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Cat Owner Shows How To Tell Vital Difference Between Asthma And Hairball
Those who are lucky enough to have cats will know all about the joys of hairballs. Hairballs are a common by-product of your pet grooming themselves, and the occasional one is absolutley harmless.
An often slender and cylindrical shaped collection of hair that forms after your pet grooms, a cat with often vomit up a hairball. However, if your cat is coughing up hairballs frequently, it could be time to see a vet.
In addition, cat owners should be looking for signs for whether it's just a hairball, or something more serious, such as asthma. A cat owner from Washington DC in the US has shared some of the ways you can tell whether your cat has asthma or just a hairball.
The cat owner often shares videos of her two cats Leo, who has asthma, and Lucy, who "has thumbs". Taking to TikTok, the cat owner shared: "Caught Leo with a hairball tonight and thought I'd make this video for people wanting to see the differences between hairballs and asthma! To me it's really obvious when you see them side by side. I hope people find this helpful! Poor Leo."
She then shared two clips, one of when Leo is suffering from the following asthma symptoms:
She then shared another video, of when Leo had a hairball, and shared the symptoms:
Warning, below video ends with cat having a hairball
According to the Blue Cross, like in humans, asthma in cats "is a chronic inflammation of the small passageways in the lungs". It can often be brought on by allergy or stress, and usually develops between the ages of two and eight. It's incurable, btu can be managed with the right care and medication.
If your cat is displaying any of these symptoms, you should speak to a vet straight away. Coughing or wheezing is a serious health issue, as it happens because the lungs are inflamed and are at risk of developing scarring.
Arming Yourself Against Allergies
Narrator
Outdoor allergens, like pollen, can spell trouble both for those with hay fever and for people with asthma.Stanley Fineman, MD
The tricky part about asthma is finding out what causes it—what triggers the symptoms in the patients. So, many patients—in fact most patients—have allergies triggering their asthma symptoms.Narrator
For Matthew Griffin there's no end to allergy season because some of his most troublesome triggers occur indoors.Matthew Griffin
I have a pretty wide variety of allergies. My biggest two or three is pollens and dust mites and dogs and cats.Narrator
Obviously you can't keep away from all triggers at all times, but you can draw your defenses around the areas where you'll get the most out of your efforts.Karen DeMuth, MD
We generally concentrate on the bedroom — to be honest with you — because that's the room where you spend, hopefully, eight hours every night sleeping. So we want to make that bedroom as pristine as possible.Narrator
So it's probably a bad idea to let pets near your bed if you're allergic. But there are other factors to consider even if you don't have a pet…like how to contain dust mites.Stanley Fineman, MD
Dust mites are little microscopic insects that feed on shed human skin.Narrator
Harmless to most people, the droppings left behind by these minuscule critters can ignite symptoms or an asthma attack for those allergic. Dust mites tend to live on fabrics and upholstery that frequently come into contact with human or animal skin—like furniture, carpets, curtains, pillows and mattresses.Stanley Fineman, MD
…So if we can help patients to avoid the dust mites and the best way to do that is really encasing the mattresses and box springs in a dust-mite-proof encasement.Narrator
You can further reduce dust mites in your bedroom by: Replacing carpeting with wood or tile flooring; Removing clutter, like extra pillows and stuffed animals; Vacuuming under and around the bed on a regular basis; and frequently washing bedding and curtains using hot water. As far as outdoor allergens go… do your best to keep them outside.: (WINDOW CLOSING)
Matthew Griffin
We have the air conditioning on a lot—we never open our windows.Stanley Fineman, MD
Leave your shoes at the door or outside so that you don't track it in throughout the carpet or through the house because it can stay there.Narrator
For WebMD, I'm Damon Meharg.Treat Cat Asthma At Home With These 12 Tips From A Vet
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.Generate Key Takeaways
"Is asthma deadly for cats? My cat has had it for a few years, and his breathing while sleeping is pretty loud. Thanks."
A: Asthma in cats can cause your cat to die. That is unusual, as it is much more common for the airway to swell, for there not to be enough oxygen in the blood, and for the cat to lose consciousness and collapse. Cats with asthma that are not treated do suffer.
If it is treated, however, cats can live long and almost normal lives. New research shows that about 5% of all cats have asthma (1), so it needs to be recognized, treated when an attack occurs, and prevented at home.
Related: How to Give a Cat a Pill Without a Big Struggle
Symptoms of Asthma in CatsJust breathing loudly when sleeping is not enough for you to worry about asthma. It is seen in some cases of asthma, however, so if there are other symptoms present, you do need to take care of it.
The most common complaints we hear when cats present with asthma include:
Coughing: This is definitely the most common symptom. Cats cough like they are trying to spit up a hairball, but some will just cough and then start wheezing.
Breathing fast: This is common even when just walking around.
Breathing with an open mouth: Some cat breeds do this all the time, but it is not normal in most pets.
Hunching over with the neck stretched out: This is especially common if your cat still plays.
