Cat with asthma

ImABoor · ‎04-27-2010

My 13-1/2 year old Maine Coon cat was diagnosed with asthma last Monday. He is on predisone & that dosage will decrease over the next 3 weeks. He is also on zyrtec.

He is acting mopey & sleepy which it is cause by the zyrtec.

Any suggestions on what to look for & react to ? Did you find that your cat acted better after their body adjusted to the meds? I know that they can be put on an inhaler if things do not improve.

Thanks for your help

Icegoddess · ‎03-19-2010

Is he on Prednisone or Prednisolone? Prednisolone is better for cats although long-term it also is problematic. Mine would never accept the inhaler, so he was on Prednisolone all the time. We set up a Sterlite container to give him inhaled albuterol treatments as needed. Luckily, he was really good about being put in the box.

ImABoor · ‎04-27-2010

He is on the Prednisolone ( couldn't spell it). Did you buddy perk up? I AM NOT SURE WHAT TO BE REAL CONCERNED ABOUT. HE HAS LET OUT A LITTLE COUGH BUT NOTHING ALARMING..

Sorry for the caps - had the lock on. I am not a very good typist.

How long have your buddy been on meds?

Thanks for your reply.

ROMARY · ‎04-28-2010

At least two vets (on TV) have warned pet owners re: those plug into outlets types of essential oil and fragrance devices.

Seizures, allergies, probably asthma, etc.

Sometimes even worse.

I'm forever warning pet owners and new moms to avoid strong odor dryer sheets and detergents in pets/baby bedding.

Wishing all precious pets the best of luck and health.

'More or less', 'Right or wrong', 'In general', and 'Just thinking out loud ' (as usual).

Icegoddess · ‎03-19-2010

@ImABoor Sambo died in October, but he had a good 2 years. I'm not saying to only expect 2 years, I think he was a special case. He had a pneumothorax which they couldn't conrol. That is also what he had when he was first diagnosed, although he got better after a couple of chest punctures. I sometimes wonder if it was all a leftover effect from the pneumonia he had when he and his littermates were rescued, especially since he always wheezed especially after exercise

He would go for months with no problem whatsoever, and then suddenly have breathing problems. He never really coughed. He would just lay on his side and open-mouth breathe. It seemed humidity was a problem for him since the winter months were when he would do really well, and he went most of his last summer without an episode when we had a dehumidifier running. But, I have also seen mention that others doe well with extra humidity. Another thing we did was to put an air purifier near the litter boxes. I know they suggest special non-dust litter, but with 3 cats it would've been really expensive.

On top of what the other person said about fragrances and essental oils, another thing to look out for is ozone. There are some air purifying systems that use ozone as well as those CPAP cleaning devices like So Clean. Also, some of the devices used in the fridge to keep food fresh longer use ozone. Ozone is known to exacerbate asthma in humans.

The issue with prednisolone is for long-term use like years and years. It can cause diabetes. However, sometimes we have to take that risk to keep them alive for the here and now.

If you are on Facebook there are a couple of very helpful groups for Feline Asthma. Many of those folks have been successfully treating their cats for years.

Nonametoday · ‎03-09-2010

@Icegoddess wrote:
@ImABoor Sambo died in October, but he had a good 2 years. I'm not saying to only expect 2 years, I think he was a special case. He had a pneumothorax which they couldn't conrol. That is also what he had when he was first diagnosed, although he got better after a couple of chest punctures. I sometimes wonder if it was all a leftover effect from the pneumonia he had when he and his littermates were rescued, especially since he always wheezed especially after exercise

He would go for months with no problem whatsoever, and then suddenly have breathing problems. He never really coughed. He would just lay on his side and open-mouth breathe. It seemed humidity was a problem for him since the winter months were when he would do really well, and he went most of his last summer without an episode when we had a dehumidifier running. But, I have also seen mention that others doe well with extra humidity. Another thing we did was to put an air purifier near the litter boxes. I know they suggest special non-dust litter, but with 3 cats it would've been really expensive.

On top of what the other person said about fragrances and essental oils, another thing to look out for is ozone. There are some air purifying systems that use ozone as well as those CPAP cleaning devices like So Clean. Also, some of the devices used in the fridge to keep food fresh longer use ozone. Ozone is known to exacerbate asthma in humans.

The issue with prednisolone is for long-term use like years and years. It can cause diabetes. However, sometimes we have to take that risk to keep them alive for the here and now.

