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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / November 2004Cat coughing or retching (not sure which)
I have a 7 or 8 month old kitten I picked up from a shelter a few months ago. She later ended up testing positive for Feline Leukemia. About a month ago she started either coughing or retching daily on average. She starts making a hacking type sound then jumps to the floor and lies flat on the ground (sometimes with her head on the floor, sometimes not) the hacking sound gets more intense until she finally makes a regurgitation sound. She never spits anything out though. The whole thing lasts about 20 or 30 seconds. Other than that, there doesn't seem to be anything physically wrong with her. I brought her to the vet and the vet asked me to videotape her in the act so he could tell if it is a cough or retch. I don't have a video camera so he wants to run x-rays since he says cats that are coughing are seriously ill. From past experience though I think the vet is looking at my cat as a cash cow so I tend not to believe everything he says. Is there an easy way to figure out if she is coughing or retching? Also is coughing a sign of something serious like the vet said? >I have a 7 or 8 month old kitten I picked up from a shelter a few >months ago. She later ended up testing positive for Feline Leukemia. [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] >Is there an easy way to figure out if she is coughing or retching? >Also is coughing a sign of something serious like the vet said? The posture you describe sounds exactly like the coughing cats do when they have asthma. Asthma is serious but very treatable. Our own cat's asthma is completely controlled by a puff of inhaled medication every other day and she hasn't coughed in a year. A vet should be able to arrive at a diagnosis of asthma without seeing a videotape; since you don't trust your vet anyway, if I were you I'd see a different one. Our cat was diagnosed with chest x-rays and a blood test that showed an allergic response (inhalant allergies). I'd also have that vet re-test for FeLV to see if it's still positive. For what it's worth, the vet gave her a physical (listened to the lungs, took temperature, etc) and said she sounded normal. He said she could have walking pnemonia though. He never even mentioned asthma. Unfortunately the vet I like had to reschedule do to an emergency which is why I saw this vet (his partner). This vet also misdiagnosed an ear infection in my other cat as mites even though the mite test came back negative twice. The vet I wanted to go to diagnosed the problem just by looking at the cat. I scheduled her to get an x-ray (the vet also wants to do a white blood count test on her now and again every 3 months). Unfortunately the way it works is I have to leave her at the vet all day (not sure why, but that's what they said I have to do). They also might have to sedate her since she will definately be freaked out. What started out as being $80 for an x-ray all the sudden has nearly doubled. To be truthful I don't want to end up spending a huge amount of money on a terminally ill cat, but apparently the vet has other ideas. > For what it's worth, the vet gave her a physical (listened to the > lungs, took temperature, etc) and said she sounded normal. He said she could have walking pnemonia though. He never even mentioned asthma. You need a new vet. >For what it's worth, the vet gave her a physical (listened to the >lungs, took temperature, etc) and said she sounded normal. He said she >could have walking pnemonia though. He never even mentioned asthma. He thinks she has pneumonia and he didn't rush to treat her? A cat can die of pneumonia in 24 hours. I agree with another poster; I'd see another vet. Coughing isn't normal, but the seriousness of the cause can vary. It can be asthma or bronchitis, heartworm, bordetella, or a heart condition. >Unfortunately the vet I like had to reschedule do to an emergency which >is why I saw this vet (his partner). This vet also misdiagnosed an ear [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >that's what they said I have to do). They also might have to sedate >her since she will definately be freaked out. I guess some vets do sedate cats for an x-ray, but mine doesn't. Our cat was x-rayed right there in the office. He just has some of the assitants hold the cat still. IMO it's not really something for which you need to leave the cat there all day. What started out as >being $80 for an x-ray all the sudden has nearly doubled. To be >truthful I don't want to end up spending a huge amount of money on a >terminally ill cat, but apparently the vet has other ideas. How was your cat tested for FeLV? The ELISA test will turn up more false postives than the IFA test. Also, keep in mind that some cats with FeLV can live a fairly healthy life for several years. That may be what the vet is thinking. > I have a 7 or 8 month old kitten I picked up from a shelter a few > months ago. She later ended up testing positive for Feline Leukemia. > About a month ago she started either coughing or retching daily on > average. It is probably asthma but could be heartworms. She needs to go back to the vet. > Is there an easy way to figure out if she is coughing or retching? Well of course--if she is retching you will find vomit. > Also is coughing a sign of something serious like the vet said? Cats can die from asthma but only if you allow it to go untreated. Your cat does need a chest xray--your vet and even you can tell from that if she has asthma. Then you can go with an inhaler