Is my cat wheezing or hairball?
Some cats that we may think have hairballs may actually have serious respiratory problems. Frequent or prolonged episodes of coughing may in fact be the result of serious respiratory conditions such as feline asthma. If you listen closely, you may be able to detect a wheezing sound as the cat exhales.
Is my cat coughing or wheezing?
A wheezing noise between coughs could indicate that your cat can’t get enough oxygen to their lungs. Wheezing is produced in the lower airways and occurs when air passageways constrict, and/or when inflammation causes swelling. This could be an indicator of feline asthma.
The wheezing sound can come when the hairball is on its way out of the esophagus. Your cat or kitten will often make wheezing, retching, or gagging noises as well until the hairball is finally expelled.
Why does my cat wheeze all the time?
Another cause of wheezing is a foreign body that is trapped in the respiratory tract. In more rare circumstances, wheezing is a sign that a cat is suffering from a serious health condition, such as heartworms, parasites, pneumonia, or heart failure.
Is it possible for a cat to have a hairball?
If you share your life with a cat, or two, or five, you have almost certainly heard your cat making a very troubled wheezing, coughing, retching sound that you assumed to be a hairball. Sometimes though, no hairball is produced; then you ask “Could it be something else?” Well yes it could.
What can cause a cat to cough like a hairball?
Sprays, powders and propellants can cause a harsh cough that is similar to that of a hairball. Flea spray and flea powders can be inhaled and will cause sudden coughing episodes. Always cover your cat’s face when using such products. [ Check out ‘Flea and Tick Insecticide Poisoning in Cats.’]
Why does my cat keep retching and coughing?
Of course sometimes the cause of coughing and retching is actually a hairball. Hairballs, known to veterinarians as trichobezoars, occur as a result of cats grooming and swallowing the hair they remove. Many cats spend a good deal of their day grooming.
What does a wheeze sound like in a cat?
Wheezing differs from a coughing or choking sound, and can look different as well. Wheezing in cats sounds similar to wheezing in humans or similar to just before your cat coughs up a hairball. It usually sounds like a huffing or whistling noise as they inhale or exhale or a slight rattling of the breath.
What causes a cat to cough and wheeze?
Although cat wheezing and coughing may sound similar, they are different. Coughing is usually associated with the lungs and is most commonly caused by an infection or asthma. On the other hand, wheezing can involve any part of the respiratory tract and has many more potential causes.
If you share your life with a cat, or two, or five, you have almost certainly heard your cat making a very troubled wheezing, coughing, retching sound that you assumed to be a hairball. Sometimes though, no hairball is produced; then you ask “Could it be something else?” Well yes it could.
What should I do if my cat wheezes all the time?
“Depending on the underlying cause of your cat’s wheezing, your veterinarian will determine the appropriate treatment, if necessary,” Dr. Larson says. “This may be a steroid or inhaler for asthma, antibiotics for a bacterial infection or anti-viral supplements for a respiratory virus.
