The cat coughs in the morning. Why does a cat sneeze and cough? Cough in cats as a symptom of various ailments

If your cat is coughing as if she is choking on something, then most likely she is. More precisely, a foreign body has entered the animal’s respiratory tract or stomach, which the cat is trying to free from itself by coughing.

Very often, the cause of cat cough is a trichobezoar - a hairball. When a cat licks itself, it ingests a small amount of hair, which accumulates in the stomach and forms a trichobezoar. While inside the body, it begins to have an inflammatory effect on the organ, thereby causing discomfort to the cat.

If this happens to your cat, you should contact your veterinarian, he will prescribe a special remedy to dissolve the coma and remove it through the intestines or by inducing vomiting.

The cat coughs and wheezes

The cat coughs and wheezes, mainly due to diseases of the respiratory tract and throat. There are many diseases accompanied by cough, and they all have a different nature. However, if a cat’s cough is also accompanied by wheezing, this almost always indicates that the animal has the following diseases:

Bronchial asthma;

Pneumonia;

Bronchitis;

Inflammation of the pleura.

Also, the cause of cough with wheezing can be cardiovascular diseases. In all cases, of course, you cannot do without veterinary care.

The cat clings to the floor and coughs

When a cat presses itself to the floor and coughs, this usually indicates the presence of a foreign object in the animal's respiratory tract. Often, a cat, trying to cough, stretches its neck. Again, only a doctor can determine the exact cause of such a cough.

The most common mistake owners make is inaction; they hope that this kind of cough is a common cold and will go away on its own, so they neglect to visit the veterinarian. And this is very wrong, because sometimes a cat cannot cope with the problem on its own and needs medical help. Moreover, this kind of cough in a cat may turn out to be a more serious disease, in which case the pet will even need the help of a professional doctor.

Considering that a healthy animal normally does not make any extraneous sounds, the owner should be seriously concerned when he hears his cat coughing. It's not common for cats to cough without a reason, and leaving this condition unattended can be dangerous, as triggers can range from a cold or allergy to asthma or infection.

The owner can independently determine some of the reasons that provoked the cough by observing his pet; other factors can only be identified by an experienced veterinarian. Today we will talk about what can lead to cat cough, how to help your pet and prevent problems.

Like humans, coughing in animals occurs due to irritation of the upper respiratory tract. The body launches a protective reflex in an attempt to push out the irritating factor. These factors can be divided into three groups:

1. Biological (associated with viruses, bacteria and fungi).
2. Mechanical (dust, mucus, foreign body).
3. Chemical (acid, alkali).

When an animal coughs, its airways are cleared, pushing out foreign particles, cellular breakdown products due to inflammation, or mucus. Despite the fact that the sound and general picture of a cat’s cough will be similar to that of a human, unlike humans, animals take a characteristic position - they pull their neck forward, freeze, and twist their head. Sometimes it seems that the animal will continue to vomit.

Cough has the following development mechanism: the brain cough center sends an impulse to receptors located in the laryngeal region. Receiving this signal, in the respiratory tract, in the upper compartment, the smooth muscles contract, the mucous membrane is irritated, and on inhalation a characteristic sound is heard associated with the reflex compression of the glottis.

Therefore, the owner who hears coughing sounds from his pet should be wary. If the cough happened once and does not recur, we can assume that the cat simply inhaled dust or choked slightly. If the cough has a recurring tendency, you need to carefully monitor the animal, trying to understand from its behavior what specific cough is bothering it.

Causes of cat cough

Cats don’t cough just like that – there is always a reason for this pathological condition. Cough itself is not an independent illness; it will always be a symptom of another disease. However, there is such a thing as a reflex cough - it usually occurs once and is associated with the following reasons:

1. There is a foreign object in the respiratory tract (the cat will cough until the interfering foreign object is removed or the animal pushes it out on its own).
2. Negative changes in the air (smoke from cigarettes, hookah, fire, steam, gas, strong or unpleasant odors, fine powders).

If we talk about cough as a symptom, then it can accompany many ailments. The most common include allergic reactions, bronchial asthma, respiratory diseases (viral or bacterial: bronchitis, pneumonia, laryngotracheitis and the like).

