Dear Simba,
I have recently adopted a Simaese-cross kitten. Every few days I catch him wheezing. He wheezes for a minute or so usually when he is inactive. My friend who owns several cats said it was nothing to worry about. However, my other cat is 5 and never wheezes. I think something might be up - what this all mean? - Sophie

Dear Sophie,
Wheezing is not usually a good thing. You often find cats out of breath after heavy exercise. That is normal. However, wheezing when inactive is usually indicative of asthma and Cardiomyiopathy. Below is some information on Feline Asthma, that you may find helpful.

Feline Asthma
I imagine that it must be heart wrenching to watch kitty struggle to breathe. Asthma is a disease that causes wheezing and coughing. It affects young and middle aged cats (most common in cats between 1 and 8 years of age). Female cats are twice as likely to have asthma, as are male cats. Also, Siamese and Himalayan get it more frequently then other breeds. Asthma can occur any time of the year, although less than 1% of all cats will ever develop feline asthma. Allergens are the prime suspect in the cause of feline asthma. Diagnosis is based on x-rays and response to steroid treatment. Afflicted kitties that are kept on the lowest effective doses often lead normal, healthy lives with only an occasional flair up.

Symptoms?
Symptoms vary widely in severity and range from an occasional episode of coughing and wheezing to chronic and persistent coughing and wheezing. Cats often stand with their head stretched forward while they cough. Sometimes it may appear that they are coughing something up. In more severe attacks the cat may suffer from acute respiratory distress and open mouth breathing. In cases where the coughing is severe the cat may vomit after coughing spells.

Causes?
There appear to be several factors involved in the development of feline asthma. Cats with feline asthma have chronic inflammation of the tissues that line the bronchial walls in the lungs. The tissues may hyper-react to certain allergens, viruses or infections. This hyper-reaction causes inflammation and an increase in mucous secretion that then leads to a decrease in the size of the airways, causing the symptoms to worsen. Problem allergens include smoke, insect and hair sprays, dust (flea powders, litter, carpet fresheners) feather pillows, perfumes, and Christmas trees. Ragweed pollen may cause attacks. In addition some cats may have asthma attacks in response to food allergies, particularly fish based foods that may be higher in natural histamines. Bacterial infections, mycoplasma and viruses may also contribute to attacks of feline asthma.

Diagnosis?
Feline asthma is diagnosed through symptoms, chest x-rays, and response to treatment. Chest x-rays show inflammation of the bronchioles in the lungs. Improvement of the symptoms wiith steroids usually confirms diagnosis if the symptoms and x-rays are consistent with feline asthma. Because other diseases cause similar symptoms, tests are need to ensure the proper treatment. These are comprised of blood counts and chemistry profile in addition to a heartworm check, among others.

Treatment?
Corticosteroid is the most popular treatment of feline asthma. Most kitties are put on an every other day oral dose. The treatment lasts for the remainder of their lives. Kitties with less severe cases may only need treatment during flair ups. Injections can be used in cats that are difficult to pill. Because there is a possibility of long-term side effects, the goal is to give only the minimum effective dose. In addition to steroids, some veterinarians use terbutaline to aid in bronchodilatation. Another common drug is Cyproheptadine (Periactin), an antihistamine that blocks serotonin and smooth muscle contraction in the bronchioles.

Your best bet is to have your vet check out your kitty, so he can begin the proper treatment Keep me posted. Simba

Hello Simba,
My kitten, Arizona, pants like a dog. I'm going to take Ari to the vet soon, but I'm kinda concerned now. Arizona pants when we exercise him. I run around with this mouse on a cord type toy and after ~5 minutes he is out of breath. Is he out of shape? We have a dog he has been playing with since he was young. Could this be a sign of Asthma? Sometimes it scares me because he looks terrible, his tongue hangs out and he looks like a dog does. Have you ever heard of this? I can't find it anywhere on the internet.

