If your cat coughs, the first thing that will probably come to your mind is that it has caught a cold. Or choked. Or ... Here, as a rule, thought begins to work towards building associative parallels between itself and its pet. But this is far from always worth doing. And, despite the fact that coughing as a physiological act in all mammals has much in common, the reasons for its appearance in humans and cats (in percentage terms) are very different.
However, the cat coughing may also be a symptom of a very serious respiratory or cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, or a sign of infection. So why does the cat cough?
What is cat cough?
Coughing in cats is an involuntary reflex jerky forced forced sonorous exhalation. A cough is initiated by a cough center located in the medulla oblongata receiving signals from the vagus nerve from sensitive sensors (receptors). The greatest number of cough receptors is in the area of \u200b\u200bthe vocal cords, larynx (which is why a cough occurs when food gets into the “wrong throat”) and in the areas of division of the trachea and bronchi. Locations of cough receptors are called cough reflexogenic zones.
First of all, a cough is a protective reflex that occurs in the body of all animals as a result of mechanical or chemical irritation of sensitive cough zones. And with many diseases, when a cough promotes the evacuation of mucus, pus and foreign particles from the lumen of the airways, it contributes to recovery.
However, the peculiarity of the cough zones located in the trachea and bronchi is that they equally respond to irritation emanating both from the side of the respiratory lumen and from the back, as it were, external, surface. That is why coughing is a symptom of a disease of both the respiratory tract and the organs and tissues located around them. Because of the reasons why a cough may appear, there are very, very many. And far from always, it benefits the body.
Causes of Coughing in Cats / Cats / Kittens
In fact, there can be a lot of them - doctors say at least about a hundred only diseases. It is clear that we can’t physically tell about all. Nevertheless, we describe the most popular of them.
Features of coughing in cats / cats / kittens
Coughing in cats, unlike dogs, occurs much less frequently. Often, with the same disease, dogs develop a cough, and cats only have shortness of breath, or hoarse, labored breathing (for example, a cat coughs and breathes hard, wheezes in inflammatory diseases of the pleura and lungs, pneumonia, heart failure). And these symptoms are sometimes very difficult to notice and recognize.
It's all about “cat insight” - cats try to carefully avoid the effects of factors that provoke a cough during illness: they move less, do not play, try not to show unnecessary emotions, tend to settle in some ventilated place where they are not disturbed. Actually, such behavior can already be assessed as a suspicion of some kind of disease.
There is a disease of cats, in which a cough appears as a leading symptom - bronchial asthma in cats. As for the cause of this disease, it is an allergic reaction of the animal to house dust, to some microparticles, microorganisms contained in it. If you notice that the cat sneezes often, for example, after you purchase a new cat filler, or a new washing powder, etc., you can safely conclude that the cat coughs and sneezes due to allergies. Another bright sign of allergies is when a cat sneezes and rubs its nose.
There are other pathological conditions that can be accompanied by coughing cats, for example:
- obstruction of the respiratory tract with a foreign object;
- cardiovascular failure;
- oncological diseases of organs located in the chest;
- respiratory infections of cats, including those complicated by pneumonia (medical name - calicivirus infection);
- accumulation of fluid (hydrothorax, chylothorax) or air (pneumothorax) in the chest;
- getting into the chest of the abdominal organs (for example, intestinal loops) with diaphragmatic hernia;
- worms in a cat;
- viral rhinotracheitis in animals, and so on.
This is an incomplete list of possible diseases that may accompany coughing in cats. In fact, a cough can be a symptom of more than fifty diseases. Therefore, in fact, to determine them yourself is almost unrealistic.
Types of Coughing in Cats / Cats / Kittens
Indeed, a cough can be very diverse both in strength and duration.
Doctors describe a cough:
- by duration: acute (from a couple of days to several weeks) or chronic (months, years);
- by force: from mild coughing to anguish and debilitating (sometimes even with vomiting);
- by timbre: voiced or muffled;
- by the nature of the discharge during coughing: dry or wet with mucous membranes and purulent or bloody sputum;
- by time of manifestation: for example, only in the morning or throughout the day, and also related to the time of year - only in spring or only in summer, for example.
Carefully observe the nature of your cat's cough (you can even try to record how the animal coughs on the camcorder). This will help the doctor in diagnosing the cause of the disease in your pet.
Coughing for bronchial asthma in cats / cats / kittens
Bronchial asthma is a respiratory disease that affects not only people, but also feline. When there is bronchial asthma in cats, sudden moderate or sufficiently strong coughing attacks can occur, the cat coughs and breathes heavily, he has difficulty in passing air, the cat coughs and wheezes. In asthma, the cat also sneezes often. Stress, physical activity, weather changes, air pollution can also contribute to the development of the disease - in general, everything is like in humans.
