The cat coughs, stretching his neck (as if he was choking): reasons and what to do. Why does a cat cough and sneeze? Causes of coughing and sneezing, treatment A cat's stomach rumbling when coughing

If your cat is coughing, it is important to understand what happened to him. The symptom can indicate a variety of problems - from a foreign body getting into the mouth to an asthma attack. A veterinarian can make an accurate diagnosis, and the owner must pay attention to the accompanying signs. This will help to quickly identify the disease and prescribe the correct treatment to the animal.

attention

A cat's cough, the causes and treatment of which can be different, worries all owners who are faced with unfamiliar and frightening symptoms. Of course, it is better to immediately contact a veterinarian. But if this is not possible, you can try to understand what the problem is. Sometimes a cat's cough is completely harmless and goes away on its own. In other cases, specialist help will be required.

You can understand why a cat coughs and how to treat it in each specific case by assessing the general condition of the animal and specifying the presence or absence of other characteristic signs. It is also necessary to record the number and duration of attacks, and understand what time of day they occur.

Some owners are scared by the sound a cat makes. Due to the specific structure of the throat, palate and tongue, the animal makes expectoration movements, opening its mouth wide and intensely sticking out its tongue. The process is accompanied by heavy, hoarse breathing, as if the cat is suffocating. Usually it is not possible to clear your throat right away; sometimes the process ends with vomiting or copious amounts of saliva.

The causes of cough in a cat can be varied. Most often they become:

• foreign body in the mouth, nose or throat;
• a ball of hair that the animal could not swallow;
• eating food too greedily;
• cold.

Coughing immediately after eating should not cause panic in the owner. Probably a piece of food has stuck to the roof of your mouth and is irritating your throat. A choking pet makes wheezing sounds and sticks out its tongue, trying to get rid of the problem. Convulsive coughing ends with vomiting, after which the pet eats the vomited food and calms down. This behavior is typical for representatives of some breeds, as well as for cats that swallow food too greedily.

Some cats cough frequently, while others make almost no such noise. If this is a one-time phenomenon, after coughing the cat calms down and behaves as usual. But sometimes the cat cannot get rid of the problem on its own; the cough gets worse and is accompanied by other unpleasant symptoms. In this case, you should be vigilant, carefully observe the animal and try to help it.

What to do when a cat chokes

When your pet coughs and wheezes, constantly rubs its mouth with its paw, opens its mouth wide and sticks out its tongue, you should be wary. The cause may be a foreign body. An insect, small parts of toys, scattered beads, toilet filler, strings, and plastic bags can get into your pet's mouth. Often, a kitten may cough after accidentally swallowing Christmas tree tinsel, threads from a ball and other objects that it uses for games. Sometimes the situation is more serious. The cat swallows a spicy fish or chicken bone, which gets stuck in the throat and makes it difficult to breathe. If the problem is not addressed urgently, the animal may suffocate or die from bleeding after soft tissue damage.

A careful examination will help you find out the real reason. You need to take the pet in your arms and open its mouth. If a foreign object cannot be found in the mouth, you need to urgently take the animal to the clinic. In this case, the veterinarian will tell you what to do if the cat is coughing. The doctor will examine the throat, determine exactly where the foreign body is located, and try to push it through, freeing the throat. If this is not possible, the pet will undergo surgery. You can’t put off a trip to the clinic: if a sharp object gets into the esophagus, the clock counts.

A hairball stuck in the throat does not require removal. The cat manages to either spit it out or swallow it. Frequent brushing of your pet will help prevent further licking of lost hairs. It is recommended to regularly give your cat a special paste with fish or meat flavor, which can be purchased at a veterinary pharmacy. The drug promotes the rapid and painless dissolution of hairballs trapped in the stomach.

Possible causes of cough and their treatment

Coughing in cats can also signal more serious problems. Let's look at them in more detail.

Pneumonia

The most common cause is respiratory diseases. If hypothermia or infection with bacteria or fungi occurs, the animal may develop bronchial pneumonia. The disease is typical for weakened animals; a hereditary predisposition is possible.

