Sneeze/Wheeze/WHAT?!

Pounce has started doing something very strange! The first few times I heard it I thought it was a sneeze - maybe an allergy to something in the apartment. But she just did it now, and it was scary! Her whole body almost CONVULSES and she HUFF HUFF HUFFs... this time for almost 30 full seconds! And her nose turns a funny color (kinda purplish red/pink). I have only seen/heard her do it a few times... she was JUST at the vet and got a clean bill of health. Piccalo sniffed at Pounce this time and seemed curious, but maybe just because of the noise. Pounce has no fever, seems well-hydrated, is acting normal and when I listen to her breathing (with my ear against her chest, back, stomach) everything sounds normal. Does anyone have any clue what it could be? I will take her to the vet, but they aren't open for about 14 hours and she is acting 100% okay now.

It could be a cough or an asthma-related symptom. My mother has a feline herpes cat and she does this.

Yes, please get her to the vet and explain exactly what your cat did. It could be helpful to google videos of cats coughing or having an asthma attack to see if it looks similar to what your cat did

Originally Posted by AbbysMom

It could be a cough or an asthma-related symptom. My mother has a feline herpes cat and she does this.

Yes, please get her to the vet and explain exactly what your cat did. It could be helpful to google videos of cats coughing or having an asthma attack to see if it looks similar to what your cat did

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Maybe this video, from a feline asthma site ... "Fritz the Cat", that shows one kitty during an asthma attack will help you.

http://www.fritzthebrave.com/asthma/symptoms.html

My cat Dexter has asthma. When his lungs begin to shut down, he was very still with extreme rapid breathing.
All feline asthma attacks do not look the same but if you suspect Pounce's symptoms might be asthma it is essential to discuss that with your vet.

Pounce

My gosh I could hardly stand to watch that video it made me so anxious for the cat.

My Baby ( 1/98) had asthma. He had to take prednisone for it for many years. When he got older I was able to taper him off and he only needed it for short periods of time.

Scary scary.

Please keep us posted on Pounce, and if you can take some video of an episode for the vet.

Pounce

Originally Posted by xocats

Maybe this video, from a feline asthma site ... "Fritz the Cat", that shows one kitty during an asthma attack will help you.

http://www.fritzthebrave.com/asthma/symptoms.html

My cat Dexter has asthma. When his lungs begin to shut down, he was very still with extreme rapid breathing.
All feline asthma attacks do not look the same but if you suspect Pounce's symptoms might be asthma it is essential to discuss that with your vet.

Pounce

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Thank you, thank you for that link!! This is EXACTLY what Pounce was doing earlier - it was terrifying! I will definitely try to get a video, but I sincerely hope there is nothing to video before I take her in tomorrow!!
I think she has JUST developed it - I noticed on that site that it says it could be seasonally affected. I never noticed anything like it before in either cat, so I hope this is something that we can nip in the bud!
Will keep you all updated - thanks for the vibes!! Now I am not going to be able to sleep!!

If you smoke, and smoke in your home, you must stop now. Immediately. Cigarette smoke is deadly to asthmatic cats.

You must always go outside, stay away from any windows, and make sure all the smoke has blown away from you before going back in.

When my Baby mentioned before developed asthma I was a smoker and smoked inside. After his first asthmatic attack I never smoked inside again.(though it took another 15 years before I finally quit)

Originally Posted by otto

If you smoke, and smoke in your home, you must stop now. Immediately. Cigarette smoke is deadly to asthmatic cats.

You must always go outside, stay away from any windows, and make sure all the smoke has blown away from you before going back in.

When my Baby mentioned before developed asthma I was a smoker and smoked inside. After his first asthmatic attack I never smoked inside again.(though it took another 15 years before I finally quit)

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Nope, neither of us smoke at all - I hate it! No one is allowed to smoke in my apartment, or even on the balconies. They have to go downstairs to the street.
If she is asthmatic, I will forever wonder if it was brought on by staying at my mom's house for so long - she is a chain smoker, and the house was filthy when we got them back! DH had severe asthma the whole time we stayed at her house. Ugh, I feel a case of the blames!

Well there wasn't anything you could do about that. Baby's asthma was certainly worsened by living in a smoke filled home the first two years of his life, but I don't know if he would have had it anyway, of course. He still needed medication, even after I stopped smoking inside.

There are other treatments besides steroids these days I think, that video xo cats posted mentioned albuterol treatments.