Usually, bronchial asthma of cats in the initial stages is manifested in young animals (aged 1-3 years), more often in Himalayan and Siamese. Asthma attacks are usually observed in spring and autumn, which is typical for most allergic diseases.
The diagnosis of “bronchial asthma in cats” can be made on the basis of a clinical examination of animals using laboratory tests and radiography. The treatment is quite lengthy, consisting in the appointment of various corticosteroids and bronchodilators, in the form of tablets or injections.
Cough for viral rhinotracheitis in cats / cats / kittens
Viral rhinotracheitis is a contagious disease that leads to convulsive and frequent coughing attacks. When the course of the disease is severe, the cat coughs and sneezes often and quite severely, when the cat sneezes and watery eyes, snot, and diarrhea can be. All these symptoms are very similar to human flu, by the way, in cats, the flu also happens, and can also manifest as coughing, sneezing, runny nose, etc.
Treating coughing in cats in this case is a very complicated process. Therefore, vaccination as a preventive and preventive measure is much preferable to treating cough in cats already sick. It is better to give the animal the appropriate vaccination.
Cough from “fighting” wounds in cats / cats / kittens
The cause of a cat's sudden cough may be direct damage to the trachea of \u200b\u200bthe animal from a bite received in a fight. Such injuries can provoke not only a cough, often a cat sneezes and does not eat, as the passage of food becomes painful. In this case, the treatment of coughing in cats consists in treating a specific injury, and preventing suppuration of wounds.
Cough from worms in a cat / cat / kitten
I would like to dwell separately on the problem of infection of animals by worms. If a cat coughs, worms may well be the reason. Cats of any age are susceptible to this infection, never even leaving their homes and not in contact with other animals.
Cardiac (cardiac) cough in a cat / cat / kitten
The reason for its appearance is that, due to a number of factors (a violation in the valve system, for example), the heart muscle increases significantly in volume (takes the form of a ball) and begins to put pressure on the trachea passing in the immediate vicinity. And the cough reflexogenic zones on the trachea are not able to figure out that there is no need for cough in this case, and still send a signal to the brain. At the same time, the intensity of the cough increases gradually (along with an increase in the size of the heart), and the cough itself is most often deaf (uterine) and does not contain any discharge.
In general, it seems that the cat seemed to choke on something and is trying to get rid of a foreign object. It is possible to make sure that in this particular case we are talking about cardiac pathology by observing the animal for several days. If a cough of the same nature appears regularly (and even more so, its frequency and intensity increase), then you should not hesitate to consult a doctor.
Diagnosis and treatment of cough in a cat / cat / kitten
Coughing in cats is often not the leading main symptom of the disease, therefore, if the cat coughs and wheezes, breathes heavily, has shortness of breath, hoarse, labored breathing, accompanied by a deterioration in overall health, lack or loss of appetite, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible.
Before visiting the veterinarian, the animal should be provided with fresh air and peace. To alleviate the condition of the animal in some cases, a humidifier located in the room, or just a damp towel, placed on the heating battery can. Not knowing the causes of the disease, you should not feed the animal with any drugs - so you can smooth out the real picture of the disease, make it difficult to diagnose it, or even harm the sick pet.
The doctor will collect an anamnesis and recreate a picture of the onset and development of the disease, asking you about keeping and feeding the cat. Then, the doctor will examine the animal, examine the upper respiratory tract, listen to the trachea, lungs and bronchi, can also take an X-ray and take a clinical blood test. If there are suspicions of specific pathologies, an X-ray examination of the esophagus, tracheo-, laryngo-, bronchus, esophagoscopy (studies of the trachea, pharynx, bronchi, esophagus with an endoscope) may be required. Also, the doctor can do a study on viral infections of the blood, plating on the microflora of bronchial secretions and a biopsy of the bronchi.
Diagnosis of diseases that cause coughing can be quite time-consuming and long. Therefore, before the main cause of the cough is established and eliminated, the doctor will prescribe a supportive, symptomatic treatment to the cat to alleviate the condition of the animal.
Cat Cough Drugs
For stopping cough as such and / or changing its nature (for example, from harmful dry to “healthy” wet), there are a large number of drugs. Conventionally, they can be divided into two groups.
- The first is drugs that, acting on the cough center, block this reflex, regardless of its origin (the so-called central-action antitussive drugs). Only a doctor should prescribe such drugs and be sure to be part of complex therapy. This is due to the fact that in most cases they only mask the symptom of the disease and do not affect the cause of its appearance. And as a result, the illusion of recovery can be created, while the disease will develop further (especially if the cough is non-infectious in nature). Plus, antitussive drugs, as a rule, belong to potent substances and, if used improperly, can harm your pet badly instead of using it.
