By Dr. Ellen Friedman Published: 2:00 AM – 05/04/11

Does your kitty cough and hack? It’s probably not a hairball. it might be asthma.

Also known as allergic bronchitis, asthma is a relatively common disease in adult cats. It’s usually caused by inhaling various allergens (such as tree pollen, dust from cat litter, hairsprays and other household irritants, and smoke). Affected cats wheeze and cough. a very common sign that owners report to me is the classic position during coughing fits: body and head low to floor, elbows turned out.

When an affected cat breathes in an irritant, the tiny airways in the lung constrict, and this leads to coughing and a very unhappy cat.

Your veterinarian will make the diagnosis based on physical signs and symptoms, as well as chest X-rays. Sometimes a complete blood count is used to look for allergy-linked white blood cells. on radiographs, a typical “doughnut” pattern is seen in the lungs.

In the old days, corticosteroids were the treatment of choice and still are effective in many cases. We also use bronchodilators, and some cats will tolerate an inhaler, a safe and effective way of treating the disease.

Avoiding the irritants that lead to episodes of coughing can be helpful. Wood fires, cigarette smoke, hairsprays, household sprays — all should be abandoned. Cigarettes are especially irritating to little cat lungs, and the heavy smoke accumulates at ground level, where cats tend to breathe most of their air. Using low-dust cat litter is helpful, too.

Obesity can also complicate the situation: very chubby cats have fat infiltrates in their lungs, which further reinforces the difficulty of air exchange in those tissues.

Some cats are symptomatic at certain seasons, often the spring. These kitties need medication only at those times and don’t cough the rest of the year. My twin Jeffrey cats always coughed in April only.

This is a relatively common cat disease with usually a good outlook; consult with your vet for the best treatment for your furry friend.

Dr. Ellen Friedman is in general practice, with an interest in geriatric feline medicine, at Newburgh Veterinary Hospital and All Creatures Veterinary Hospital in new Paltz. Visit facebook.com/people/Newburgh-Veterinary-Hospital/576787764.

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