Dog ate chocolate?

 ask a vet

Possible asthma

Species: Cat
Breed: Domestic Long Hair
Age: 5-8 years
My 7 year old cat has always had frequent hairballs. I have always suspected he had digestive issues since his fur has always been more dull than his brother's. He also doesn't maintain a practice of grooming to the extent that my other cats do. He would get mats and then I would have him groomed (tiger cut) once a year.

Since he was young he would hack like he was having a hairball, but nothing would come out except (what i assume to be) bile, or a small puddle of perhaps saliva? Usually this happens a few times over the course of a day and then is sometimes followed by a hairball, but not all the time. In the past two years I noticed that this bile/saliva discharge he hacks up has pink in it -- blood. He hacks very hard to get even this bit out. I have tried Laxatone but it didnt seem to do anything. I have him on hairball reduced dry food and Wellness brand wet food. I notice that he does better on Wellness brand catfood that something like Friskies (which is not so great). He experiences the least amount of this non-hairball spit-up when he eats pure meat (ie. tuna, chicken), however this is costly. My question is, is there something more serious going on that should be seen by a vet, or is it an ongoing food sensitivity that I may be able to manage on my own with him? What do you recommend I do in this case? What would be the key symptoms that would make me need to bring him to the vet right away?


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Thanks for your question. Although I can't give you an exact diagnosis over the internet, I can give you some good ideas as to what could be going on with Neemi.

The most common reason for a cat to cough and hack like you have described is asthma. Often people can confuse coughing with vomiting. Here is a video of a coughing cat that I found on youtube:



Asthma can be affected by Neemi being exposed to things that he is allergic to. So, if he has some mild food allergies then it's possible that when he was being fed the raw food he wasn't exposed to whatever it is that he is allergic to and this is why the coughing was better. (By the way, I'm not a fan of raw feeding. You can read why here: Are raw foods safe for cats?

Asthma can sometimes be hard to diagnose. A vet can sometimes see some hints on xrays, but it's not always obvious.

There are many different treatments. If there is just the occasional cough then I don't do much. But if we're seeing a lot of coughing, then treatment is a good idea. My guess is that the blood is because of the frequency of coughing. He may have some damage to some small blood vessels in his respiratory tract. From what you have described I think it's a good idea to have your vet take a look and see if he needs treatment.

I will often treat these cats with very small doses of prednisone (a steroid) which I usually have the owner give every other day. There are inhalers that cats tolerate well as well, but I reserve these for the really bad cases.

If you live in an area where there is a lot of heartworm, then heartworm is a possibility as well. If you are in an area that sees heartworm your vet can do a very simple blood test to determine if this is the problem.

There are other things that can cause a cat to have these symptoms, but they are not very common.

I think a visit to the doctor is a great idea!

Hope all is well!

Dr. Marie.


Do you have a pet website? Interested in learning more about SEO for Wix?

Check out our dog age calculator and cat age calculator.

Want to receive pet coupons, vet advice and info on new pet products in your inbox?

* indicates required

We'll only send you great stuff, never spam. Unsubscribe any time.

Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

Search for similar questions:

ask a vet

Popular questions...

Are raisins toxic to cats? Hello, On Monday of this week (today is Wednesday) my cat came up to me while I... (35446 views)

Advantage Multi Reaction? Cat losing weight after advantage multi treatment, what can I do to make him start... (9992 views)

Milo's chicken jerky safety? Hi, Thank you for taking the time to read this. I'm concerned about the chicken... (11372 views)

Penis discharge in dog. Hello. My male Jack Russell dog is now 6-7 months old and lately, he has been... (101761 views)

Needs anal glands done again. I just took Chloe to the vet last weekend because she was skooting and her vet... (10234 views)

Mange treatment. Dr. Marie: My dog has demodectic mange. We give her Promeris, but it makes her... (19103 views)

Backward sneezing and drooling. Firstly I am doing this om my iPhone . I can get email but can not send so please... (23753 views)

Trouble swallowing. My 6-year-old shepherd developed a major mucus production problem in the last month.... (16970 views)

Why did my cat die? Hi Dr. Marie, I know you are probably overwhelmed but I pray you give me some piece... (16195 views)

Min Pin won't eat. My 2 year old (obese) miniature pinscher has been displaying very odd behavior.... (16854 views)

See all questions...

Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.