- The second group of drugs is expectorants. Turning to a pharmacist in a pharmacy, they are often called “anything from a cough.” By themselves, they do not stop the cough, but they significantly facilitate a dry cough, increasing the volume of mucus produced by special bronchial cells and / or diluting it. And along with mucus, pathogens - harmful microorganisms are also removed from the body. Such drugs are used to treat cough of an infectious origin, which is much less common in cats than we do with you.
In human pharmacies, you can buy many drugs containing a combination of antitussive and expectorant drugs. But not all of them can suit your cat. Some are generally categorically contraindicated in this type of animal.
If you are sure that the cat is coughing and sneezing due to bronchitis, a serious cold, if its cough is prolonged, the condition does not improve, and there is no possibility of getting to the veterinarian, you can try the following. In the pharmacy you can buy the antibiotic Amoxiclav, or some other antibiotic for treating cats. It comes in the form of tablets, powders for the preparation of a suspension. In most cases with a suspension, treatment of coughing in cats will be easier. You should choose the smallest dosage, pour the powder with ordinary water and prepare a suspension.
If a cat coughs and sneezes for a long time, and this is definitely not a heart, allergies or intestinal problems, give him a medicine three times a day, 2.5 ml each. A special measuring syringe is attached to the medicine, so it is quite convenient to inject it into the cat's mouth.
The main thing to remember is that coughing is often not a disease, but only a symptom. Therefore, trying to help your pet, try to establish the true cause of the cough in order to accurately get rid of the disease.
What to look for when treating a cough in a cat / cat / kitten
I remind you again - cough is a symptom of the disease, therefore, on the one hand, to reduce its intensity, it is necessary first of all to understand the causes of its occurrence. And on the other hand, as a protective reaction of the body, coughing can be beneficial and accelerate recovery. In other words, in many cases it is not worth fighting with the cough with antitussive agents to the end. Along with recovery from the underlying disease, coughing will stop.
An exception is a dry, painful cough, which causes a cat's great anxiety and even asthma attacks. In this case, the cough loses its protective character and requires immediate contact with a veterinarian.
Nature, “creating” the immune system in cats (and in other predators), emphasized antibacterial immunity. This is due to the fact that during the hunt and in the struggle for territory, the wild ancestors of our pets with you very often received infected injuries and wounds. And without good immune defense against bacteria, it is impossible to survive in the wild. But in the “fight” with viruses, cats are still very far from victory.
Therefore, bacterial infections of the nasopharynx (and with them the so-called respiratory cough) are much less common in cats than in humans, and develop only against the background of a strong weakening of the immune system (which, as a rule, leads to various viral infections). In this regard, the concept of “cold” is not suitable for cats.
A beloved pet, like its owner, can catch a cold and start coughing. If purr noticed such a symptom, then she had problems with the respiratory system. In order to properly help the animal, first of all, it is necessary to understand why the cat began to cough - because in this way a serious disease can manifest itself.
When the fluffy coughs, it bends its back, draws in its stomach and pulls its neck to the floor. He can wheeze, sneeze, and vomit; it often seems that the barbel is choking and trying to burp. If mucus secretions are observed, then they may contain disseminations of blood.
A prolonged and sonorous cough indicates pathological processes in the respiratory tract. If the fluffy suffers from coughing at night, then most likely it is inspiratory stenosis of the trachea.
With asthmatic and allergic coughs, the nursery is as if suffocating. In the initial stage of the disease, seizures rarely make themselves felt, but the further you start the problem and do not contact a specialist, the worse. The fluffy can inherit the disease or manifest itself throughout life, more common in purrs over 2 years old.
Cough, which disturbs the pet due to the accumulation of worms in the digestive tract, is usually accompanied by the release of vomit. A worm can pick up a pet both on the street and in the house, licking its owner’s shoes.
If the animal has heart problems, then a cardiological cough will probably occur when an enlarged heart muscle puts pressure on the trachea. Coughing sounds in this case exclude wheezing, but the attack develops progressively. Usually such ailment affects the mustachioed creatures of old age.
You can postpone treatment for a long time, thinking that everything will go away by itself, but if the cause of the ailment is serious, then the cough can go into a chronic form. Only the doctor can correctly determine the root of the problem and begin effective therapy.
We provide assistance
Having figured out the question - why the pet coughs, in some situations you can provide independent assistance to the mustache:
- If a pet sneezes, coughs, sticking out its tongue, then immediately exclude the presence of a foreign body in its mouth. Press the corners of the mouth with your fingers, as if expanding it and with extra care, open the jaws. Perhaps you will find a lump of wool in the mouth, which very often happens, or another small object.
- If you suspect an allergic reaction (which may be not only food), try to remove all newly appeared substances in the house or temporarily do not use them (fragrances, powders, etc.)
- If cohabitation with worms is a favorite, then you need to add special anthelmintic drugs to your food.
