My kitten swallowed something, coughed blood, now has a shivery cough. What to do?

It is hard for me to tell you what is going on without examining your kitten. There is the possibility for internal trauma from a fall that high in a very young kitten. I would recommend that you keep a close eye on her. I would be more concerned if the cough continues or worsens for 72 hours, or if she is not eating or panting more than normal. Keep her as still and calm as possible so that her body can heal. Kittens can heal very quickly if you can manage to let them do it!

It's possible Mineva has something ongoing such as a respiratory infection, kitty asthma, a heart or lung issue, etc so it is good you are bringing her to your vet as soon as you can. In the meantime, keeping her nose and eyes clear of any debris can help make breathing easier, as well as limiting her activity if moving and playing causes an episode. Making sure she is still eating and drinking is also a good idea. If she becomes very painful, has trouble breathing and is in distress, or her gums become very pale or blue, this is a sign the issue is more serious and should be seen by an ER vet or your vet sooner.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Mittens has been vomiting and is now coughing. Cats can vomit for a number of reasons, including trying to vomit a hairball, eating something they shouldn't have, gastrointestinal obstruction, infection, inflammation, or even cancer. From the information you provided, my concern is that Mittens may have aspirated (taken fluid into the lungs) during one of these vomiting episodes, and is now coughing as a result. Aspiration pneumonia can be a scary thing in cats, and especially if Mittens is not acting himself or wanting to eat, I would recommend bringing him to your veterinarian to be examined. If your veterinarian determines that he has abnormal lung sounds, he/she may recommend blood work and chest x-rays to look for evidence of pneumonia. If present, they will likely start Mittens on some antibiotics. There are other possibilities for Mitten's cough including bronchitis or an upper airway infection, which should also be managed by a veterinarian. I hope this is helpful!

This sounds like your cat has an abscess, foreign body, naso-or oro-pharyngeal polyps, or ulcer or other type of purulent infection in her throat. She will need to be seen by a veterinarian who will need to thoroughly inspect her throat and upper airway, possibly under sedation and then remove the offending problem or lance an abscess. Please make an appointment for her tomorrow.

Hello, and thank you for your question. The most common cause of coughing in kittens is an upper respiratory infection, due to an underlying viral infection such as herpesvirus. Along with this, you may notice sneezing, runny eyes or runny nose. Other possibilities would include pneumonia (lung infection), hairball cough, or feline asthma (which would be rare in a young kitten). If Ash's coughing is continuing overnight, I would recommend taking him in to the vet tomorrow morning. They can perform a full physical exam, check for fever or dehydration, and prescribe the appropriate antibiotic medication if an infection is suspected. If Ash seems to be getting worse tonight, is having trouble breathing, or is lethargic, I would suggest getting him to the emergency vet tonight. Kittens can decompensate quickly, so it is important to get him stabilized soon if he is worsening. Hopefully this is not the case with Ash. I hope this helps, and that Ash feels better soon!

There are several things it could be, first of all hairballs, especially of it is only occasional, in this case a hairball paste supplement should solve the problem. The other options are feline asthma or a respiratory infection. If the hairball paste does not resolve it, I would recommend taking him to the vet in order to get it checked.

The symptoms you have described including regurgitation, blood in stool, coughing and gurgling are concerning for esophageal dysfunction and gastroenteritis. The underlying cause will likely require x-rays, bloodwork, and an abdominal ultrasound to rule in or out an intestinal obstruction, inflammation of the pancreas, or primary intestinal disease including infection, inflammation or even cancer. Please follow up with your veterinarian to discuss diagnostics and therapy.