If you are on Facebook there are a couple of very helpful groups for Feline Asthma. Many of those folks have been successfully treating their cats for years.

@Icegoddess

As an asthma sufferer, I would rather die from diabetes than asthma. I know how it feels when I cannot breathe and I keep my handy inhaler in my pocket and purse at all times. I made my choice about diabetes long ago versus steroids long ago. I have never been diagnosed with diabetes although I have taken as much as 1000 mg/8 hours and originally took 1000/24 hours for inability to walk and/or see.

I would rather have diabetes than to sit in a wheelchair and not be able to see or breathe. I have been on glucocortacoids for years and I choose that over asthma, blindness or inability to ambulate or use my feet/legs. I bet that kitty would make that choice as well. Not being able to breathe is a horrible condition.

lynne6was7 · ‎03-15-2010

As mentioned, cats can develop diabetes from the oral steroids. Over the years, I have adopted two rescue kitties with asthma. I had good luck with the inhalers with both. I am happy to share information about the spacer/mask I purchased, and the technique I used so my kitties accepted the mask. Let me know if you're interested in learning more.

The Flovent inhaler is quite expensive now - it is the same inhaler used by humans, and is purchased at a regular pharmacy. My kitties had Walgreens prescription discount cards (at $25/year) which helped a bit with the inhaler price. But, as of late 2019, I was still paying $230 net every other month.

With my first asthmatic kitty, the price wasn't too bad but as the patent ran out, the drug company tried to get as much money in their pockets as possible. As of late 2019, there was not a generic option. Some people have good luck purchasing the inhalers through a Canadian pharmacy at a much lower price, but have to plan ahead in order not to run out.

Wanted to add: I use World's Best cat litter (in the green/black packaging).

Icegoddess · ‎03-19-2010

@lynne6was7 wrote:
As mentioned, cats can develop diabetes from the oral steroids. Over the years, I have adopted two rescue kitties with asthma. I had good luck with the inhalers with both. I am happy to share information about the spacer/mask I purchased, and the technique I used so my kitties accepted the mask. Let me know if you're interested in learning more.

The Flovent inhaler is quite expensive now - it is the same inhaler used by humans, and is purchased at a regular pharmacy. My kitties had Walgreens prescription discount cards (at $25/year) which helped a bit with the inhaler price. But, as of late 2019, I was still paying $230 net every other month.

With my first asthmatic kitty, the price wasn't too bad but as the patent ran out, the drug company tried to get as much money in their pockets as possible. As of late 2019, there was not a generic option. Some people have good luck purchasing the inhalers through a Canadian pharmacy at a much lower price, but have to plan ahead in order not to run out.

Wanted to add: I use World's Best cat litter (in the green/black packaging).

@lynne6was7, @ImABoor most folks on the Facebook groups use either a Canadian pharmacy or an overseas one. In fact, my own vet also suggested it. I did get a prescription and ordered one with no problem and it was significantly cheaper than in the states.

The inhaled albuterol I used with him in the box is super cheap as is the saline. You have to buy a special air compressor (called a nebulizer) too to turn the liquid into a fog. All of those things require a prescripton including the saline, believe it or not. My vet didn't even realize that. However, I was able to get the dosed saline and the nebulizer on Amazon without a prescription even though I had one.

Sammycat1 · ‎03-09-2010

@ImABoor

If the zyrtec dose (it's usually 5mg for a cat) is too much at one shot, ask your vet if you can split it in half and give 2.5mg twice a day. This could make your kitty less loopy.

Because you have a Maine Coon, I'm hoping your vet screened for heart problems, as they are prone to them and can look a lot like asthma. If that's the case, you can see more coughing and the pred will make it far worse. I only mention this because we had a cat that looked like textbook asthma, but it turned out she had HCM (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy). Completely different treatment, obviously.

DH had many Maine Coons over the years and most of them ended up with HCM, some misdiagnosed as asthma. It happens.

Just a thought.

ImABoor · ‎04-27-2010

Thanks for your reply. I am giving him 5mg once a day for 10 - 14 days. Today was day 7 so I may just give him the zyrtex for the 10 days instead of 14

I was wondering if the prednisolone will help as his body ajusts to the meds. That is a powerful drug.

He had one cough during the past few days. Nothing like the gagging that I thought was a hairball. I will mention the HCM to the vet.