Whatever the cause of sneezing and coughing, take care of the normal level of humidity in the room. In the absence of a household humidifier, just hang moistened towels on the batteries and periodically re-wet them in water.
When should I go to the vet clinic?
When the owner cannot find the root of the problem and has no idea what to do, if your beloved cat coughs, then it is worth taking the sick fluff to a vet clinic for examination. If, along with a cough, the mustache changes eating behavior, the temperature rises, it becomes passive and less sociable, then you should not delay the trip to the doctor, because the cause can be very serious.
Therapy, started on time, usually returns the cat to a normal, non-coughing life, within 7-8 days. Before prescribing medication, the doctor will examine the patient purr, listen for breathing, conduct laboratory tests and check the internal organs. In some doubtful cases, an x-ray will be taken. To exclude viral ailments, a bronchial biopsy is most likely needed.
Treatment will be carried out at home, but under the supervision of a specialist. Injection courses are required in very rare cases.
If bronchial asthma is detected, then the therapy will be long, using antihistamines and hormonal drugs. In some cases, the ailment accompanies the pet for life.
In order for the animal to get rid of mucus, medicines with an expectorant effect are prescribed. Do not give the pet medicine from your first-aid kit. Effective drugs are sold in pet stores, where you can choose a convenient form of release - drops or tablets.
In some cases, antibiotic therapy and additional drugs are prescribed to restore immune defense.
Prevention
There are simple rules that minimize the risk of an ailment:
- Do not bathe fluff in cold water.
- It is necessary to control the time the pet is on the street, especially in the cold season.
- Do not forget about deworming 2 times a year and routine vaccinations.
- Make sure that there are no drafts and sharp jumps in temperature in the room.
- Feed your pet balanced with high-quality feed.
- Use a paste in the diet that prevents the appearance of lumps of wool.
- Make sure that the pets do not eat fish with sharp bones.
- To the maximum, protect the four-legged creature from swallowing small objects.
- Regularly clean the room and monitor air humidity.
Video
Cats are often exposed to a variety of colds. And a cough shows that there are problems in the respiratory system. Not everyone knows what to do if a cat coughs. First of all, it is recommended to deal with the reasons.
Cough - a natural protective reaction of the body, which manifests itself if a foreign body enters the respiratory tract. Accordingly, the cat sneezes and coughs. However, this may be a symptom that signals the appearance of a disease.
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Possible reasons
If the cat coughs, you need to consider all sorts of reasons:
The causes of coughing in cats and cats can be very different. And regardless of the fact that the pet sneezes and wheezes quite rarely, with the help of this it can contribute to the work of the whole organism. During coughing, the throat is cleansed if the kitten or cat chokes.
It is possible to recognize a cough from a furry pet by some movements. Usually during this process, the pet extends its neck down, bends its back and retracts the abdominal wall. At the same time, he wheezes, makes crying sounds, and sometimes sneezes. In some situations, coughing is accompanied by vomiting.
After watching the video, you will find out exactly how the cat coughs.
Possible symptoms
To determine how to treat a pet, you need to find out the type of symptom:
- Respiratory. Cough in such a situation at the very beginning of the disease is dry. Sputum and pus do not stand out.
- Cardinal. This is a heart cough. The cause of its occurrence may be an increase in the heart muscle. She gradually begins to squeeze the trachea. In such a situation, the intensity with which the cat coughs and sneezes increases gradually. At the very beginning, the cough is deaf and unproductive.
If a furry creature coughs and sneezes at regular intervals, you should consult a doctor. He will tell you what to do and how to treat the cat.
Why puffy coughs
Character with a feature of coughing can contribute to determining the causes. If it occurs at night, then in most situations this indicates inspiratory stenosis of the trachea.
Disposal of foreign objects
First of all, you need to figure out whether the pet really coughs. Maybe he just sneezes. Usually when coughing, the fluffy wheezes. He begins to open his mouth. Sometimes even the tongue sticks out. You may feel like the cat is simply suffocating.
Why can a cat cough? Check his mouth and tongue. A foreign object or lumps of wool may get into the mouth. In order to open the mouth, insert fingers into it in the area of \u200b\u200bthe corners where there are no teeth. Open your jaws carefully, being careful.
Allergic reaction or lack of moisture
If there is nothing in the mouth, but the cat sneezes, coughs, stretches its neck, think about whether it could have arisen because of an allergy. It can be caused by a new substance that has appeared in the house. Remember that allergies occur not only when you eat something, but also when inhaled. If any item is suspicious, you need to temporarily remove it from the house.
What to do if a pet coughs? He may just lack moisture. Use humidifiers to increase the comfort of breathing for pussies. This will help a damp towel, which is recommended to put on a working battery.