FYI, Arizona was a stray. We found him as a kitten on our cross-country move to CA, in where else but Arizona! This was during the summer and our ride broke down in the Mojave. That's the first time I ever saw Ari pant like this. It was extremely hot that day (~104 degrees). I had my friend rush him to an air-conditioned store about 20 miles away while I stayed with the broken down Uhaul. Could that have hurt his lungs? Dave

Dear Dave
You can check if your kitten is out of shape by clicking on the following Body Guide. However, I worry that your little guy may be experiencing feline asthma. This is a common condition amongst cats and can include sudden onsets of respiratory distress. Asthma responds well to corticosteroids and bronchodilators. While Arizona may still have ocassional "episodes" the long-term prognosis for asthma are pretty good.

Another thing you may want to watch for is heartworm disease. Cats can develop respiratory problems as they combat the growth of these worms. The same may go for lungworm. Have your vet keep an eye out for lungworm too. As for the heat impacting his lungs, it is possible, but keep in mind that there are a lot of variables at play here. Keep me posted. Simba

Follow-up:
Dave writes: Thanks for your response. I’m going to ask my vet about asthma and about the worms. I checked your Bodyguide chart and my fiancee and I laughed... Ari looks like the cat in "overweight" but he is a kitten.... we have reduced his food intake since he is getting older... and we exercise him now. I'll keep you posted. Dave

Dear Simba,
Last year our fifteen year old Siamese female cat wasn't doing well. The vet told us she had pneumonia and treated her for this. She recovered. The only problem that remains is she has a hard time breathing. Her respiratory system is badly congested. And she wheezes and fights to get air. And eating is hard since she can't breathe while she eats, she now breathes through her mouth and of course you can see while eating is hard for her. She needs some help but our vet says. "Nothing can be done, this is the results of the pneumonia and she will have to live with it." What is your opinion? Does she? - Needing Help

Dear Needing Help,
There are specialists in all fields of veterinary medicine. My instinct says that you should take your cat to another vet or a local veterinary hospital to get a second opinion. Getting a new round of ultrasounds or x-rays may help identify the particulars of this wheezing. Do not wait. Simba

Follow up:
Thank you for your advise about my fifteen year old Siamese cat, Sugar,you have given me direction and hope for getting some relief for my cat. I will made an appointment now and get her some help. Thanks for being there. My pleasure. Simba

Dear Simba,
My cat has been suffering from some kind of attacks. At first I thought she had hair balls although she had never gotten them in the past. When she has an attack she is not really wheezing or breathing hard, instead it appears as though she is trying to hack something up. Sometimes her whole little body suffers through convulsions. Her attacks last for about 30 sec to 1min and sometimes she has them 3-4 times a day.

We tried treating for hair balls but that did not seem to work. I also tried changing her food. Again, it didn't work. The vet suggested asthma and put her on a steroid. These seemed work at first but her condition later worsened. I don't really want to have to force steroids down her throat every day either.

Tazza is an indoor/outdoor cat and now that it is summer spends a lot of time outdoors - we live on a 5-cre lot. I still notice her having an attack once in a while but it is not as easy to observe her now that she plays outdoors most of the day. When she is not having an attack she seems completely normal and full of energy. She catches lots of mice. Do you have any suggestions or thoughts on what might be troubling my kitty? If it is asthma is there anyway to treat her without using steroids? The vet I go to has only every done a physical exam. Should I ask for x-rays or something else? Melanie (and Tazza)

Dear Melanie (and Tazza),
Coughing is usually caused by lower respiratory tract problems. These can be caused by anything from irritation and inflammation caused by foreign materials to heartworm and tumors .

Many times, the coughing is due to common problems such as the Cat Flu, or it could instead be due to a chronic condition like bronchitis or other viral, bacterial, or parasitic worm infections. Pneumonia is another possible cause. Bacterial infections require only a course of antibiotics. The removal of a piece of foreign material, or the correct drug treatment for lungworm or heartworm, can also cure or diminish symptoms. If the coughing becomes chronic, the possibility of brining about a total cure diminishes. The reason is that chronic coughing is associated with chronic inflammation, which causes changes in the airway's structure. This means that even if the initial cause is treated the lungs have already been damaged and cannot return to normal form. When this happens, any treatment is aimed at controlling symptoms and preventing further damage. These treatments may include the removal of irritants, allergens or the giving of drugs or treating of bacterial infections, as well as the administration of corticosteroids or decongestants to reduce inflammation.