The main symptom of developing pneumonia is a dry, barking cough in a cat. The animal breathes with difficulty, an attack can occur at any time of the day, and it ends just as suddenly. The cat coughs as if it was choking, but there are no signs of vomiting. After a few days, sputum forms, and when auscultated, wheezing is felt in the chest. The cat tries to cough it up, spitting out small portions of saliva. Characteristic symptoms include fever, weakness, apathy, and refusal to eat. A clear, colorless or yellowish liquid flows from the nose and bakes into crusts. Breathing becomes rapid and intermittent, and in advanced cases, fever is possible.

An accurate diagnosis can only be made in a clinical setting. Pneumonia in cats can occur against the background of another infectious disease, for example, canine distemper. In this case, treatment begins not with eliminating the symptoms, but with searching for the root cause. A set of tests, as well as an ultrasound examination of the lungs, will help you understand why your pet is coughing. The veterinarian will determine how to treat pneumonia. Typically, the pet is prescribed antibiotics, expectorants and mucolytic drugs. They will quickly relieve coughing attacks, but the full therapeutic course will last at least a month.

Viral disease

Is your pet coughing as if he was choking? It is possible that he has a severe viral disease - rhinotracheitis. The cause is the feline herpes virus, which is easily transmitted from one pet to another. The disease occurs in an acute form. After a few days, characteristic symptoms are noticeable: sneezing, constant cough with expectoration of sputum, swelling of the mucous membranes, purulent discharge from the eyes and nose. Due to damage to the tissues of the throat, the cat cannot swallow normally, so it often refuses food and even water.

Treatment of rhinotracheitis is carried out under the supervision of a veterinarian. It is impossible to completely rid the body of the virus; the doctor’s task is to stabilize the pet’s condition, remove swelling, cough and other unpleasant symptoms. The cat is prescribed antibiotics, immunomodulators, antiviral and antipyretic drugs. The course is long and cannot be interrupted.

Worms

Asthma attacks

Sometimes a cat may cough, sticking out its tongue and breathing heavily. The cause may be an asthma attack. This disease manifests itself in early childhood and quickly becomes chronic. The cause is a narrowing of the bronchi, making breathing difficult. Gradually, the walls of the bronchi thicken, the diaphragm stretches, and inflammatory processes are possible, accompanied by tissue swelling and copious mucus secretion. The animal behaves restlessly, breathes hoarsely, tries to cough up sputum, sits with its head down and neck outstretched. The cat may faint, its lips turn blue and its eyes roll back. Such manifestations are very frightening for owners and require urgent action.

Carefully following your veterinarian's instructions will help prevent coughing attacks. If an animal has chronic diseases (bronchial asthma, fungal pneumonia), it is necessary to promptly give it immunomodulatory, antifungal drugs and vitamin complexes. It is recommended to take a blood test 1-2 times a year to confirm the absence of hidden ailments.

Preventive administration of anti-worm medications will help prevent helminthic infestation. They are given every 3 months, choosing products with the softest and most gentle composition. Kittens, pregnant and elderly cats, as well as animals with free access to the street are at particular risk.

If coughing attacks occur while eating, you should review your pet's menu. It is better to replace hard granules with canned food. Soaking ready-made dry food in water also helps. Cats that eat natural food should not be given river fish with bones on which the cat can choke. Tubular chicken bones are strictly prohibited. If your cat likes to chew, it is better to give her ready-made toys made from beef veins, which can be bought at a pet store.

It is necessary to remove from the house easily breakable toys, Christmas tree tinsel and other items that the animal can swallow. It is recommended to remove poisonous indoor plants. An accidentally bitten leaf can cause swelling of the mucous membrane and an attack of suffocation.

Only a veterinarian can understand why a cat is coughing and what to do. If attacks occur repeatedly and are accompanied by other alarming symptoms, you should not postpone a visit to the clinic. They will do all the necessary tests and prescribe adequate treatment that will help maintain the health of your pet.