Rid the pet of worms
As mentioned earlier, you need to figure out why the cat sneezes and coughs. And the reason for this can be worms. In order to get rid of them, you need to purchase special products at the pharmacy and add them to your food. Such an action should be performed at least once a year.
Under the supervision of a doctor
If all of the above actions have been completed, and the cat still sneezes and coughs, you should contact your veterinarian. You should consult your doctor if the pet has eaten less, avoid communication with people and other cats. In such situations, only the doctor should treat.
What to do if treatment on my own fails? In such a situation, a set of special events will be required that only a professional can carry out. We are talking about laboratory research, a clinical examination, and the diagnosis of internal organs.
If the cough is reflexive, you just need to eliminate the cause. You don’t have to do anything else, as the cat’s condition is stabilizing. Coughing fits will stop tormenting him.
Bronchial asthma will need to be treated for a long time. In some situations, this can last until the end of the pet’s life. From the standpoint of therapy, antihistamines with hormonal drugs are used.
Asthma is usually seasonal in nature. Signs appear most often in summer and autumn. Accordingly, it is recommended to give drugs in advance so that the cat does not stretch its neck and lie on the floor during the next attack, trying to cough.
An invasive cough can be completely prevented if prophylactic deworming is carried out. Doing this procedure is recommended once every six months.
Antibiotic use
If the cat cranes its neck, coughs, lying on the floor, and wheezes due to problems with the cardiovascular system, then the veterinarian should also treat it. The owner does not need to do anything on his own in such a situation.
Antibiotics should be used if respiratory illness is the cause of the cough. Expectorant medications may also be required, which are designed to alleviate the condition of the animal by reducing cough. A doctor should prescribe such drugs.
It should be understood that with a dry cough, it is not recommended to use drugs that help get rid of a wet cough. There are times when medications to stop this process are not given at all. Without them, in some situations, treatment can go faster due to the removal of harmful microorganisms during coughing.
Prevention
Your best bet is to prevent coughing. In order for a kitten, cat or cat not to catch a cold, you need to constantly be vaccinated. Timely vaccines will also help. Due to the presence of antibodies in their composition, such drugs can prevent the development of viral diseases.
And do not forget about the examination by a veterinarian. It is recommended to do it regularly.
Video “Coughing in cats and cats”
The video will tell you about the possible diseases that affect furry pets.
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There are a large number of different diseases, the phenomenon of many of which the owners cannot explain on their own. They begin to delve into the Internet, seek information and try to treat the disease on their own.
The reasons why are very different. It happens that this is just a simple cold, in which there is nothing wrong. However, a more serious illness happens: heart, blood vessels, respiratory tract. It can also be a serious infection or a respiratory illness. In this article we will consider the main diseases that are associated with sneezing and coughing in a cat, we will also consider treatment and prevention. The most important thing is that only a veterinarian is able to diagnose the disease and prescribe the right course of treatment, able to return the animal to its usual way of life.
However, bringing a cat to the veterinary center alone is dangerous, because the pet experiences stress and anxiety, which often only increases and increases the risk of the disease. The kitten is afraid of new places, so it is better to call a veterinarian from our veterinary center. Thanks to several reference points in Moscow and Moscow Region, the doctor will arrive in 40 minutes after the call. He brings everything he needs with him, so if, for example, analysis is needed, the owner will receive his result by the express method in 15 minutes.
Why does a cat sneeze and cough?
Ideally, this method of exhaling oxygen and air in animals and humans protects them from strangulation if some object, water, irritating substances such as smoke or gases get in the way. A cat coughs if cigarettes or a hookah are smoked in his presence. Pets are often allergic to smoky impurities. Also, if there was inflammation in the lungs, with the help of a cough, the body gets rid of the accumulated inflammations and tries to cough them up. This works for all living beings, as well as for humans. If the cat coughs, then usually it stretches its neck.
If cat coughs, then it is obvious that something is wrong with him. This is a “good” symptom for the veterinarian, because by coughing he often determines what the problems are with and further detailed diagnosis of the selected area goes. Sometimes it is the airways, sometimes the heart and blood vessels.
Cough Specifics
The cat family, unlike the same dogs, coughing is rare. Even if the disease is similar in dog and cat, and this is common, the cat only wheezes or suffers from shortness of breathsometimes just has difficulty breathing. While the dog has a cough. Often, the disease itself is determined by the sounds and the matter is only for detailed diagnosis. For example, if a cat has inflamed pleura and lungs, has pneumonia or heart problems, then it will most likely be hard to breathe and wheeze. They will not cough, because they themselves avoid it. Pets become less mobile, do not play, do not show emotions, do not meow and make no sounds. Often they just hide in a secluded place in one position or aerate at the window or balcony to make breathing easier.
