Cat Having Asthma Attack What To Do

This often leads to respiratory distress which can become grave in a matter of minutes.

Cat having asthma attack what to do.

When your cat is having a full blown asthma attack breathing becomes difficult and your pet s sides will very visibly heave in and out. A full blown asthma attack may at first resemble a cat trying to cough up a hairball or possibly choking on food. Bronchioles in a normal lung allow air to pass freely asthmatic bronchioles are contricted and may accumulate fluid in the passages. Do not try to give mouth to mouth resuscitation or cpr to a cat having an asthma.

After rescuing this big boy from the outdoors his previous owner s abandoned him we found him doing this strange cough. Feline asthma very similar to human asthma is a chronic inflammation of the small passageways of a cat s lungs. They will be unable to do anything else and in extreme cases can start panting look frightened and start coughing up mucus as well as drooling. If you re having an asthma attack and don t have your rescue inhaler on hand there are several things that you can do such as sitting upright staying calm and steadying your breathing.

Cats suffering from asthma attacks often assume a characteristic crouched posture and extend the head and neck forward while wheezing or coughing. It didn t look like a. With asthma attacks body posture is somewhat different. When an asthma attack occurs these passageways thicken and constrict making it very difficult for a cat to breathe.

With asthma the cat s body will be hunched lower to the ground and its neck and head will be extended out and down in an effort to clear the airway of mucus. Dead skin flakes that originate around a cat s sweat glands can float in the air stick to dust particles. Because breathing is so severely restricted during an asthma attack the cat s gums and tongue may take on a bluish color. Even if you normally give your cat a long acting bronchodilator your vet may prescribe the albuterol so you can have it on hand for emergency situations.

If this happens it s very important to call the vet immediately. An asthma attack is fairly easy to spot. A cat having an asthma attack will hunch its body toward the ground and extend its neck forward. You ll notice rapid open mouthed breathing accompanied by wheezing and often by forced exhalations.