Inflammation of the tissues adjacent to the breathing tube is perceived by nerve receptors as irritation and provokes a cough. This type is called cardiac because it occurs due to the pressure of hypertrophied myocardium on the nearby trachea. If a cat is coughing, it is necessary to determine the cause of the reflex exhalation.

Causes

The following are the causes of cough in a cat:

• Blockage of the breathing tube by a foreign object.
• Trichobezoar. This is a lump formed from hairs that get into the intestinal canal during licking. With the help of coughing, the cat expels bezoars through the mouth.
• Mechanical injuries. A fish bone or other object scratches the throat and triggers a reflex. Battle wounds received during a fight.
• Infectious diseases.
• Bronchial asthma.
• Cardiac pathologies. They are symptoms of underlying diseases.
• Neoplasms.

Types of cough

Forced exhalation is distinguished by the following characteristics:

• Duration:

1. Spicy. Duration up to several weeks.
2. Permanent - several months.

• Intensity. A slight cough or a debilitating attack.
• Sound. Voiceless or voiced.
• View. Dry or wet.
• Times of Day. The cat coughs at some time of the day or constantly.
• Season of the year.

When seeking veterinary help, the veterinarian should describe in detail the type of cough the cat has or record the process on video.

Symptoms

When the respiratory canal is blocked, a debilitating attack is observed, ending with release from a foreign object or asphyxia.

If a cat has hairballs accumulated in its stomach, it will cause it to cough until it vomits.

With rhinotracheitis, viral etiology, convulsive coughing attacks are observed. Additional signs may include diarrhea and watery eyes.

The reproduction of some helminths occurs in the animal's body. The hatched larvae penetrate the lungs through the bloodstream, injure them and cause a short forced exhalation of moderate intensity. When the intensity of the invasion increases, the intensity of the attacks intensifies and is accompanied by vomiting.

Bronchial asthma is characterized by cough paroxysms of moderate or debilitating intensity. Additional signs are: shortness of breath, sneezing, hoarseness.

Young (1...3 years) animals of Siamese and Himalayan breeds are predisposed to the disease. Pathology manifests itself in autumn or spring.

The intensity of cough in heart diseases increases steadily with the development of cardiac hypertrophy, acquiring a dull sound. The symptoms resemble blockage of the respiratory canal by a foreign object, but do not stop and do not end with asphyxia. Contents are not released from the respiratory tract.

Diagnostics

The diagnosis is established according to anamnesis, examination of the respiratory tract, x-rays and standard blood tests.

The doctor may prescribe additional diagnostic tests: endoscopy of the trachea, esophagus or bronchi, identification of the causative agent of the disease, analysis of feces for helminth eggs, electrocardiogram.

Diagnostic procedures take a lot of time, so without waiting for their results, the veterinarian prescribes symptomatic and supportive treatment.

Treatment

Therapy is focused on combating the underlying disease and eliminating symptoms. Depending on the diagnosis, the following drugs are used:

• Immunostimulants.
• Antibiotics.
• Anti-inflammatory.
• Anthelmintics.
• Heartfelt.
• Antihistamines.

Medicines for symptomatic treatment are divided into two groups:

• Suppresses the cough reflex.
• Expectorants.

Antitussives are potent and are used by a veterinarian if a dry, debilitating cough develops. Self-administration of a potent drug is unacceptable for the following reasons:

1. Stopping a cough can mask the culprit of the disease, but not eliminate it.
2. The use of a potent product is fraught with poisoning.

Expectorants help increase the secretion of mucus by the bronchial epithelium and remove products of the inflammatory process from the respiratory canal

Prevention

To prevent the occurrence of infectious diseases, animals must be vaccinated in a timely manner.

Prevention of the occurrence of trichobezoars consists of regular combing of the hair, consumption of dietary foods that prevent the formation of hairballs and pastes that help remove them from the intestines.

To prevent your cat from being injured by a sharp bone, you should not feed it table scraps.