If the pet has noticed such behavior, then this is already signal to sound the alarm and call the doctor at home. Namely, because in this state the cat will not want to go to a new place in the clinic. He will only experience stress, and the situation will worsen. Also, the disease will begin to progress. It is better to show the doctor how the cat behaves at the site of the disease. Only in this way the doctor diagnoses the disease correctly and applies the course of treatment.
Sometimes cat sneezes and coughs simultaneously. This usually happens with allergic reactions. Cat allergy it happens on anything: from dust and some particles and microorganisms of the house to a new filler or even feed. If the cat rubs its nose and sneezes, then this is another proof that she is allergic.
The main provocateurs
There are a number of pathologies that also provoke a cough in cats, eg:
- a foreign body has entered the respiratory tract;
- heart problem and vascular problem;
- oncology, which develops in the chest of an animal;
- pneumonia is also a dangerous disease that progresses, develops, and causes severe coughing attacks even in a cat, which itself rarely coughs;
- pneumothorax or hydrothorax - accumulation of animal air or fluid in the chest, respectively;
- an organ from the abdominal cavity enters the chest, this happens when an intestinal loop gets there and causes discomfort;
- cats have worms, which also cause;
- developing rhinotracheitis in cats;
- some others.
It is clear that this is not the whole list becomes the cause of coughing in pets. A cough in a cat is a symptom of about fifty or even hundreds of diseases. However, if the pet is coughing, then they say with confidence that the pet is sick. It is important not only to do diagnostics on your own and not to take any measures to treat your pet and entrust this matter to an experienced doctor veterinarian.
Major diseases
Below we list the main diseases that cause coughing. It’s worth monitoring them more often, because according to statistics, if a pet coughs, then for one of these reasons, and not for some rare reason. Also, in each specific example, treatment methods will be considered, because they are individual and vary greatly from cause to cause.
Bronchial asthma in cats
Disease bronchial asthma, which often affects not only people, but also our smaller brothers. Due to asthma, the cat experiences both mild coughing and hoarseness, and very strong ones. With strong cat can cough, wheeze and breathe hard, not stopping for a minute, which is very painful and tormenting the animal. Also, the cat sneezes, often without stopping. The cause of asthma is all the same as in humans, for example, physical activity, anxiety, the surrounding atmosphere and much more.
Often bronchial asthma affects young kittens, sometimes the age reaches 3 years. If we talk about the breed, then these are Siamese cats. Problems happen in the autumn and spring, as well as in people. Everything depends on the disease as such.
The disease is treated for a long and difficult time, bronchodilating drugs and drugs are prescribed that are given to the pet in the form of tablets or injections are made.
Viral rhinotracheitis in cats
Often during illness viral rhinotracheitis in cats sneezing, tears, diarrhea, snot, and other similar symptoms happen. The nose is always wet. The signs are the same as in humans, but cats have their own type of flu. There, the symptoms completely coincide with the human ones: coughing, sneezing, runny nose, etc. The disease is also contagious.
It is better to pre-vaccinate and vaccinate your pet than to treat the disease. After all, the treatment itself is complex and long. It is prescribed depending on each specific situation by the doctor.
In our veterinary center, a veterinarian is ready to come to a call in 40 minutes 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This is useful for the animal, because the cat does not leave its habitat, which means it is less worried and worried. The doctor will examine the cat and diagnose the disease, at the same time prescribe a course of treatment and tell in detail about the specifics of treatment. Working with modern methods of analysis and European technologies serve as a guarantee of the quality of our clinic.
Fighting wounds in cats
If the trachea is damaged during a fight, bruise or bite, the cough is provoked by itself without any illness. At the same time, the cat loses its appetite and desire to play, complete apathy and indifference appear. The treatment here is for a specific injury and injury. It is important not to let the injury fester and also to prevent internal bleeding.
Cat Worms
This is a separate and very big problem faced by owners around the world. Worms completely cause a strong cough in catsMoreover, cats of any age and gender are susceptible to disease. Infection occurs even if the pet has not left the walls of the house and has not communicated with other pets.
Heart cough in cats
It often happens that cats heart disease causes coughingIt happens in dogs and cats. It is difficult to make such a diagnosis, because it requires professional equipment, for example, an electrocardiogram, radiography, echocardiography. Individual treatment and it should be checked with the veterinarian separately.
What to treat?
Even if the owner is sure that the cat is sneezing and coughing due to, for example, bronchitis, or another cold, it is categorically impossible do not treat your pet yourself. All medications and treatment methods can only be prescribed by a veterinarian who diagnosed the disease. There is a risk of taking the medicine for too long, due to which an allergy or any other disease will only intensify. There is also a risk of overdoing the dosage of the drug or just not guessing with it. Indeed, many cats have personal intolerance to certain substances and drugs.
If we talk about how the doctor treats, then this is a mandatory diagnosis using various rapid tests, the appointment of a course of drugs in accordance with personal intolerance to drugs and some characteristics of the animal’s body.
