Ask the Veterinarian/Wheezing cat

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Expert: - 3/26/2011


Question
I have an 11 month old female cat who was rescued as a small kitten after being abandoned outside. She appears very healthy other than the fact that she wheezes quite often. Her breathing isn't always loud, but it is often much louder than normal cat breathing - audible from the other side of a room. I took her to the vet who did a chest x-ray and found that her lungs were inflamed. We are trying to determine the reason for this now so that she can be treated appropriately. The vet initially put her on a course of Panacur (anti-parasitic) in case it was lungworm, but she finished the treatment and is still wheezing. It is possible that it is asthma, but she has never had an actual attack and the vet thinks she is rather young for asthma to have developed (the wheezing began when she was only a few months old). She is now suggesting a lung wash to try to determine if there is an infection or if it is more likely just early onset asthma While doing the lung wash they could also look for a polyp or other issue in the airway. My question is: Is a lung wash safe? The vet thinks so, but I'm looking for a second opinion. I'm wary of unnecessary anesthesia and unnecessary procedures. Also, is there something else that could be causing her symptoms that the vet hasn't thought of? Or another solution I should try first? For example, would switching foods to try to avoid potential allergens be a better next step? Thanks in advance for your advice!

Answer
Food is rarely a cause in feline asthma. Rugs, household items, smokers in the house, wood stoves, candles, these would all be more likely to cause asthma in cats.

The most prudent thing to do would be to start her on a low dose of steroids and see how she reacts to those. That is the normal treatment for asthma in all cats.

I would think that a lung wash would be a last resort. You can see polyps in the airways with an ultrasound. They are much safer then a lung wash.

She should have also been able to see an object like a polyp on the xray.  

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

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Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

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Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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