers have been cutting
hay a great deal recently and perhaps pollens too have been in the air,
except that in no previous summer has he had these serious coughing
fits. Everything else outside is as normal.

Up until a week ago we told ourselves he was probably consuming voles
and mice while out and about and that was the reason, i.e. his gut was
full of fur. (Usually he brings the voles and mice indoors and if we
are not about he sometimes consumes them, leaving distasteful organs in
a neat little pile!) However, as above, he's been hunting voles and
mice now for all of his seven years and he's not had these fits before.

Last night we started keeping a record of the fits we happen to witness,
what time of day they happen etc.

Thanks for your help.

Eddy.

"Eddy" wrote in message
...
The packaging of his cat
food changed about 2 months ago so I checked that this morning and it IS
only the packaging that's changed and not the actual contents of the
tins.

..............I take it you're "across the pond"? Don't know what the rules
are for pet food packaging in your neck of the woods, but in the US they can
change the contents of the food and have 6 months to "catch up" with the
label.

So in most instances, one can "always" suspect the food.

buglady
takeout the dog before replying

Eddy wrote:
Bill Graham wrote:

Well, if he was a Human, you would get him a "CAT" scan. (No pun
intended) But, since he's just a cat, there wouldn't be much you
could do about it if he has some kind of tumour anyway, so there
isn't much you can do, but wait to see if it gets worse, and then
put him down near the end. He might be allergic to something, or it
may be just hair or dander. This is the season for excess hair. Be
sure you brush him frequently.

Thanks, Bill.

I've been brushing him every day since he was a kitten. From April
this year until about now I have been quite alarmed how every day I
have got so much fur out of his coat, using a flee comb. So I've
been doing my bit. But as I always feel there is still probably some
loose fur even after I have given him a good brushing, it's possible
I suppose that he is still managing to lick down some fur. On the
other hand, I wonder why his current coughing has not occurred to
such a degree in each of his previous six summers.

Eddy.

Well, allergies seem to develop with time. People who work in animal
shelters seldom last more than five years or so. Wait until this fall, when
he stops shedding. Perhaps the cough will go away. If it does, then you can
be pretty sure it is an allergy.

Bill Graham wrote:
Well, allergies seem to develop with time. People who work in animal
shelters seldom last more than five years or so. Wait until this fall, when
he stops shedding. Perhaps the cough will go away. If it does, then you can
be pretty sure it is an allergy.

Yes, we may do that. We may monitor him very closely, keep records, and
see how he behaves after all the leaves have dropped and the ground is
covered in snow and ice. I think we can safely wait until then. His
fits aren't as bad as those featured on YouTube, although clearly of the
same type.

Thanks Bill.

Eddy wrote:
Bill Graham wrote:
Well, allergies seem to develop with time. People who work in animal
shelters seldom last more than five years or so. Wait until this
fall, when he stops shedding. Perhaps the cough will go away. If it
does, then you can be pretty sure it is an allergy.

Yes, we may do that. We may monitor him very closely, keep records,
and see how he behaves after all the leaves have dropped and the
ground is covered in snow and ice. I think we can safely wait until
then. His fits aren't as bad as those featured on YouTube, although
clearly of the same type.

Thanks Bill.

When I retired, I didn't know how much of my time was going to be spent with
cats. Had I known, I probably would have retired near to UC Davis, where
their veternary facility is one of the best in the world. They relish
getting animals in there that have diseases that no one else can cure, so
their students can get the experience trying to cure them. I have had
several cats in my life who died from poor veternary knowlege/treatment. If
you think people in this country suffer from bad medicine, think what
happens to most pets. their chances of good medical treatment range from
poor to none.

Eddy wrote:

He keeps on coughing but whatever it is
doesn't move or stop aggravating him and so he gets anxious and gets
quickly down onto the floor and into the crouch position, stretching his
neck out parallel to the floor and almost touching the floor with his
chin. In this position he keeps "coughing", perhaps for a whole minute,
until the irritation stops. Then he returns to entirely normal
behaviour - until next time.

This sounds like a classic asthma attack. My Will would do this a dozen
times a day before we got his asthma under control.

Take him to a vet and get a thoracic radiograph. Chances are it will
show the diagnostic "donuts and tramlines" which are caused by thickened
bronchial walls and trapped air.

If it is asthma, he needs be put on a regimen of glucocorticoid
steroids. Typically that will be either oral prednisolone or injected
depo medrol (methylprednisolone). Eventually, you will want to move him
over to the inhaled steroid fluticasone propionate (Flovent/Flixotide),
because it is non-systemic and doesn't have the potential for adverse
effects that pred does.
--

Wayne M.