Cough is not as common a clinical sign in cats as it is in dogs, but sometimes we can hear our cat coughing and experience other clinical signs or not. In any case, we must find out what motivates them, for which we will have to go to the vet's office.
Next, in the following article on our site, in collaboration with VETFORMACIÓN, we talk about cough in cats, its symptoms, causes and treatment.
What is cough in cats?
Cough is not a disease, but a reflex act that aims to eliminate some irritating agent, mechanical or chemical, deposited in the bronchi, lungs or trachea, which interferes, to a greater or lesser extent, with breathing. When a cat coughs, it makes a sudden, loud sound, like a puff of air. Also, on occasion, he stretches out his neck and sticks out his tongue.
We must distinguish coughs from sneezes, which involve a sudden exit of air both through the nose and mouth, and from nausea or retching, in which there is a movement from the stomach, often followed by vomiting. This differentiation is important because it is common to hear the cat "cough" before expelling a hairball. As we have seen, in this case it would not be a cat coughing, but rather gagging.
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Types of cough in cats
Cough can be acute or chronic. Let's see below what each of them consists of:
- Acute cough: it is of short duration and would be the one that, for example, is triggered by the presence of a foreign body. In other words, it would be coughing attacks in punctual cats, which will last a few hours or, at most, a few days.
- Chronic cough: is the one that is repeated, more or less frequently, over weeks and even months. It is usually associated with different diseases.
In addition, there is another differentiation between the dry or unproductive cough and the productive, which is the one that is accompanied by the emission of secretions, such as phlegm.
Why does my cat cough a lot? - Causes
We review below the most common causes that can explain why cats cough:
Irritating agents and foreign bodies
Multiple substances, such as smoke or dust, and any object that ends up in the airways, such as a spike or any other plant fragment, are capable of causing irritation in the mucosa, triggering a cough.
Rhinotracheitis
Feline rhinotracheitis is a viral disease, caused by herpesviruses and caliciviruses, which causes respiratory problems, especially in cats younger, not yet vaccinated and with an immature immune system. One of the clinical signs that characterizes it is dry cough Even recovered, cats that have suffered from rhinotracheitis may suffer occasional coughing episodes.
Parasites
Some internal parasites do not live in the digestive system, but in the lungs or the heart, which can cause coughing, among other things clinical signs, due to the inflammatory reactions caused by its presence. Examples are the one known as heartworm or Dirofilaria immitis and the species Toxoplasma gondii and Aelurostrongylus abstrusus.
Get to know all the Parasites that affect cats in this other article.
Feline inflammatory bronchial disease
This name refers to bronchial asthma and chronic bronchitis, which present the same symptoms. They cause a chronic inflammation that produces bronchoconstriction In chronic bronchitis the origin is usually not ascertained. In asthma it is due to a hypersensitivity reaction to inhaled allergens. Unlike in chronic bronchitis, the damage is reversible. It can give us the feeling that our cat coughs as if he were drowning, because he can run out of air.
Pleural effusion
This is a accumulation of fluid in the pleural space due to different causes and the result of which is impaired lung function. This explains the appearance of cough and other clinical signs depending on the cause. It is urgent to go to the vet.
Other pathologies
In addition to those mentioned, any condition that causes irritation of the respiratory tract, whether caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi, is likely to cause cough in our cat. Cancer, that is, the growth of tumors in the respiratory tract, is another possible cause of cough in cats. They can originate in it or be metastases from a cancer located elsewhere.
Cat cough symptoms
Depending on the cause of the cough, the cat may present other clinical signs, which will help to reach a diagnosis, as well as observing the characteristics of the cough, which can be chronic or acute, productive or unproductive, with expulsion of blood, mucus, a clear trigger, etc. We highlight the following clinical signs:
- Runny nose and eyes.
- Sneezing.
- Loss of appetite and weight loss.
- Difficulty swallowing.
- Dehydration.
- Bad coat appearance.
- Trouble breathing and fast breathing.
- Dyspnea or shortness of breath.
- Lethargy.
- Fever.
- Pale mucous membranes.
- Exercise intolerance.
Treatment for cough in cats
My cat has a cough, what do I do? If your cat is coughing a lot or has a cough that doesn't go away, you should consult your vet to determine the cause, especially urgently if he shows other clinical signs such as those mentioned. The professional will carry out a complete examination, an anamnesis and the necessary tests, which may be X-rays, ultrasounds, electrocardiograms, blood and stool tests, cultures, bronchoalveolar lavage, etc.
Based on the cause, he will prescribe the treatment. For example, in case of rhinotracheitis antibiotics are used to combat secondary bacterial infections. Additionally, more severe cats may require hospitalization. If they do not eat and are dehydrated, fluid therapy, intravenous medication and even forced feeding will have to be prescribed. A cat with a pleural effusion will also require hospitalization. Oxygen, medication, and even surgery may need to be given depending on the cause.
Other diseases will need immunotherapy, corticosteroids, bronchodilators or antihistamines Feline inflammatory bronchial disease requires permanent treatment and exhaustive veterinary follow-up. If there are parasites, they must be identified in order to prescribe the appropriate antiparasitic. Tumors and foreign bodies may need to be removed in the operating room. Also, for cancer, chemotherapy is sometimes prescribed. Of course, if we identify any triggering factor for our cat's cough, such as smoke, we should avoid exposing it to it.
As we can see, the objective is not to make the cough disappear, but to eliminate or control the cause that is causing it. Finally, vaccination is recommended to prevent diseases that cause coughing, among other clinical signs, such as rhinotracheitis, as well as keeping the cat at its ideal weight, since extra kilos make it difficult to breathe.
Having said all of the above, if your cat coughs and you don't know why, don't hesitate to go to your trusted veterinary clinic as soon as possible to find the cause and start the best treatment.
