Is my cat's cough a sign of lungworms? What should I do now?

Lungworms and lung flukes can be associated with both coughing and diarrhea in cats. Essentially, once ingested, the worms/flukes make their way to the lungs where they settle, causing the animal to cough. The eggs are coughed up and swallowed passing through the intestines. These diseases are easily treated with anti-parasitic medications that your veterinarian can prescribe. If the diarrhea and coughing are not associated, the coughing could be due to asthma, pneumonia/bronchitis or even heart or heartworm disease. You should take Skylar to your veterinarian right away for a full work up of these clinical signs.

It definitely can be hairballs, it can be from whatever she is eating (plant wise or anything she isn't supposed to) but it could also be asthma. To diagnose asthma Pebbles would need X-rays. If Pebbles has asthma there is an injectable steroid. I would discuss this with your veterinarian. Heartworm disease in cats is extremely difficult to diagnose. I hope she feels better soon and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It sounds like there could be an underlying issue. Tapeworms don't usually cause coughing and lethargy in cats. Your cat should be examined by a vet to determine the exact cause and treat the problem. Your vet can run labwork and take an xray, if needed, to help diagnose and then determine the best way to treat.

Your vet seems to be thinking that Ember is suffering from a severe infection, which is one possibility but i think a couple more things need to be ruled out completely in order to be sure that she is getting the correct treatment. it could be cat asthma, although usually it will show on the xray, it might be worth having the xray sent to a radiology specialist to rule that out completely. it could also be heartworm, although less common in cats than dogs this parasitic disease could cause these symptoms. there is a blood test available that can rule this disease out as well.

From your description it sounds like your cat may have roundworms. These are typically present in vomit with high parasite loads. The good thing is that they are easy to treat. Your veterinarian may have a preferred deworming medication that they can prescribe for your cat. You may also wish to submit a stool sample from your cat for analysis. It is not likely that these parasites would cause loud breathing. That is something you may want to mention to your vet when you call. It could be a sign of upper respiratory inflammation.

Hi and thank you for using Petcoach. Unfortunately, there can be many possible reasons for a cat having a chronic cough, just as there are in people. Parasites can cause coughing in some cases, so it may be worth getting a broad spectrum dewormer and treating Jarbou. Other causes for coughing can be viral infection (feline upper respiratory complex), bacterial infection, foreign body or asthama/allergies/bronchitis. There really is no good way to know the difference without a vet exam and probably x-rays. Keep watch on his overall health and make sure that he continues to thrive, is on a good quality diet and deworming is a good start. Make sure there is no smoke, oils or other fumes present in his area. Here are some articles for more info. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1596 http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=665

Hello. It could be bronchitis, feline asthma, a lung infection, heart disease or heart worms. Please have Nova examined as soon as possible by your veterinarian so you can start to resolve this coughing & make her so much more comfortable. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.