[CJinCA]

She's been coughing once or twice a day for a few weeks. Hubby thought she was trying to cough up hairballs. Took her to the vet today (called them last week but they didn't have opening until today), looks like asthma. Got to give broncho dilator and another medicine for 10 days and then re-evaluate. Vet didn't think it was serious enough for steroids at this point. Poor thing. She was so scared going to the vet. She's hiding under the bed now.

 

[Janz]

I'm sorry to hear that Lickorish has asthma. I don't know much about it but a coworker has a cat with asthma. He and his wife have successfully managed their cat's asthma for years.

 

[CJinCA]

Thanks, the challenge now is to get her to take the meds. I've been crushing and mixing with food, but she is so finicky, its difficult to get her to eat it all (and keep Squeek, aka piggy panda kitty, away from it). Good news, she hasn't coughed since we took her to the vet We took a camera with the video of the cough to show the vet, and she did xrays as well.

 

[Janz]

Glad to hear that Lickorish has not been coughing. I understand having a finicky cat and a piggy cat. My older cat is very finicky and my younger cat will eat everything. And the older cat, who is very sweet, does not like any medication. Good luck with Lickorish.

 

[marah1115]

My cat coughs as well (viewed your video) but his has even more fluid sound not so dry is even more raspy sounding like he has a lot of phegm I took him to the vet and he said " can't hear anything in there"so I have been trying to get his coughing on video as well so far no success.I know I need to get that evaluated and get him something for it :-( I hate it when they are not healthy and well.....Anyone with any advice lmk Thanks

 

[Calisphere]

Hope the kitty learns to take the meds. After reading your post, I'm not a little more worried about my Cassie. She coughs maybe once or twice a week, but because it was always when she had her head hanging over the edge of the cat tree or the arm of the couch, I always felt it was because she accidentally choked herself. Now I'm wondering if she may have mild allergies.

 

[CJinCA]

so she's off the antibiotics and now its just the bronchial dilator, which is very small. We're able to hide it in a piece of grilled chicken, which she loves and we buy in packages at Costco, and she eats it up.

Coughing seems to have stopped. I'm supposed to call the vet tomorrow to discuss next steps.

Calisphere: did you watch the video of Lickorish coughing? We thought the same thing about choking herself at first since she was hanging her head over the cat condo bolster, but then she coughed while on the floor too.

 

[Calisphere]

I haven't yet, but I'll look for it. I need to get my guys to the vet. It's about that time of year again.

 

[CJinCA]

update: weaned Licorish down to one dose of the bronchail dialator per day. Will go back in a couple weeks to xray and re-evaluate. She did cough a little last weekend.

Hubby figured out to put the pill in a piece of grilled chicken breast, that we buy in packages from Costco. she gobbles it all up. One time, the pill fell out, and we thought, ok, need to get more chicken out, but she sniffed it and ate it, just the pill. I guess the chicken smell was on it by then....

anyway, she's doing well now. more active and more demanding than ever!

 

[Leazie]

I'm so glad that Licorish is feeling better. Our Molly has asthma as well but refuses to take meds. We manage her with monthly steroid injections and as needed breathing treatments at home. I always feel so sorry for them when they cough and can't get their breath.

Here is hoping that Licorish continues to do well.

 

[CJinCA]

update: got chest xray today...almost clear! will wean her off the meds and just keep some onhand for future flare-ups.

somehow, now that she's breathing better, I think she's gotten more friendly/social. Even after this vet visit, where we had to drop her off in the morning for the xray, and pick her up later in the day (in case they needed to sedate her for a clear picture, which they didn't have to do in the end), she took it much better than the first time we took her to vet. She's still keeping me at arms length, but let us pet her a little, and not hiding under the bed.

 

[rightsaidfed]

Glad to hear Lickorish is feeling better. My kitten coughs like this every now and then as well. The last time I called my vet, they told me that if it stops within a few minutes not to worry about it. I'm second guessing her now though...

If I bring him in, even if he's not coughing, were the X-rays able to support the diagnosis? If he's not doing it right then and there, should it still show up?

Also, was Lickorish's cough something that was "cured" or do you have to continually manage the asthma?

Bottom line is that I need a new vet. I love her to death, and she's amazing, but her staff sucks, and they're always booked weeks in advance and seem to try to discourage you from bringing your kitty in when they're sick so as not to screw up their appointment schedule for the day. I always get the "just keep an eye on him" line. Maybe I overreact. I probably do, but I still think I need to find a vet that makes themselves reasonably available for things like this and staff that doesn't make me feel like a burden for calling in.

 

[CJinCA]

Thanks Leazie! I hope Molly is doing better! We were so lucky that Lick readily ate the meds in a piece of grilled chicken!