Cat only eats wet food, has hacking cough. Should I take her to vet?

Hello, I am so sorry you cat is not eating well. It is difficult to determine the underlying cause without a physical exam. Common causes of not eating in cats include: dental disease, inflammation of the intestines, liver, or pancreas, kidney disease, parasites or cancer. Please make an appointment to have your Cat examined as soon as possible.

Poor kitty. Coughing in cats can be caused by many things unfortunately, including: underlying heart disease, asthma (if wheezing also present), fungal infection, lung worms, etc. We need more information in order to narrow things down. I would suggest taking Mac in to your vet, especially since this cough has been persistent for more than a day or two. The vet will likely want to start off with a radiograph and bloodwork to hopefully diagnose the problem so that we know what Mac needs for treatment. I do hope that your furry friend Mac gets better soon! Best wishes and take care.

It would be honestly hard to say without an exam. Some possible causes could be a food-based one (IE an allergy to an ingredient in the wet food that is causing a reaction after eating it) or a functional one such as a problem with the esophagus or digestive tract's ability to move the food through the body (something very common in cats). An exam would be a good idea to help rule out these causes through either some testing such as X-rays, or through a food trial to see if an ingredient can be ruled out. Until you can get to your vet, offering smaller meals more frequently may help with keeping food down and minimizing discomfort after eating.

Hi, and thanks for 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. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

He may be eating too fast. My cat does this sometimes. Try feeding small amounts during the day or you can use a slow feed bowl which makes it harder to gobble the food. The wet food will help prevent urinary problems so try a variety to find what he can eat without coughing. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Baby.

While a hairball could cause vomiting I wouldn't expect diarrhea or coughing. A true cough can be a sign of asthma or a respiratory infection. If he can't rest at night and his appetite is affected I'd recommend making an appointment with your veterinarian. They may recommend an x-ray of his chest and abdomen.

Random coughing in a cat can be caused by multiple things considering your history here. It can be an allergic bronchitis, underlying heart disease, asthma or even a parasite if we go outside. There isn't really much you can do over the counter for cats with a cough unfortunately. Also we want to know what the cause is so that we can treat the underlying problem. You can ask your vet if they can recommend an antihistamine to try over the counter first to see if there is any improvement, and then monitor the next few days to weeks, since the cough isn't severe right now and seems to be getting better. I would also try to get in the habit of sticking with the same food for kitty. Switching foods often can cause stomach upset in pets that are particularly sensitive. I hope that your fur baby Scruffy gets better soon! Best wishes and take care.