Weakness: Your cat will be reluctant to play and will sometimes go to the bowl but will eat very slowly.
Blue lips/gums: Some cats develop blue lips or gums since they cannot get enough oxygen.
Coughing and open-mouth breathing are common signs of asthma in cats.Fantom_rd, Canva
Veterinary CareMild cases will get by fine with home care, but some cats that have episodes will need:
A corticosteroid injection: This medication will reduce the inflammation in the lungs, and a long-acting form can be given to keep the cat comfortable for longer.
Corticosteroid pills: Medication might be sent home if your cat's condition cannot be controlled with environmental changes.
A bronchodilator: If a cat is having an acute attack, a bronchodilator opens up the tubes feeding into the lungs and allows the cat to breathe more normally.
Oxygen therapy: Some cats will need to be put in a cage with higher levels of oxygen.
Obese cats suffer from this problem a lot more often than thin cats. No matter how much your cat weighs, however, taking care of asthma at home can be done when the symptoms are mild.
Home care is fairly simple, and some cats may not even need medications. Since asthmatic cats have a hypersensitivity reaction to inhaled allergens (2), avoiding exposure is the most effective method to prevent any bouts of this.
Some of the ways that you can prevent exposure include:
1. Do Not Let Your Cat OutsideIf you are still letting your cat outside, there are many reasons to stop. The most important reason is that, by being inside, he or she is no longer going to get attacked by other cats, chased by dogs, or hit by a car.
If your cat also has asthma, the best way to avoid exposure is to keep your cat inside where you can control the environment. If you let your cat out and they decide to hide in a car trunk full of mold, they can die there.
2. Change the Cat LitterIf you are using a litter with fragrance, just switch to a normal product. There are also litters that do not produce much dust.
3. Groom Your Cat FrequentlyNot all cats will allow it, but if your pet does not freak out with a vacuum, get them used to running it over their body. You will remove a lot of allergens and loose hair every time you vacuum and brush your cat.
If you cannot do this, at least use a moist washcloth and run it over your cat each day to remove any loose allergens.
4. Wash the Cat BedDo this often, and use hot water to kill any mites on the bed. Some cat beds come with a separate cover that can be removed to wash; if you do not have one of these yet, I would definitely recommend it, as they are easier to wash more often.
There are also cat beds sold as "hypoallergenic" that are designed to allow fewer dust mites than a normal bed. The fabric is more tightly woven than a normal bed but still needs to be washed regularly.
Related: How to Make a DIY No-Sew Fleece Pet Bed
Use a robot vacuum to keep things clean. Your cat might love it too!Lavju, Canva
5. Vacuum More OftenFocus on the areas where your cats like to hang out. The robot vacuums are the best choice since they will clean the environment all day long.
6. Use a HEPA FilterOne of the best methods for reducing allergens in your cat's environment is to close the windows and use a HEPA filter in your air conditioner.
7. Get a HumidifierA humidifier often makes cats more comfortable when resting and sleeping. In more humid environments, cats have thinner discharge and are able to cough it up more easily.
8. Replace Carpeting With Hard FlooringThis is a big project and not for everyone, but if you can do without wall-to-wall carpeting, a hardwood or tile floor is easy to keep clean and holds on to fewer allergens.
9. Have Your House Tested for MoldsIf you have walls that get wet or a bathroom that stays moist, it is worth it for both your cat and your own health to find out if you have mold. If you see it growing on the walls or ceilings, it is already at high levels.
10. No Smoking Around Your CatThis habit irritates pets and humans with asthma, so if you smoke, do it outside. Marijuana smoke is as problematic as tobacco smoke.
11. No Perfumes on or Around Your CatThis includes the aerosol air fresheners. Do not add any chemicals to your cat's environment, as they all can provoke an asthma attack.
12. Reduce Your Cat's StressThe final step of home care for asthma is to reduce stress. That is not always so easy to do, but if you have visitors over, you need to allow your cat a hiding place so that they do not feel trapped into interacting.
Amazon sells cat hide boxes that look like furniture and reduce stress when you have visitors. They are also great if you have a dog, as your cat can avoid that pet if they feel the need to get away for a while.
If your cat gets worse and develops more symptoms, you should speak with your local veterinarian so that this can be diagnosed and some medications can be sent home.
Up Next:
Related: I Think My Cat Has a Cold—What Should I Do?
SourcesTrzil JE. Feline Asthma: Diagnostic and Treatment Update. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 2020 Mar;50(2):375-391. Doi: 10.1016/j.Cvsm.2019.10.002. Epub 2019 Dec 4. PMID: 31812220. Https://pubmed.Ncbi.Nlm.Nih.Gov/31812220/
Corcoran BM, Foster DJ, Fuentes VL. Feline asthma syndrome: a retrospective study of the clinical presentation in 29 cats. J Small Anim Pract. 1995 Nov;36(11):481-8. Doi: 10.1111/j.1748-5827.1995.Tb02787.X. PMID: 8587322. Https://pubmed.Ncbi.Nlm.Nih.Gov/8587322/
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