My cat struggles to clear his throat for weeks. Should I see a vet?

This may be due to hair balls or something more serious could be going on like an upper airway obstruction from nasal congestion or a nasopharyngeal polyp. If you don’t already have your cat on a hair ball remedy like Laxatone, I would try that and see if it helps. If you do this and your cat still has the issue then taking him to a vet to have his oral cavity and upper airway examined would be a good idea. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

This definitely seems suspicious of an airway blockage. If this was the first time you've seen this, then it would be good to try and check inside his mouth to see if anything is visible. It's best to do this with two people - where one holds a flashlight and looks, while the other holds the mouth open. If you see something, then I recommend taking him to the vet to get it removed, because if you attempt to remove it at home, you have a chance of pushing it further into the throat. If he has had something like this happen before, then I would be suspicious of a nasopharyngeal polyp (a soft mass that can develop in the throat), which can cause them to choke every once in a while. This would have to be diagnosed and treated by a veterinarian. The other possibility is that he got his claw stuck in his collar. This happens sometimes when they are scratching and can cause them to panic like this. If he is getting better, then I would not worry too much right now. It wouldn't hurt to get him checked-out by a vet sometime in the next week, to make sure that this won't happen again. I hope that helps and all goes well.

This is a bit much to not be alarmed by it. It sounds like Spooky may actually be coughing , which could indicate a problem in the lungs (ie lung disease, heart disease, asthma, bronchitis, etc). I would suggest taking him to your vet to have his lungs listened to with a stethoscope and also any testing (i.e. radiographs) done if needed. I hope things work out well for your pet Spooky. Best wishes and take care.

I understand your concerns for Scuff! Fortunately, from the signs that you describe, a foreign body obstruction from plastic is unlikely, as significant vomiting and anorexia would be expected. Wheezy breathing and changes in purring can be caused by asthma, heart disease, hyperthyroidism, among others. While I understand Scuff's fear of the vet, in this case, that is the only way that he's going to be diagnosed and treated appropriately. Consider looking into mobile vets in your area to see if they can make house calls and also have a portable x-ray machine. It sounds as though Scuff will likely need to have chest x-rays to get to the bottom of his problem. I hope that all goes well!

It sounds as if your cat is trying to cough up a hair ball or something similar. I would recommend feeding her a food that is formulated for hair balls and/or try giving her Laxatone daily to help the hair balls pass on their own. If the problems persists you should have her checked by a veterinarian to make sure nothing else is going on.

AT her age there may be an infection or mild obstruction causing the problem. If there is no improvement, then she may need to be sedated to get xrays on her neck and throat and a good exam down her throat to check for anything abnormal. If there was something irritating it at one point, then this will be evident and they can adjust medicine to help get her better.

If he ate the balloon two weeks ago and is now vomiting than he should be examined by a vet right away. There is a chance the balloon is causing an obstruction and your vet can take an x-ray to determine the cause. If he has an obstruction, he will need surgery to remove the balloon.