If your cat shows signs of a cold or similar problem, you should learn how to help your pet overcome the difficulties that arise and what to do in a similar situation at home.

Do not forget that any information about irradiation of cats is for informational purposes only, since only qualified and experienced veterinarians have the opportunity to make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe the treatment that is suitable for a cat, cat or kitten in a given situation.

Is my cat sneezing? Can she get infected?

Most cat diseases are not dangerous to humans, but if the cat is sick, then it is worth observing hygiene and safety measures when in contact with the animal.

Why does a cat sneeze and what to do if it sneezes?

Sneezing can have dozens of reasons: from rhinitis and seasonal allergies to chronic diseases. It is recommended not to self-medicate and take the cat to a veterinarian for examination and treatment.

Cat sneezes allergy, asthma

Allergies are the most common cause of sneezing. Asthma is also common and is also characterized by difficulty breathing in cats. It is necessary to identify the allergen and isolate the cat from it. Treatment is carried out using medications prescribed by a veterinarian.

The cat is sneezing, antibiotics don’t help, the appetite is good

Most likely the problem is allergies. It is necessary to identify the allergen - this could be food, cat care products, household chemicals and much more.

The cat sneezes non-stop, snot, symptoms and coughs what should be done

If the cat simply sneezes, then the cause may be an allergic reaction or a foreign object in the nasal cavity. If the sneezing does not go away, then you need to show the cat to the veterinarian.

The cat has been sneezing once a day, for an hour, for a week now, in the morning and his mouth is open, he is vomiting and has snot, how to treat it

The cause may be worms - when they enter the stomach, they irritate the receptors of the esophagus and the cat begins to cough and vomit. Also, such symptoms may indicate a pulmonary infection and toxoplasmosis.

The cat sneezes, hot ears, hot nose, wheezing, watery eyes all day long, what should I do and is this normal or not?

In most cases, these symptoms indicate a cold or upper respiratory tract infection. Treatment is carried out with antibiotics and antiviral drugs.

The cat sneezes blood, what is it, dangerous or not, these are worms

In this case, the cat should be taken to the veterinarian immediately. Blood indicates damage to the nasal passages or very serious diseases.

The cat is sneezing, the nose is stuffy, one eye is running, the nose is bleeding, the nose is dry and cold

The cause may be a trauma to the nose or a foreign body entering the respiratory tract. If the bleeding does not stop on its own, you should immediately contact a veterinarian.

The cat sneezes and rubs its nose, nasal discharge, scratches it and licks it and the nose is wet

If these symptoms appear only occasionally, there is no reason to worry - this is natural behavior for cats. If the cat behaves this way all the time, then the cause may be allergies or cat flu.

Why does a cat sneeze, stick out its tongue and breathe frequently? What to treat?

If a cat behaves this way after active play, it may mean that she is tired and out of breath. We must try not to let her become overtired. If the cat behaves this way in a calm state, then this may indicate heart problems and an ultrasound scan is necessary.

Cat sneezing treatment at home, medication, virus treatment

If a cat has a viral infection, a complete cure is impossible. In order to avoid worsening the infection, you need to give your cat antibiotics as prescribed by your veterinarian. In addition, it is necessary to wipe the cat’s eyes and nose from discharge and carefully monitor his condition until the symptoms are completely relieved.

The cat sneezes from what, from litter, colds, water, food, construction dust

A cat may sneeze from all of the above. It is necessary to immediately identify the allergen (for example, if a cat began to sneeze after introducing a new food into the diet, then you need to stop giving it and monitor the animal’s condition - whether the allergy has gone away or not).

The cat sneezes many times in a row what to do first aid

If there is an obvious allergen, then you need to immediately isolate the cat from it. As a first aid, you can also hold the cat over a steam bath to dilate blood vessels and facilitate breathing.