You might do some research so when you bring Pounce in you know what to ask the vet about. Hopefully your vet keeps up on new info, but if s/he doesn't, s/he may find some links or print outs from you helpful. I know my vet always appreciates it when I give her links and info I've come up with.

I really like the vet we go to, but she only speaks Japanese. She is really gentle and kind with the cats, and she really seems to know her stuff! Last time we were there, she told me some really useful tips for helping the cats lose the extra weight they packed on at my mom's.
There is apparently a guy in the office who speaks English, but our kitties have already seen this vet twice, so I want to stick with her. I will have DH look up feline asthma information in Japanese when he gets home. He has to work all weekend, so I will have to make this trip myself.
Thanks for the support, everyone! I will update tomorrow... bed now!

My Dexter's asthma trigger was the dust from clay litter/we now use only corn litter.
He has had two severe attacks in his life...
the first when he was a kitten, then 9 years later when I briefly used a clay litter again. That almost killed him.

If Pounce is diagnosed with asthma, along with his medication, you will need to become a detective to try and discover what is triggering his attacks.
It is a challenge but not impossible.

I will be watching for your updates.

Pounce

^Corn and wheat are allergens, too, so for some cats those litters can be just as bad.

These cats where just brought over, correct? Another odd possibility could be fungus. Who knows what they could have come in contact with that was in the air? There are also some infections that can cause serious lung inflammation that would look a lot like asthma.

If you end up needing to using an inhaler you'll want to get the aerokat to help. Shipping was ridiculous for me so I don't even want to know what it will be for you. Maybe you can find a Japanese site selling it?

Originally Posted by strange_wings

^Corn and wheat are allergens, too, so for some cats those litters can be just as bad.

These cats where just brought over, correct? Another odd possibility could be fungus. Who knows what they could have come in contact with that was in the air? There are also some infections that can cause serious lung inflammation that would look a lot like asthma.

If you end up needing to using an inhaler you'll want to get the aerokat to help. Shipping was ridiculous for me so I don't even want to know what it will be for you.

Maybe you can find a Japanese site selling it?

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I am really worried that it may be litter allergy. BIG GROAN! Finding litters here in Japan is difficult - we have just found one that both our cats like. In a way, I almost hope it IS a fungus that can be easily cured.
The vet couldn't see us today, and she also wanted a video of an attack. Pounce has been upstairs on the bed with me all day today with the exception of bathroom breaks and not a single attack or funny sound. I have my camera ready on video mode...
Regardless of whether or not we get that video, the vet will see us tomorrow. And my husband can go with me then, so no chance of miscommunication!!
Will update after Pounce sees the vet. Oh, and I have an emergency vet's number if she has an acute attack tonight.

Originally Posted by Nekoha

I almost hope it IS a fungus that can be easily cured.

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Except none of them are in cats and it can be fatal. Some cats can actually get bartonella infections, so again make sure they check the lungs before just saying asthma.

Took Pounce to the vet! DH had to work again today (it is Sunday!) and couldn't go, so I was sweating like crazy wondering how I could make myself understood. I didn't get to see our normal vet - she was off today, even though Sunday is her usual day. Fortunately the vet I did see spoke SOME English, and I speak SOME Japanese...
He listened to Pounce's lungs and heart (both sounded perfectly clear) and asked a ton of questions about when her symptoms occured (well, I am not 100% sure, as I am gone most days until about 7 or 8) but they only time I saw/heard anything was right after she ate (scarfed!) her wet food at around 7 or 8. There have been no more symptoms since Friday's scare, but I have been watching her like a hawk.
He doesn't think it is any type of infection - fungal or bacterial or viral, as she has no symptoms other than that scary cough or whatever. He asked about her appetite (great), her playfulness (awesome!), her sleep (seems normal), and how affectionate she is (quite, but not unusually so). I was pleased with how thorough he was.
But he seems to think it is hairballs!! Because she was shedding like crazy (she always does at the vet!) and because the symptoms always start right after she eats. So, he gave me something called Petromalt to give her for 1 week. If she has ANY symptoms from now on, I am to immediately bring her to that vet or the emergency vet if they are open, and to get video.
So... don't know if I am happy or not. Of course, if it IS just hairballs, I will be happy! Furminator can help cure that problem. Either way, I think DH and I will start saving for the vet's ultimate cat health checkup (it is almost $200 and we can't afford that for both cats right now) and hopefully get that done in January at the latest. That's my Christmas present! Peace of mind!

