My elderly cat has asthma. Are steroids deadly? What are alternatives?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Sweetie. I am glad that she will see her veterinarian for an examination. X-rays are typically of the chest as well. Based on these results, a diagnosis of asthma can be made in most cases. You are correct that inhalers can be used to manage this condition. A steroid inhaler such as fluticasone works well for daily use. This works very well with minimal systemic side effects. However, this medication tends to be very expensive. Albuterol is another medication that can be used in the inhaler. It is not a steroid. This is better for rescue situations such as during an attack. I hope this information helps!

No, there are no herbal medications that can help with this condition. i don't know what medication your vet prescribed but asthma can be well controlled with prednisolone alone. this treatment will cost you less than 10$ a month (!!), i'm sure you can afford that.

There is an injection called depo medrol, i personally do not recommend it as potential side effects can be very serious. the better option in my opinion are tablets, prednisolone tablets for cats are very small and easily hidden in gravy or wet food. most cats eat the wet food and never even suspect there is a tablet inside. it's not a big deal if you are 1-2 hours late.

If the depo medrol works, then this is likely feline asthma. Unfortunately the treatment for that is generally a gluco-corticoid, but usually as an inhaler (with fluticasone) and a broncho-dilating medication to open the airways and facilitate breathing.. There have been various treatments with other anti-asthma medications such as zaphirlucast and montelucast, however they are not licensed for cats. Here is some really good relevant information: http://www.vet.cornell.edu/FHC/health_information/Asthma.cfm

Hello, and thanks for your question. These are very similar medications, but prednisolone is best for cats, as they are better at digesting that than prednisone. Prednisone isn't harmful, but prednisolone is better in cats. Hope this helps!

If he starts to have an elevated respiratory rate, difficulty breathing, or increased cough than he may need a steroid. If he is only coughing a few times a day and otherwise seems fine than it doesn't sound like he needs a steroid, yet.

Given her age, steroid side effects from long term use tend to become less of a risk if the benefits are clearly improving her quality of life. Depending on the nature of the growth, low level chemotherapy medications may provide an opportunity to halt growth or even reduce the mass but this would require assessment by a specialist