Factors in the development of cough can be traumatic problems - scratches of the throat and trachea, injuries to the chest, neck or lungs. An animal coughs when there is a diaphragmatic hernia, when the peritoneal organs enter the chest cavity and irritate the mucous membranes. Also, a persistent unpleasant cough appears if excess air or liquid accumulates in the animal’s chest cavity, as well as neoplasms (oncology).

Let's take a closer look at some of the reasons why a cat may cough. So, with an allergic cough, irritating factors will play a key role. If animals cough while they are smoking nearby, doing painting work, spraying perfume or aerosols, we can say that the cause of the cough is external. An animal may be allergic to litter (cough after visiting the litter box) or react to flowering plants.

Types of cough in cats

Veterinarians distinguish several types of cough in cats, depending on the duration, nature of occurrence, sound, strength and presence of discharge. So, a cat’s cough can be chronic, long-lasting, or acute, starting suddenly. A cat may cough muffledly or loudly. Just like in humans, cats' cough can be dry, hacking, without secretions, or wet, when phlegm literally flies out of the cat's mouth.

Cough in cats is characterized by the time of its occurrence (morning, evening, night), strength (coughing or severe, almost reaching vomiting). All these points must be remembered or written down and described in as much detail as possible at the appointment with a veterinary specialist. Since a veterinarian cannot monitor a cat 24/7, the owner’s words will be extremely valuable in making a correct diagnosis.

Table 2. Cough in a cat: features

Cough when a cat is choking

Many owners describe their pet’s cough as “the cat feels like it’s choking.” You need to be able to distinguish when the process simply looks like the animal is choking, and when it really is. If a cat is choking, it means that there is a foreign object in the throat or even the esophagus that is stuck and does not pass into the stomach or out through the mouth.

This condition does not arise out of nowhere (for example, a cat is sleeping and suddenly begins to choke). Usually the animal is licking itself, eating or playing, and suddenly begins to cough. The attack occurs spontaneously; the characteristic posture with an elongated neck may be absent (the cat simply does not have time to accept it).

We can say that in the generally accepted sense, the cough itself is not present - the animal wheezes, the urge to vomit increases, and gurgling or hissing sounds can be heard. In this case, the cat will try to rub its muzzle on objects, roll on the floor, and try to help itself with its paws. At this moment, there is profuse drooling due to the fact that the cat cannot swallow saliva due to the blocked larynx.

In such a situation, the animal needs urgent help! You need to fix the pet and try to see what the animal choked on. It is better if there are two people nearby - one will hold the pet, the other will look for a foreign object and try to remove it.

How to help a cat that is choking?

First, you need to act immediately. In cats, choking develops very quickly due to the narrow larynx, and if normal air flow is not ensured, the pet will simply suffocate. The animal is caught and wrapped in thick fabric - a towel, blanket, jacket, so that only the head remains outside. Have a flashlight and long tweezers at hand.

The animal’s head is pulled back and fingers are pressed into the cheekbone area to open the mouth. There is no need to put your fingers in the animal’s mouth or open its jaws with both hands - just fix the head from the side. Then you need to examine the animal’s oral cavity and look deeper to see the foreign body.

If a foreign object is visible, you need to carefully remove it - with your fingers or tweezers. What to do if the foreign body is not visible? First, you need to squeeze the cat's chest or tap between the animal's shoulder blades. To do this, the animal is placed on the floor, the hind limbs are raised, and the chest is firmly but gently squeezed several times.

It is necessary for the cat to cough deeply and independently push the object higher so that the owner can pick it up and get it out. If the cat loses consciousness, staggers or barely breathes, you need to immediately go to the clinic. Warn the veterinarians about your arrival in advance; you can also get advice on how you can help the animal on the road.

Video - What to do if your cat chokes on food?

Diagnosis of cough

If you are sure that the animal has not choked, you need to visit a veterinarian, but not so urgently. Perhaps it makes sense to observe the pet for a couple of days (if the condition is stable and does not cause concern) in order to report important diagnostic data to the veterinary clinic. You cannot make an independent diagnosis, since the factors that cause cough are very multifaceted, and only a qualified doctor will be able to identify the true cause.