How long to treat if a cat sneezes and coughs?
If it is a cold or a disease in the bronchi, then it is treated for about a week or a little more. If an allergy occurs, then it often does not go away throughout the life of the animal or is treated for a long time. If there are problems with worms, then everything is individual, because it is quite possible that the worms spread throughout the body, including the lungs. Then the disease is much more difficult to treat.
It is important to remember that coughing is not the disease itself, but only a symptom that means hundreds of different scenarios and only an experienced veterinarian can tell what the problem is and how to treat it. Our medical center provides the services of such veterinarians who diagnose the disease with the help of modern methods at home on call. They arrive already 40 minutes after the call, and the owner of the pet finds out the price by phone.
Why the cat coughs and sneezes, we will analyze the main reasons
Reasons Cat Sneezes - no less than the causes of coughing. Treatment also depends on the cause of the disease. So, if it is a fungus, then drugs are used against them. If a foreign body is stuck in the nose or trachea, then the doctor must remove it. And so on for each disease.
Here we consider the main causes and methods of their treatment, but the information is only for acquaintance and treating a pet yourself is strictly not recommended.
Upper Respiratory Tract Infections in Cats
Exactly upper respiratory tract infection in cats become the most common cause of sneezing in cats. There are different types of infections: fungus, bacteria and viruses. Symptoms are approximately the same:
- Kitten sneezes
- Often coughs
- His nose is wet
- Eyes with tears
Cat allergy
As already mentioned, from cat allergies no less tormented than people. The reasons are the same as in people: dust, strong smoke from cigarettes or hookah, pollen and flowering, various powders, new fillers for the tray, the smell of food, air fresheners, etc. In such cases, the cat rubs its nose on the surface, as well as its paws. The cat sneezes only while in an allergenic environment, also the nose becomes wet and a runny nose appears. The pet wants to quickly run away from the place where the attacks began.
If the allergy is only to the filler for the tray, then it’s just worth changing it and the allergy will go away, nothing else needs to be done. If some allergen is stuck in the way and brings discomfort for a long time - you need to see a doctor for help. It is also worth noting that the exacerbation begins during flowering periods in the spring and sometimes in the fall, so it is enough to survive small periods of time and tolerate sneezes, but then it will end and the cat will feel good.
Asthma in cats
Cats also have asthma. A few words have already been said about her, but in some cases the pet coughs, and in some it sneezes. They are treated approximately the same. The cause of the disease is a long interaction with an allergen, which caused a cough and now continues to do so on a permanent and almost chronic basis. It is often treated with warm steam that the pet inhales. This helps to clear the excess bronchi.
Heartworms in cats
As you know, mosquitoes are carriers of bacteria and diseases, remember at least malaria in Africa. However, not everyone knows that mosquitoes can infect a cat with a simple bite. Microscopic larvae enter the body through the proboscis of the insect. Through the blood vessels and paths, they enter the heart, or rather, in its right chambers. The nearest pulmonary and cardiac arteries are affected, the worms become clogged and make breathing difficult, from which the pet sneezes. If he sneezes frequently, the arteries become blocked and sometimes a heart attack occurs. The main symptoms here are just a cat sneezing and coughing.
Only a veterinarian who has already encountered a similar problem should treat a pet in such a situation. It cannot be ignored and something can not be advised, because the case is serious and requires the same serious intervention from a specialist. It is better, of course, to carry out preventive procedures to avoid infection in principle.
Tooth problems in cats
Sometimes it happens. Yes, it’s rare, but if there are any problems with the teeth (smell from the mouth, suppuration, illness with gums). The infection, which struck and caused these causes, gets to the respiratory tract, which leads to sneezing. This happens to kittens who are still weak and immune to attack.
Conclusion
As already mentioned, if a cat sneezes and coughs, you can’t treat the pet yourself, you must entrust this to professionals who know how to diagnose the disease and treat it. There are two sides to the coin. On the one hand, coughing and sneezing indicate that not everything is in order and it just helps to understand that you need to call a doctor. On the other hand, such small and insignificant symptoms indicate one of almost fifty or even hundreds of diseases. It is not possible to diagnose them on their own with all the desire, because the owner of the pet does not have X-rays, means and understanding of laboratory diagnostics, etc.
In our veterinary center, a doctor comes to a call in 40 minutes, because many strong points in Moscow and the Moscow region allow you to get to you as quickly as possible. The final price will be announced by telephone and the doctor will also ask a number of questions, the answers to which will help him form an opinion even before arriving at the place. This means that the part that is most likely to become ill and will be diagnosed on site at the same time using express tests will be examined immediately. European technology and a professional approach guarantee the quality and the fact that pets are in the reliable and loving hands of our experts!
