My cat is wheezing and has abdominal breathing. Is it asthma?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Breathing issues can be a sign of many conditions such as pneumonia, bronchitis, heart disease, asthma, among many other possibilities. This could certainly be due to asthma which is not treated with antibiotics but rather it is treated with steroids and other medications. Since he has not improved, I recommend that you have Oscar reevaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Likely diagnostics to be performed include thoracic radiographs and bloodwork. Treatment would be dependent on findings. Good luck and have a good night!

She could definitely start having asthma at her age. I would recommend having a vet listen to her heart and lungs, and take a chest x-ray. They can send the x-rays to a be read by a radiologist if you'd like a second opinion. The treatment for asthma is usually steroids and inhaled broncodilators. You would need a prescription for those things. So unfortunately, there isn't much you can do totally alone, but it does sound like she needs some help.

Yes, wheezing could indeed be a sign of asthma. But it is also possible that she has an upper respiratory infection. Either disease is relatively easy to treat once diagnosed. Your vet will want to do xrays if he suspects asthma. URIs are usually treated with antibiotics. Here is some information of feline asthma: https://www.petcoach.co/article/feline-asthma-a-cause-of-coughing-in-cats/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/what-you-need-to-know-about-feline-asthma/ I suggest you make an appointment for Leo with your vet.

Hello, sorry to hear about Aspen. It does indeed sound like he is in the right where he could be developing some feline asthma. This disease can be exacerbated by environmental irritants such as aerosolized sprays, candles, smoking, pollen, and dust. Diagnosis is typically confirmed with an x-rays and by sampling the lungs as well as making sure that Aspen does not have lung worms with a fecal exam. If Aspen is having a difficult time breathing, then he needs to be seen by her veterinarian immediately. Medications to treat this disease typically involve antibiotics and likely steroids. Other wise, practice avoiding any environmental allergen at home, and don't expose him to any strenuous exercise of high stress situations. Hope this helps and best of luck.

She could have an infection or asthma causing the cough and wheeze so she should be examined by a vet. Your vet can take an x-ray to evaluate her heart and lungs and then prescribe medications to treat. She may need an antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, and/or a bronchodilator to help with the cough and wheeze. Your vet can also check her teeth to make sure she doesn't have a dental problem.

Coughing and wheezing in a younger cat most commonly occurs as a result of asthma, but could also be related to underlying allergies, masses in the chest, or heart disease (although cats with heart disease do not commonly cough). At this point, I do recommend taking your cat back to the vet for another exam and chest x-rays to try to help differentiate (this is not always completely conclusive) between these causes. I hope this helps!

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!