While less common than the other possible causes, tumors (cancer) located in the chest can cause coughing. Your vet should be able to detect these and recommend an appropriate treatment plan should this be the cause. Kennel cough (bordetella bronchiseptica) can cause coughing as well, but is much less common in house with 2-3 cats, as it is usually restricted to shelters, catteries and other places with a high density of cats. Some cat litter can cause irritation and may incite asthma attacks. It is usually best to use a a litter that produces little or no dust to prevent this. I hope this is of help to you. Simba

Hi Simba,
I adopted two kittens at a local shelter this week. They 8-weeks old and are brother and sister. Their names are Miles and Lucy. The shelter spayed & neutered them and gave them initial shots. Anyway, the first day home, Lucy had a couple of episodes with "coughing" (sounded like hairball cough). Otherwise, she ate and played with her brother. Over the following two days, the coughing got progressively worse -- breathing became labored, she lost appetite, slept a lot and got very droopy. I took her back to the shelter where the vet took x-rays. They think she has pneumonia and are keeping her for 5 -- 7 days. I'm hoping you can help by answering a few questions:

What are Lucy's chances? The vet thought it was "pretty good" -- but what are statistics?

Could this be part of a chronic condition. What is likelihood that I might have a frail, sick kitty?

Miles has sneezed a few times, what is likelihood he will also become ill?

Praying that Lucy makes it -- will Miles be depressed when she is gone? Will they be back to "normal" when she returns? They seemed very attached.

If Lucy doesn't make it...I would like to bring another kitten home to keep Miles company. Will Miles accept him/her? Is a female better than another male?

Sincerely, Missing Lucy

Dear Missing Lucy,
Pneumonia occurs when irritation in lungs leads to inflammation and causes the build up of fluid. Pneumonia can be caused by anything from bacteria, fungal or viral infections, heart failure to other factors. All can be serious. The most common symptom is difficulty breathing, particularly when it comes to inhaling. As you noted in Lucy, her breaths became rapid and shallow. These are common symptoms. What happens is that as the lungs become filled with fluid there are less functional air spaces. Other symptoms include, bluish or grayish tongue, gums and/or lips. This is otherwise known as cyanosis, and is a sign of poor oxygen content in the blood. Additional symptoms include fevers in exces of 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

Prognosis

Lung infections are serious. However, early diagnosis and treatment, usually leads to successful outcomes for kitties and their people. Only a vet can make a correct diagnosis on Pneumonia and the underlying causes. This is very important for determining the appropriate treatment. Tests include x-rays or ultrasound, in addition to fluid cultures among other tests.

Long Term Effects

There is a risk that the Pneumonia could damage her lung tissues and thus make this a chronic condition. The reason is that the Pneumonia and underlying causes may cause changes in the airway's structure. This means that even if the initial cause is treated, the lungs have already been damaged and cannot return to normal form. When this happens, any treatment is aimed at controlling symptoms and preventing further damage. These treatments may include the removal of irritants, allergens or the giving of drugs or treating of bacterial infections, as well as the administration of corticosteroids or decongestants to reduce inflammation.

As for Miles contracting Pneumonia, the risk is dependent upon the cause of Lucy's condition. Should this be caused by fungi, viruses or bacteria, there is a risk. In that case you may want to take Miles to the vet for preventive care. Because you began treatment early, Lucy has a good shot at it. I expect that both Miles & Lucy will resume to normal upon her return. You should take some precautions in the introduction. Check out Life Changes for tips on re-introductions. I hope this is of help to you. Keep me posted. Simba

PS
Heaven forbid, but should Lucy not make it check out the Choosing Kittens and Death of a Friend sections of Simba's Letters