First of all, the veterinarian will ask the owner about the nature of the pet’s cough, then he will look at the cat, listen with a phonendoscope to the bronchi, lungs, trachea, and conduct a visual assessment of the oral cavity and pharynx.

Cat cough: how to treat?

Let us repeat once again - only a qualified veterinarian, based on research and diagnostic data, has the right to prescribe a therapeutic regimen for a coughing pet. If the cough is traumatic in nature or caused by a neoplasm, surgical intervention may be required; in other situations, treatment is usually medicinal.

Cough in cats: prevention

Everyone knows that it is easier to prevent a disease than to eliminate it for a long time, wasting time and money on treatment, as well as risking the health and even life of the animal. In order to protect your cat from both symptomatic cough and reflex cough (caused by external factors), you just need to provide the pet with decent living conditions.

In the room where the cat lives, it is necessary to do regular cleaning, ventilation, and also limit the penetration of tobacco smoke, chemical fumes and other substances that irritate the delicate cat’s body. The animal should not catch a cold, be in a draft, or in a cold or damp place.

It is also necessary to regularly, once every four months, carry out anthelmintic treatment for the cat, do not give it raw river fish, and exclude meat from unverified sources from the diet. Nutrition should be balanced, contain vitamins and microelements. Every year your cat should receive a vaccine against major diseases.

It is important to understand that a cat’s cough will not go away on its own unless the owner intervenes. But you can’t make a decision on treating your pet yourself either - effective therapy can only be prescribed by a pet doctor, after diagnosis and identification of the root cause of the symptom.

Cats, like people, get sick often. Coughing and sneezing is not uncommon for them, but a serious symptom! If a cat is sneezing and coughing, this is a sign of illness that the owner needs to be aware of. The mechanism of coughing and sneezing may indicate different reasons for its occurrence - discomfort, colds, illness, allergies, and so on. To quickly help and try to cure a pet is the main task of the owner who cares and loves his pet friend!

A cat is sneezing and coughing - what does this mean?

Sneezing and coughing are a reflex defense of the animal’s body, aimed at eliminating the irritating element. The sneezing response is controlled by the cough center located in the cat's medulla oblongata. Special receptors concentrated on the larynx cause sneezing in cats., trachea, vocal cords and bronchi. The cat sneezes and coughs due to mechanical or chemical irritation of sensitive cough areas. Treatment of a cough symptom is based on the external and internal causes that led to its occurrence. In some cases, you may need the help of a doctor.

To find out the causes of sneezing in cats, you need to pay attention to the following signs and features. This is the time of appearance and end, the strength of manifestation, the duration and timbre of the cough. Of no less importance are the accompanying symptoms, the behavior of the cat, and the nature of the discharge, if any.

Depending on the signs, veterinarians divide coughing and sneezing in cats into several types:

• Wet and dry, if there is no or no discharge.
• Distressing and debilitating, depending on the severity of the symptom.
• Paroxysmal and chronic, based on duration and frequency.
• Voiced and voiceless, as evidenced by the nature of the sound manifestation of this feature.

Often sneezing indicates problems with the respiratory or cardiovascular systems.

It is possible to clarify the diagnosis of an animal when sneezing only after conducting certain studies and passing the necessary tests.

Causes of cat cough and sneezing

The cause of a cough in a cat can be caused by a banal ingress of a foreign body into the nose and respiratory tract of the animal - lumps of wool, food, dust, smoke, liquid, small household items, and so on. By coughing and sneezing, your pet protects its body from possible harm.. Also in the cough process, the products of inflammation and irritants are naturally eliminated.

Diseases associated with cough and sneezing symptoms:

• Asthma. This disease is very common among the cat breed. The cough is paroxysmal, accompanied by sneezing, shortness of breath, wheezing and shortness of breath of the animal. The development of the disease is facilitated by poor nutrition, stress, exercise, polluted environment, and so on. Asthma in cats worsens in the spring and autumn.
• Pneumonia manifests itself along with a dry exhausting cough, fever, lack of appetite and general depression of the pet. The development of the disease occurs rapidly, most often against the background of hypothermia.
• Cardiovascular failure. Cats can have a so-called "heart cough" when the heart valve weakens, the heart muscle swells and begins to compress the trachea. Here, the nature of the cough tends to increase as the condition of the pet worsens.
• Allergic reaction. The cat often sneezes due to allergies. An irritating allergen can be tobacco smoke, chemicals and perfumes, mold and spores, dust and pollen.
• Respiratory diseases. Cats sneeze intensely if they have a cold. A cold occurs due to prolonged exposure to the street in bad weather and hypothermia of the animal's body. In parallel with sneezing, the cat becomes lethargic and apathetic, eats little and sleeps a lot, she may develop a fever. The animal's eyes begin to water, and a runny nose often occurs.
• Viral diseases. These include the herpes virus, rhinotracheitis and calicivirus, which affect the mucous membranes of the eyes and nasopharynx. Additional symptoms here are high fever, drooling, runny nose and conjunctivitis. It is useless to treat the animal yourself; you should show your pet to a doctor.
• Worms can cause coughing and sneezing in a cat, as the animal reflexively tries to free itself from them. The cat sneezes and coughs up vomit, helminthic larvae and worms, while the animal presses itself to the floor and stretches its neck. The nature of these symptoms is moderate and short-lived.

Microtraumas of the throat and larynx can also cause cough symptoms. Fish and poultry with bones can injure the trachea and esophagus, as a result of which tickling and vomiting cannot be avoided; sometimes blood can be found in the saliva. Cough symptoms will disappear as wounds and scratches on the animal’s mucous membrane heal.

Diagnosis of the disease

Sneezing and coughing, as symptoms, do not come one at a time; the disease is always accompanied by a complex symptom complex, which an experienced and knowledgeable veterinarian can recognize. To alleviate the pet’s condition, it is necessary to humidify and refresh the air in the room, provide warmth and peace to the animal.

Cough requires treatment with special medications, which should be prescribed by a doctor, based on the clinical picture and diagnosis.

What happens in a veterinary clinic when examining an animal:

• The doctor asks questions about the living conditions and characteristics of the cat.
• The owner must be given full information about why and when the cough occurred, and what was done.
• The animal will undergo a general examination, the doctor will examine in detail the upper parts of the respiratory system.
• In some cases, it may be necessary to take x-rays and take blood tests from the animal.
• If a specific disease is suspected, a specific organ of the pet is examined separately.
• In some cases, it is recommended to take a culture test for microflora and viral infections.

Diagnosis of coughing and sneezing takes a lot of time, but only in this case will the diagnosis and treatment be correct and effective.

How to treat a pet?

Treatment of coughing and sneezing in a cat due to serious diseases (oncological tumors, leukemia, cancer) is carried out in a veterinary hospital under the supervision of a doctor.

Timely care of your animal will be the key to its long, healthy and active life! A kitten begins to be vaccinated from the age of six months, repeating vaccinations every 2-3 months. Adult animals are vaccinated annually– from cat flu and viruses, from rabies, from leukopenia and so on. If your pet is sick, treatment of cough in cats should be carried out in strict accordance with medical recommendations and advice!

If a cat coughs, as if it is choking and wants to vomit, this is not a reason to panic. You should not start treating the animal yourself. It is better to pay attention to what other symptoms are observed. You can make a video recording of your pet coughing and visit the veterinary clinic as soon as possible.

Types of symptoms

A cough means one thing - the cat’s body is trying to get rid of something. The muscles of the respiratory organs contract and push, at which point the cat coughs. Such attacks are accompanied by other symptoms. The cat is sneezing or wheezing, breathing heavily, and his eyes are watering.

The natural microflora of the throat, esophagus and lungs is disrupted, so the cat develops a cough reflex. The immune system increases the secretion of secretions, directing white blood cells to fight symptoms. Cough has different causes:

• microbes;
• foreign bodies;
• viruses;
• wounds.

But the essence is the same - discharge accumulates, and you need to get rid of it. The cat's body is designed in such a way that when it coughs strongly, it looks like the animal is about to vomit.