Often, pet owners go to the veterinary clinic because the cat is coughing. The reasons for this condition of the animal may be infectious diseases or colds. In cases of untimely treatment in cats, coughing can be a sign of an inflammatory process in the lungs.
Causes of Coughing in Cats
- Coughing trichobesoars.
- Cough that is caused by traumatic throat damage.
- Diseases of a viral nature.
- Helminthic infestations.
- Pneumonia.
Coughing Trichobesoars
Coughing in cats, caused by irritation of the gastric mucosa and its release through vomiting, is a physiological process in the body.
The process is connected with the fact that the cat regularly conducts hygiene procedures, licking himself. Wool from the tongue along with saliva passes through the esophagus into the stomach, where a lump of wool forms, which irritates the mucous membrane. The cat feels discomfort and tries to free the stomach from a foreign body. From the side it looks like this: the cat is pressed to the floor, performs actions with the body, as if choked. After coughing, the bezoar may not come out, so the animal continues to make attempts to empty the stomach. At the end of the attack, a round ball of wool comes out of the mouth and the animal ceases to want to cough.
Such a process is physiological and does not require treatment. When the problem recurs, the owners do not know what to do. In this case, the animal must be transferred to a special diet that reduces hair loss. Sometimes pastes are used that dissolve wool in the stomach, reducing its irritating effect.
Cough caused by traumatic throat damage
Throat injuries can occur as a result of:
- feeding fish with bones;
- feeding birds with bones;
- chewing on toys and eating small parts.
These factors can cause small scratches and cracks in the mucous membrane of the throat, which cause irritation, causing the cat to cough.
Before treating a cough in a cat or kitten, you need to make sure that its cause is not a trauma to the tissues of the throat.
As a rule, this problem goes away at home without additional treatment after changing the feed. Adult cats, and especially kittens, are forbidden to feed products with bones, they can become not only the cause of damage to the throat, but also the stomach and intestines!
Viral diseases
Coughing in cats with viral infections is accompanied by lacrimation, inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eyes and nose. The animal has a fever, the cat is constantly craning its neck, the cat is sneezing.
If the cat sneezes and coughs for several days, then the owner must urgently take the animal for examination to the veterinarian. Infectious diseases can not go away on their own, and for a kitten they can cause death.
Kittens are vaccinated against rhinotracheitis and calcivirosis from the age of three months, this is the only way to prevent a pet’s disease.
Helminthic infestations
Treatment and prevention of helminthic invasions consists of regular deworming, it must be carried out at least once every 4 months. Regular prophylactic use of anilmintics is easier than treating an animal with a high degree of invasion.
Pneumonia
Signs of pneumonia
- Fever.
- The cat coughs and wheezes.
- Lack of appetite.
Inflammation in the lungs of cats develops very quickly, so you need to seek the help of a veterinarian in a timely manner, he will make an accurate diagnosis and tell you how to cure the animal of pneumonia. The main difference between pneumonia and diseases of viral etiology is the presence of wheezing in the lungs during and after coughing, the cough is so strong that the animal can begin to suffocate. Rhinotracheitis can be accompanied by sneezing of the animal, which cannot be observed with pneumonia.
Most often, the disease develops against a background of hypothermia or concomitant diseases. Another reason why the cat got pneumonia can be heart failure. That is why it is recommended that you seek help from a qualified specialist as soon as possible.
If the cat coughs from pneumonia, then independent attempts to cure the pet can cause the development of irreversible processes in the tissues of the lungs and lead to the death of the animal.
Asthma
If the cat coughs with attacks in which the animal can sit, stretching its neck and snuggling to the floor. In this case, there is no general inhibition of the body, characteristic pneumonia or viral infections.
To treat asthma, you need to seek the help of a veterinarian, he establishes a diagnosis and prescribes a course of treatment based on the health status of the cat. It is strictly forbidden to start asthma treatment on your own - this can cause a chronic disease in the animal.
Other causes of coughing in cats
- Closing the airway with a foreign object. In case of liquid in the nose, the cat sneezes. It occurs if the animal choked on food or a foreign object, in other words, the cat simply choked.
- The development of cardiovascular failure. With this pathology, a symptom may be a dry cough that lasts more than 2 weeks.
- The development of tumors in the organs of the chest cavity. Neoplasms can cause compression of the airways and cause coughing.
- Hydrothorax and pneumothorax. These pathologies are quite rare, but can cause a cat to develop cough.
- Hernia on the diaphragm. This pathology can be accompanied by the fact that the organs of the abdominal cavity enter the chest, cause compression and cough.
Regardless of the reasons why the cat coughs, you need to carefully monitor it. Cough manifestations in cats are less common than in other animal species and are often a symptom of serious illness.
Only a veterinarian can determine the real cause of a cough in a cat and prescribe the right treatment for it.