A cat sneezes for a long time after eating, vaccination, running, sterilization, sleep, childbirth

After eating and vaccination, the cat may sneeze due to allergies. After running - due to heart problems or asthma. Sneezing after sterilization may be a sign of an infection acquired during surgery. After sleep, cats often sneeze and try to clear their nose due to a viral infection. In most cases, heavy breathing and sneezing after birth is normal - while the kittens are feeding, milk flows and the cat becomes hot.

The cat sneezes, breathes through its mouth and refuses to eat, its eyes fester, but there are no snot or other symptoms or temperature

The cause may be a bacterial or viral infection. The cat must be shown to a veterinarian to prescribe treatment.

A cat's cough indicates that the animal's airways are irritated by a foreign object or that your pet is sick. This symptom cannot be ignored - you need to take the animal to a veterinary clinic for examination. Once diagnosed, it is important to begin treatment immediately.

Causes and types of cough in cats

Cough is an important protective mechanism, the main task of which is to clear the airways of foreign objects. Such objects can be hard objects, fur, stuck food - anything that interferes with normal breathing and swallowing. A reflex cough can occur due to irritants such as smoke. It often serves as a mechanism for removing inflammatory products along with the cause of their occurrence (sputum with allergens, pathogenic microorganisms, helminths, etc. is released).

Cats have a slightly different cough than humans. If in a person coughing begins with a quick deep breath (it lasts no longer than 2 seconds), then in an animal such a primary phase can last up to 4-7 seconds, during which the cat makes wave-like movements of the body, similar to the urge to vomit. During the cough itself, in both humans and animals, the abdominal muscles are activated (they contract to increase pressure in the chest and “squeeze out” a foreign object located in the respiratory tract). But at the same time, the cat takes a specific pose - bends down to the floor, stretches its neck forward, turns its head, opens its mouth wide, and stretches out its tongue.

If the cat presses down to the ground, stretches its neck, turns its head, opens its mouth, then these are warning signs of either coughing or vomiting.

One or another pathology can be suspected by the type of cough and accompanying symptoms:

• Incessant muffled cough, the cat has difficulty taking a breath, saliva flows from its mouth - this indicates a foreign object in the larynx.
• A barking, frequent cough may indicate swelling of the larynx (for example, during an allergic attack).
• Dry cough with stridor (wheezing) occurs with infectious diseases and tumors of the upper respiratory tract, acute cardiovascular failure.
• Paroxysmal cough, accompanied by signs of asphyxia, occurs with complicated allergies and asthma.
• A “gurgling” loud cough is characteristic of pathologies accompanied by the formation of pus (sputum) in the respiratory organs (cause - complicated infectious diseases, helminthic infestation).
• Periodic cough with a small amount of mucous sputum (sometimes streaked with blood) is a sign of a tumor or myocardial pathology.

Based on the nature of the cough, one or another disease can be suspected. But an accurate diagnosis is made on the basis of a comprehensive examination, which is difficult to carry out at home - you need to take the coughing animal to the veterinarian.

If the cat cannot clear its throat, makes whistling sounds, drools, and its back bends in a wave-like manner, the animal is most likely choking and needs emergency help.

How are coughing animals diagnosed?

At the veterinary clinic, the doctor will interview the owner about the nature of the cough, the presence of other symptoms (vomiting, mucous discharge from the nose and eyes, diarrhea, refusal to eat, insomnia). Then he will examine the cat, measure its body temperature, and listen to its bronchi, lungs, and trachea with a phonendoscope. To exclude infection, blood, feces and urine microflora tests are taken. If cardiovascular insufficiency is suspected, the cat is examined using ultrasound. To identify worms settling in the respiratory organs, washes are made from the mucous membranes of the trachea and pharynx.

A chest x-ray is done for chronic cough. The image shows purulent foci, tumors, and foreign objects. If during the study thickening of the bronchial walls is revealed, then the cause of the cat’s illness is asthma or bronchitis. A cytological analysis of bronchial mucus allows you to accurately determine the pathology (with asthma, an abundance of eosinophils will be observed in it, with bronchitis - a predominance of neutrophils and macrophages).