When your pet coughs, symptoms vary by:

1. 1. Duration: sometimes the condition develops in attacks, in other cases it constantly torments the animal.
2. 2. Intensity: mild coughing or coughing so strong that it hurts to look at the cat. The condition may be accompanied by vomiting and snot.
3. 3. Sound: the cough can be painful and muffled or loud. In other situations, the cat is constantly breathing heavily.
4. 4. Discharge from the mouth and nose: dry coughing is dangerous, but worse when purulent and bloody traces are noticeable.
5. 5. Time of manifestation: respiratory disorders worsen either at night or after sleep. For diagnosis, it is important what time of year the cat got sick. Behavior also varies - the animal coughs after hissing or stretching out and pressing itself to the floor. All these points are important for diagnosis.

Causes of cough and how it manifests itself

When a cat coughs as if it wants to vomit, this indicates the following conditions:

If a cat develops such symptoms and coughs as if it is choking, there is no need to try to determine the reasons yourself - you could harm your pet.

Treatment

If it's a foreign body or hairballs, the cat will usually cough them up. Sometimes they pass through the digestive system and are passed through a bowel movement. But if the object is stuck in the throat or esophagus, surgery will be required.

• use phytomines for distilling wool;
• try to pull out the foreign body yourself with tweezers (if it is really visible in the throat) - it is important not to rush, not to panic and not to make sudden movements;
• try to help the cat vomit - you need to lightly press your finger on the root of the pet’s tongue.

If attacks occur frequently, consult your doctor.

So that the doctor understands what the problem is, film the cat coughing in advance. Just by the sounds, a professional will determine in which direction to look for the source of the disease. So, if there is a strangled cough and wheezing, the cat will be sent for a cardiological check.

The veterinarian will also pay attention to whether there is purulent, mucous and bloody discharge in order to rule out infectious inflammation of the respiratory tract. The necessary smears and tests will be prescribed to determine the type of pathogenic microorganisms.

Medications may also be prescribed to treat a coughing cat. Such drugs are needed so that an animal that is sneezing and coughing gets rid of excess mucus in the throat. Prescribed for dry coughing or weak natural expectoration. They will also suppress an allergic reaction, reduce swelling, and clear the airways. If you are concerned about asthma, the main emphasis on treatment is in the spring and autumn. Medicines correctly selected by the doctor effectively suppress the inflammatory process.

If the prescription has not been received, do not purchase such medications yourself. They are selected only after careful analysis. For antibiotic treatment to be successful, you need to understand what type of microorganism caused the infection so as not to harm the cat’s health.

Coughing is a protective reflex that helps animals clear their airways. As soon as the kitten is born, it begins to cough in order to start breathing. Should you be wary and what should you do if your cat coughs as if she’s choking for no apparent reason? You need to worry if attacks recur frequently. The owner’s first task will be to identify the cause of the cough; we’ll look at it in more detail below.

How to identify the causes of cough and what may cause attacks? This question is very complex and to fully answer it you will have to read tons of veterinary literature. is a symptom of many ailments. However, a characteristic expectorant cough occurs for only one reason - the nerve endings of the respiratory tract are irritated by something. The brain receives a signal that the airways need to be cleared and the cat begins to cough. Below are most common causes of seizures, they need to be confirmed or refuted first.

The first reason to consider is. Most owners believe that a cat cannot catch a cold or that this illness is very rare. This statement is far from the truth, since your pet's body is protected by an immune system that can work normally or malfunction. Moreover, a normally functioning immune system cannot cope with the combination of several risk factors:

• Freezing or being in a draft after swimming.
• when walking in frosty weather.
• Hypothermia against the background of a secretive illness.
• Cold against the background of defeat.

Note! The cat must receive warm food and water! Drinking food or water that is too cold can lead to inflammation of the throat and tonsils. In hot weather, the water should be slightly cool and fresh.

Let's return to the last point of the above list - cold symptoms against the background of a virus infection. Ailments caused by bacteria are treated symptomatically and, in severe cases, with antibiotics. Viral diseases need to be treated as quickly as possible and with the use of antiviral drugs and agents to increase the body's immune defense. If you treat a viral cold, firstly, you will waste time, and secondly, you will very soon notice a deterioration in your pet’s condition.

Note! With a characteristic expectorant cough, medications that increase the outflow of sputum are prescribed for symptomatic treatment.

A cat suffering from a cold should be seen by a doctor, but can be treated at home. The animal will recover faster if all irritating factors are eliminated; the cat needs to be provided with maximum care, peace and comfort. During treatment, your pet's food should be crushed and kneaded so that it does not scratch the throat and cause even more irritation. The diet should be high in calories, rich in proteins and easy to digest. The drink is exceptionally warm and fresh.