as someone else said, or with a shot of Depo Medrol (my cat gets about two shots a year and never coughs any more) or oral steroids. It is only a big deal if you do not treat it. >Cats can die from asthma but only if you allow it to go untreated. Your cat >does need a chest xray--your vet and even you can tell from that if she has >asthma. Sometimes they can tell from a CXR, but not always. Might need other tests. Teri For what its worth, my cats do this when they're trying to cough up a hairball or have 'found' a little dust ball someplace or other! >I have a 7 or 8 month old kitten I picked up from a shelter a few > months ago. She later ended up testing positive for Feline Leukemia. [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > Is there an easy way to figure out if she is coughing or retching? > Also is coughing a sign of something serious like the vet said? > Is there an easy way to figure out if she is coughing or retching? > Also is coughing a sign of something serious like the vet said? Sounds like she's coughing -- stretched out flat with head low to the floor, making a wheezing sound. Retching or bringing up a hairball usually is not the flat posture, and it sounds more like "york, york, york." Cats, like humans, will sometimes have a coughing fit until they throw up, which tends to make a lot of people confuse coughing for trying to retch up a hairball. Coughing may be asthma, allergies or lung parasites, and can be quite serious. Have her chest x-rayed.  Signaturejamie (jamiemck@newsguy.com) "There's a seeker born every minute." >From: morac99-usenet@yahoo.com (Morac) >About a month ago she started either coughing or retching daily on >average. She starts making a hacking type sound then jumps to the >floor and lies flat on the ground (sometimes with her head on the >floor, sometimes not) the hacking sound gets more intense until she >finally makes a regurgitation sound. She never spits anything out >though. The whole thing lasts about 20 or 30 seconds. Sounds like possible asthma. A test for it involves a tracheal wash. But I'd make sure you go to a good vet to have it done. Good luck, Lauren ________ See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html Declawing Info: http://www.wholecatjournal.com/articles/claws.htm I have to say your story is very similar to ours. Our Rocky begins hacking, gets down on the floor real low and flat, with a cough building up until he finally makes that "sound". Rocky too shows no other symptoms although is a little more susceptible to head colds than our other 4 boys. Took him to the vet who put him on a course of antibiotics to rule out a respiratory infection. Our vet is now treating him as an asthmatic with a short term dose of Prednisone. This medication has actually worked well so far and the hacking episodes are now only one or two a day. BTW, fwiw, there have been many threads re: ashtma in felines and Rocky is not overweight and is in otherwise perfect health. We have a fairly expensive air cleaner, we do not open windows (with the 80+ degree weather here in Georgia we still have the air on), do not smoke and keep a clean house. Lisa http://www.hoosierkitties.com Hoosier Kitties- Resource Links for You About Your Cat > I have a 7 or 8 month old kitten I picked up from a shelter a few > months ago. She later ended up testing positive for Feline Leukemia. > About a month ago she started either coughing or retching daily on > average. She starts making a hacking type sound then jumps to the [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > Is there an easy way to figure out if she is coughing or retching? > Also is coughing a sign of something serious like the vet said? >I have to say your story is very similar to ours. > [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > >Lisa A short course of prednisone is sometimes used to help diagnose asthma--if the symptoms abate, then presumably the cat does have asthma. In our case, our cat's coughing completely ceased within 24 hours of starting the prednisone. Your cat can be allergic to something inside the house, no matter how clean. Our vet said that many times you never actually find out what the cat is allergic to. In our case we assume it is something airborne. I took in a sick stray a couple of years ago. He turned out to have distemper (I don't know if that's pneumonia or what). At any rate, he did get well, but has always lived outside and every fall and spring he ends up with an upper respiratory infection, the vet said is a effect of the distemper. When his uri starts, he will act the same way, hacking/coughing like he has a hairball while laying flat on the ground, and also coughing/sneezing (sometimes it's hard to tell which). I have to take him to the vet for a course of antibiotics (costs about $60 for me) and he is fine again until the damp weather starts again in fall/spring. You said you got the cat from a shelter? Do you know its history? I guess it is a long stretch, but I thought I would share my experience. P.S. No posts telling me that I am irresponsible allowing the cat to live outside. He was around 8 months when I found him and being indoors absolutely freaks him out. He always has his vaccines, and I would rather him live a short, *happy* life outside than a long *miserable* one indoors. > >I have to say your story is very similar to ours. > > [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > Our vet said that many times you never actually find out what the cat is > allergic to. In our case we assume it is something airborne. |
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