X-ray of the cat's chest allows you to identify most of the pathologies that cause chronic cough

Basic methods of treating pathologies that cause cough

Putting off visiting a veterinarian if you have a cough and trying to help your pet on your own is dangerous - you can unknowingly make a mistake in diagnosis and start the wrong treatment. You can take independent measures before contacting a veterinarian only if you suspect that the animal is choking. In this case, delay is dangerous, as it can lead to death.

If you see that the cat cannot clear its throat, it begins to experience asphyxia and saliva flows from its mouth, then you need to quickly pick up the animal and carefully open its mouth with your fingers. It is better for several people to participate - one person will hold the animal, illuminate the larynx with a flashlight, and the second will remove the foreign object with fingers or tweezers. If the object in the cat’s throat is not visible, then you need to lower the animal to the floor, lift the back of the cat’s body and at the same time gently squeeze the cat’s chest or tap it between the shoulder blades. If within 3–5 minutes of performing these actions the cat still does not cough or spit out a foreign object, then you cannot do without the help of a doctor - you must find every opportunity to show the animal to a specialist as quickly as possible.

To examine the mouth of a cat that has choked on something, you need to gently press on the cheekbone area with one hand from above, and with the other hand slightly pull the skin under the jaw (you cannot press on the jaw itself with your fingers, as this can lead to a fracture)

If there are no symptoms of asphyxia, a coughing cat should also be seen by a doctor. True, in this case there is no need for emergency hospitalization of the animal (for example, if the cough occurs at night, you can wait to visit the clinic until the morning). After diagnosing and determining the source of the problem, the doctor prescribes the necessary course of treatment.

Therapy is divided into two parts - symptomatic (temporarily improving the cat’s well-being) and eliminating the cause of the malaise. For cough, the animal is given drugs that act on the cough center, blocking the reflex (for example, Sinekod, Bronholitin). Such medications should only be prescribed by a veterinarian and always as part of a comprehensive treatment. For a dry cough, expectorants such as ammonium chloride or salbutamol are given. They provoke the liquefaction and removal of mucus (at first they make the cough worse, but when the mucus comes out, the cat immediately feels better).

The main treatment depends on the diagnosis:

• If the cough is caused by worms, the cat requires a course of anthelmintics: Milbemax, Stronghold, Kanikvantel, etc.
• In the case of an allergic cough, the animal is given Suprastin, Tavegil or other antihistamines. It is imperative to identify the allergen and make sure that the cat no longer comes into contact with it (otherwise it is useless to take medications - attacks will be repeated constantly).
• For infectious pathology, antibiotics are taken (penicillins, cephalosporins, tetracyclines, chloramphenicol, macrolides or other groups of antimicrobial agents - selected depending on the type of pathogen).
• Heart failure is treated with glycosides and potassium preparations. It is imperative to protect your pet from increased physical activity and stress, which are provocateurs for increased cardiac cough.
• Injuries to the larynx require immobilization (rest) of the neck, antibacterial, analgesic, and decongestant therapy. Feeding may be done through a feeding tube to prevent food from irritating the wound.
• Bronchitis and other inflammatory diseases of the respiratory system are treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics (for example, Streptomycin, Erythromycin) and anti-inflammatory drugs.
• When a cat has an asthmatic attack, glucocorticosteroids and bronchodilators (drugs that dilate the bronchi) are prescribed.

In addition to medications, a sick cat needs special care: it needs warmth, rest and proper nutrition (only liquid or soft food is given, as hard pieces will irritate the throat and worsen the cough)

How to treat a kitten's cough

Even isolated cases of coughing in kittens should alert the owner. The immune defense of babies is not able to cope with attacks from viruses and bacteria. The disease in children develops 5 times faster and more complex than in adults; it can have such a rapid course that without timely treatment, the baby will die in less than a couple of days.

A kitten can cough for the same reasons as a large animal. Most often, diseases arise due to improper living conditions (if the “nest” is in a draft, the baby freezes all the time). Infection with a viral disease or worms can occur from a mother cat.

