My cat is coughing, lost her meow, meds aren't working. Why?

Your cat may have laryngitis, which is an inflammation of the larynx or "voice box". Signs of laryngitis include hoarseness and/or loss of voice. The most common causes of laryngitis are excessive vocalization and chronic[ coughing](https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/coughing). Both put strain on the vocal cords. Laryngitis can also be due to other underlying medical conditions such as throat infections, [allergies](https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/feline-allergies/), tonsillitis, [pneumonia](https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/pneumonia-1/), tracheobronchitis, foreign bodies and rarely tumors. Since it has been three days since your cat's symptoms began, I recommend having him evaluated by your veterinarian to check for throat infections or other sources of irritation of the larynx. You may need to feed a soft, bland diet and keep him as stress free as possible during his treatment and recovery.

If the cat has laryngitis it will usually resolve on it's own over time with no treatment. Cats are very sensitive to medications so it is not recommend you give him anything over the counter. If the laryngitis is just from overuse of the voice box or a temporary illness like a URI no treatment is needed. If the laryngitis is due to an underlying condition then he will need an extensive workup to figure out what is going on. I suggest you do nothing but monitor him for a couple weeks and if no improvement, then you should get him to your vet for an exam. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

If she is still eating and drinking and not coughing, then she may just have a mild laryngitis. I would watch her closely and it will likely heal on its own. Allergies during the changing of season can cause this as well. You can contact your vet for the appropriate dose of children's Benadryl for her to help speed her healing. I hope this helps.

Voice change can be caused by many things. Cats do not get colds like people do. Most cats are exposed to several upper respiratory viruses over their lifetime that can flare up occasionally causing sneezing, runny eyes or nose, and occasionally voice change. A change can also occur with anything going on with the larynx (voice box) including trauma, masses (benign or malignant), nerve or muscle disorders, etc. Additionally some cats who have asthma or heartworm disease may manifest this with a voice change. So, if your kitty is exhibiting any other symptoms and/or is not feeling well the best plan would be to have your family vet examine her. If upper respiratory virus related and she is otherwise normal it may run its course in a few days to a week. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

I’m wondering if you meant to say that Kitty is trying to meow but unable to make noise. Sometimes a chest cold or upper respiratory infection could cause laryngitis and make it difficult to meow - this usually resolves with time. If she seems to be gagging or having trouble swallowing you should recheck with your veterinarian. If this is not what you meant to ask feel free to repost your question.

This sign could be compatible with an upper respiratory tract inflammation/infection or possibly to a chronic rhinitis (inflammatory, allergic, infective). A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Hi, and thanks for your question. This sign is often secondary to an upper respiratory tract inflammation/infection or possibly to a pharyngitis (inflammatory, allergic, infective). A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!