Cat Gagging

staceyloobug

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I've caught Domino gagging several times today. I've seen him do it a few times in the past, but never as frequently as today.

He's eaten, and he isn't coughing (like a hairball), and he isn't trying to vomit. I've looked in his mouth (as much as he'd let me) and didn't see anything.

Do cats just have different ways of gagging up hairballs? He's NEVER thrown up or had a single hairball, so maybe he doesn't know what to do (he's going on 3)?

My heart is in my chest, but my common sense is saying he's having no trouble eating or breathing, so it's just something weird. Maybe it just feels like a tickle in the back of his throat or something.
 

farleyv

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Well, I would have him checked out. A rule I use is if it were one of my children gagging, there would be no question about having them seen by a doctor.

It takes a lot of the guess work out of it if you address the situation that way.
 

stephanietx

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It could be from drainage or it could be something stuck in his throat. I'd definitely have him checked out.
 

mrsgreenjeens

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Oddly, it could be asthma. Stinkpot does that on occasion, and one day when I was checking out YouTube on how to pill a cat, I happened to see a video on a cat having an asthma attach, and that was EXACTLY what Stinkpot does. It's like he's got something stuck in his throat that he's trying to expell. And he only does it once in awhile. The strangest thing about it is, he always does it at the exact same place in the house!

Anyway, you might want to check out YouTube to see if that's what Domino appears to be doing. Good news is, cats with Asthma can easily be treated, especially if it's only an occasional attack. They've even got little inhalers for them
 
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staceyloobug

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Thanks for the advice, guys. I looked up asthma, and it's actually nothing like that. He literally just opens his mouth wide, like the beginning of a yawn. And that's it. No coughing, no hard breathing.

He's stopped doing it for now, but I think it MAY be drainage from a cold. His eyes are a bit watery. He seems to be doing well today, and I've told my partner to watch closely this evening while I'm at work. Luckily, we work opposite shifts, so he's never alone.
 
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