The methods of treating a coughing kitten are identical to the principles of treating an adult cat. But when selecting medications, you need to look at the instructions so that there are no age-related contraindications, and also very carefully measure the dosage depending on the weight of the kitten. It is advisable to add immunostimulants and probiotics (for example, Vetom, Symbolact, Florentin) to the course of treatment, which will strengthen the immune system and improve the absorption of medications taken.

Preventive measures

The following preventive measures will help reduce the risk of diseases accompanied by cough:

• Do not allow your pet to become hypothermic. Do not let the cat sleep on a cold surface, sit in drafts, or let it go outside during severe frosts and high humidity.
• Regularly ventilate rooms in the house and do frequent cleaning to eliminate the possibility of developing allergies or asthma.
• Avoid contact with sick animals.
• Do not let your cat lick or rub against outdoor shoes.
• Do not allow your pet to drink dirty water or eat foods that may contain helminth eggs (raw meat and river fish pose a particular threat).

It is important that the cat’s diet is balanced and contains vitamins and microelements. Respiratory diseases caused by viruses can be avoided through timely vaccination. It is also recommended to undergo a preventive examination by a veterinarian 2-3 times a year, even if there is no cause for concern at the moment. This will allow you to identify diseases at the very first, asymptomatic stages, prescribe the necessary treatment and quickly eliminate the pathology.

It is important to understand that a cat begins to cough if there are foreign objects, inflammation, or suppuration in its respiratory tract (due to worms, infection, tumor, etc.). Each cause of illness requires a specific treatment - there are no universal methods of therapy. Medicines for diseases that provoke cough are prescribed by a veterinarian after examination and tests.

If she starts coughing, the first thing that will probably come to your mind is that she has a cold. Or choked. Or... Here, as a rule, the thought begins to work in the direction of building associative parallels between itself and its pet. But this is not always worth doing. And, despite the fact that coughing as a physiological act in all mammals has much in common, the reasons for its occurrence in humans and cats (in percentage terms) are very different.

Who is this cough?

Coughing in cats is an involuntary reflexive, jerky, forced, sonorous exhalation. Cough is initiated by the cough center located in the medulla oblongata, which receives signals via the vagus nerve from sensitive sensors (receptors). The largest number of cough receptors are located in the area of ​​the vocal cords, larynx (this is why coughing occurs when food gets into the “wrong throat”) and in the divisions of the trachea and bronchi. Places where cough receptors accumulate are called cough reflexogenic zones.

First of all, coughing is a protective reflex that occurs in the body of all animals as a result of mechanical or chemical irritation of sensitive cough zones. And in many diseases, when coughing promotes the evacuation of mucus, pus and foreign particles from the lumen of the airways, it promotes recovery.

However, a feature of the cough zones located in the trachea and bronchi is that they respond equally to irritation coming from both the respiratory lumen and the reverse, as if outer, surface. That is why cough is a symptom of a disease of both the respiratory tract and the organs and tissues located around them. Therefore, there are very, very many reasons why a cough may appear. And it does not always benefit the body.

In this article we will dwell in detail only on the two most common types of cough - respiratory and cardiac.

Cough cough discord

Indeed, a cough can be very varied, both in strength and duration.

Doctors characterize cough:

• by duration: acute (from a couple of days to several weeks) or chronic (months, years);
• in strength: from a mild cough to a hysterical and debilitating cough (sometimes even with vomiting);
• by timbre: ringing or muffled;
• by the nature of cough discharge: dry or wet with mucous and purulent or bloody sputum;
• by time of manifestation: for example, only in the morning or throughout the day, and also associated with the time of year - only in spring or only in summer, for example.

Carefully observe your cat's coughing pattern (you can even try to record your cat coughing on a video camera). This will help the doctor diagnose the cause of your pet's illness.

