Feline asthma is very similar to human asthma, which is a chronic inflammation of the tiny passageways of a feline’s lungs. When an asthma attack takes place, these passageways thicken and tighten, making it hard for a cat to breathe. The lungs may start to discharge mucus into the airways as well.
The basic symptoms for asthma in a cat are a constant cough, coughing and wheezing, gagging up frothy mucus, crouching with shoulders arched, neck extended and hurried breathing or gasping for air, open-mouth breathing, blue lips and gums, arduous breath after exertion.
Common reasons that can trigger an asthma attack include molds, pollen, dust from cat litter, perfume, cigarette smoke, certain foods, prior heart conditions or illnesses, extreme stress, parasites, and even obesity. Asthma in cats generally develops between the ages of two and eight years old, with a more frequent occurrence in female cats.
Since asthma can speedily become a life-threatening health problem, any coughing cat needs to see a veterinarian for an evaluation right away.
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