Advice: If you are treating a cat for a bacterial cold and using antibiotics, it is advisable to immediately introduce drugs with. Antibiotics kill all bacteria: both friendly and enemy, and this can lead to dysbacteriosis.

With a viral infection, the course of the disease is usually more severe. Almost always there is a very high temperature and subsequent intoxication. Very common symptoms are purulent discharge from and, weakness, apathy, with - ulcerative lesions of the nasal passages and mouth. Viral diseases cannot be ignored and self-medication is not recommended.

Read also: How to care for a kitten: basic feeding and hygiene

It is impossible to rule out infection by the virus, even if your ward does not walk outside. The source of infection can be you, items of clothing, or anything brought from the street. Many viral agents are resistant to the external environment and can survive in sputum and feces. The risk increases significantly if the animal has not received timely vaccination, suffers from disease, has access to places where waste accumulates, hunts and eats wild rodents and birds.

Important! The immune system of animals is less resistant to viruses if the cat is less than 1 year old, or if the pet is under constant stress or suffers from lack of sleep, or has undergone long-term treatment or surgery.

If you are sure that your patient has not contracted the virus, you need to consider other causes of coughing attacks. Many owners dress cats collars for decoration or identification. If your pet is also the proud owner of a collar, make sure that when fastened, a finger fits freely between the strap and the cat's neck. It is especially important to track the degree of tension during the autumn molt. It is not recommended to wear a collar on a cat on walks, as it increases flight risk and suffocation followed by coughing.

Are the coughing attacks related to your recent return from the street? If the answer is yes, your cat is most likely suffering from a non-food problem. In case of food intolerance, it is not difficult to identify the allergen; it is enough to put the cat on a strict diet and add foods one at a time. If the allergy is non-food, the situation is much more complicated. Coughing after a walk can be a reaction to dust, fumes, pollen, grass or soil chemicals.

Non-food allergies are most common seasonal nature, that is, it is related to air temperature and humidity. In some modern clinics, animals are tested to identify reactions to popular allergens. If this procedure is not available to you for some reason, you can either guess the reason or refrain from walking during dangerous seasons of the year. You need to understand that it is unreasonable to make a conclusion about allergies without the presence of additional symptoms. Usually the disease is accompanied by swelling of the mucous membranes, lacrimation, copious mucus discharge from the nose and itching.

Important! Closely monitor your pet on walks out of curiosity or necessity; the cat may drink water from a puddle or eat a poisonous plant. The first is fraught with bacterial infection, the second with poisoning and an allergic reaction with swelling of the throat.

Another very common cause of cough is accumulation of fur in the pet's stomach. Cats groom themselves and clean their fur with their tongue. Some hair is inevitably swallowed. If the cat has long hair or receives an unbalanced diet, the hair that gets into the stomach becomes a ball. Some of the hairs stick to the esophagus, which provokes discomfort very similar to what a cat experiences when choking.

Read also: How to understand that a cat is dying: signs and stages

To prevent fur from clumping in the stomach, it is recommended to give cats a special gel. After entering the stomach, the product changes the structure of the hair and the cat can digest it. For all cats living in apartments without exception, it is recommended to plant grass . When a cat eats vegetation, it cleanses its stomach and receives vitamins. Don’t be afraid of what follows after eating grass – this is a natural process.

It should be carried out regularly, optimally once every 3 months, but at least once every six months. If your pet has not received prophylactic agents for a long time and the invasion is strong, a few hours after taking it, it is recommended to give the cat a laxative. The fact is that the dead worms can gather in a lump and linger in the intestines. In this case, the animal's well-being will deteriorate sharply due to poisoning by decay products.

Important! If you picked up a cat on the street and suspect a strong infestation with parasites, it is better to contact a veterinarian who will take measures to stimulate the immune system before anthelmintic.

• She didn’t steal bird bones or oilcloth from sausages, sausages, crab sticks, etc. from the trash can.
• I didn’t eat fish, especially those with a lot of small bones.
• Didn't play with small objects.
• I didn’t play with threads or New Year’s tinsel.