Respiratory cough

Cats can also experience various infectious (in the vast majority of which are initiated by viruses) lesions of the respiratory tract (nasopharynx, trachea, bronchi, lungs). They are accompanied by an intense, ringing, dry and unproductive cough at the onset of the disease (i.e., without sputum or pus). When, thanks to the destructive work of viruses, various harmful bacteria begin to join the infectious process, the cough becomes duller and often contains purulent discharge. At the same time, cats still sneeze intensely, they develop a runny nose and purulent discharge from the eyes. Body temperature also rises and general health deteriorates sharply. However, due to the fact that only a very severe viral infection can significantly weaken a cat’s antibacterial immunity (namely, bacteria are “responsible” for the appearance of pus; in fact, pus is a mixture of neutralized bacteria with killer cells), then respiratory cough in cats happens much less frequently than in humans.

Cardiac cough

The reason for its appearance is that due to a number of factors (a disturbance in the valve system, for example), the heart muscle significantly increases in volume (takes on the shape of a ball) and begins to put pressure on the trachea passing in close proximity. And the cough reflexogenic zones on the trachea are not able to understand that there is no need to cough in this case, and still send a signal to the brain. In this case, the intensity of the cough increases gradually (along with an increase in the size of the heart), and the cough itself is most often muffled (uterine) and does not contain any discharge. In general, it seems as if the cat has choked on something and is trying to get rid of the foreign object. You can make sure that in this particular case we are talking about cardiac pathology by observing the animal for several days. If a cough of the same nature appears regularly (and even more so, its frequency and intensity increases), then you should not hesitate to consult a doctor.

What you need to pay attention to when treating a cough

I remind you once again that a cough is a symptom of a disease, therefore, on the one hand, in order to reduce its intensity, it is necessary first of all to understand the causes of its occurrence. On the other hand, being a protective reaction of the body, a cough can be beneficial and speed up recovery. In other words, in many cases it is not worth fighting a cough to the bitter end with the help of antitussives. Along with recovery from the underlying disease, the cough will also stop.

The exception is a dry, painful cough, which causes severe anxiety in the cat and even attacks of suffocation. In this case, the cough loses its protective nature and requires immediate attention to a veterinarian.

Nature, “creating” the immune system in cats (and other predators), emphasized antibacterial immunity. This is due to the fact that when hunting and fighting for territory, the wild ancestors of our pets very often received infected injuries and wounds. And without good immune protection against bacteria, it is impossible to survive in the wild. But in the “fight” against viruses, cats are still very far from winning.
Therefore, bacterial infections of the nasopharynx (and with them the so-called respiratory cough) are much less common in cats than in humans, and develop only against the background of a severe weakening of the immune system (which, as a rule, leads to various viral infections). In this regard, such a concept as a “cold” is not suitable for cats.

Cough preparations

There are a large number of medications available to relieve a cough as such and/or change its character (for example, from a harmful dry cough to a “helpful” wet one). Conventionally, they can be divided into two groups.

The first is drugs that, acting on the cough center, block this reflex, regardless of its origin (the so-called centrally acting antitussives). Such drugs should only be prescribed by a doctor and always as part of complex therapy. This is due to the fact that in most cases they only mask the symptom of the disease and do not affect the cause of its occurrence. And as a result, the illusion of recovery may be created, while the disease will develop further (especially if the cough is of a non-infectious nature). Plus, antitussives, as a rule, are potent substances and, if used incorrectly, can seriously harm your pet instead of helping.

The second group of drugs are expectorants. When contacting a pharmacist at a pharmacy, they are often called “something for a cough.” They do not stop coughing by themselves, but they significantly alleviate dry coughs by increasing the volume of mucus produced by special cells of the bronchi and/or diluting it. And along with the mucus, the causative agents of the disease—harmful microorganisms—are also removed from the body. Such drugs are used to treat coughs of infectious origin, which occur much less frequently in cats than in you and me.

In human pharmacies you can buy many drugs containing a combination of antitussives and expectorants. But not all of them may be suitable for your cat. Some are generally categorically contraindicated for this type of animal.

Roman Leonard,
veterinarian,
Candidate of Veterinary Sciences