Originally Posted by strange_wings

Except none of them are in cats and it can be fatal. Some cats can actually get bartonella infections, so again make sure they check the lungs before just saying asthma.

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That is awful! I didn't know that - there is just so much I don't know! I have been so lucky with my cats so far in life! Even when Butterscotch got lymphoma, we caught it very early and she lived another 3 years and up until the very last week was healthy and happy. I don't want my babies to suffer!!
The vet just listened to her lungs with a stethoscope, but he did it all over (much more than any other time) and Pounce was NOT happy about having the metal thing on her for more than 5 minutes and being held still! He said her lungs and heart sounds were perfectly clear.
If she is having symptoms in 1 week, we will do extensive blood tests and xrays.

Thanks for the update. I dose my cats regularly with hair ball remedy, and petromalt is in the rotation (I use three kinds) They hate it of course

But I started thinking after you mentioned again that this happens after eating I wonder if she is aspirating her food. This means getting some of it into her lungs, "going down the wrong pipe" is what we always called it as kids.

Is she eating canned food?

Originally Posted by Nekoha

I think DH and I will start saving for the vet's ultimate cat health checkup (it is almost $200 and we can't afford that for both cats right now) and hopefully get that done in January at the latest. That's my Christmas present! Peace of mind!

Click to expand...

Peace of mind.

This sounds very positive...
your description ... "her whole body almost CONVULSES", could easily be Pounce hacking up a fur ball.
Have you noticed fur ball traces, small amounts of regurgitation or vomit with fur in it, on your floors?

Pounce is very lucky to have such caring people watching after her.
I will be watching for your updates.

A hairball can be very frightening, if you've never seen it, but from your description, it sounded classic.

Pounce is coughing, wheezing, hacking, crouched down, neck stretched out, and possibly weaving her head back and forth? Does that sound about right?

Thanks, everyone!
I have seen both Piccalo and Pounce hacking up hairballs. Pounce never had too much of a problem with them before, but Piccalo used to be on Lactulose to help with her hairballs. The vet took her off that because she said it could be causing her to gain weight.
I haven't seen any signs of hairballs in either cat. My husband got a furminator through work and we have been using that. Both cats eat dried RC S/O and regular canned food.
I think part of my concern is that it has been 2.5 years since we had the cats - that whole time they spent with my mom is a black hole to me! I have no way of knowing when/how/what she fed them, how she treated them, etc. She tells me one story, but my brother tells me a totally different one, and I know for a fact that she never took them to the vet. It was a very unfortunate situation, one that I am so relieved to be done with! My babies are safe here with me, but every little blip on my radar sends me off to the vet in a panic! I think once we have gotten settled in more, it will be better. But I think I would rather err on the side of caution than find out too late that one of my babies is sick.
But, good thing is that Pounce has had absolutely NO signs since Friday of ANYTHING wrong! She is playful, loving, hungry, vocal, going the bathroom, and sleeping - everything normal!! In case it was aspirated food, I have been watching her when I give her wet food at night and sort of gentling pushing her back when she starts scarfing too fast. Piccalo and Pounce have always shared a bowl of wet food, but I noticed that they have become very competitive since we got to Japan (again, I don't know how my mom was feeding them) so I am now using two bowls and they eat more slowly, so that is better for them anyways!
I will continue using the furminator and also I cleaned the filters on my air conditioner units (heater units now) in case it was a dust allergy. Did a full sweep/dust of the house, too, but I do that every week.
Now, just time for me to be vigilant but not worry TOO much!

Often hairballs can cause a lot of problems, and the fact that they don't come up is why.

Hair does not always form a big finger shaped tube inside the cat.

They can form as flat mats that cling to the walls of the stomach and intestines. This can cause serious illness. They can create huge amounts of gas in the cat's stomach and intestines too, causing projectile vomiting every time the cat tries to eat or drink.

I speak from experience on this. Mazy's first hairball experience was one where she had so much gas in her she could not eat or drink. The hair was stuck, the gas just continued to build up, and projectile vomiting was the result.

Her treatment was massive doses of hairball remedy, and as much running as I could get her to do (exercise is good for gas, and she doesn't allow stomach massage) until all the gas and fur was passed. She now is on a regular regimen of hairball remedy. Every other day, or sometimes two days on, one day off, in shedding season (April - October) and every four days in winter.

Tolly is the one whose fur forms flat little mats that line his insides. He gets deathly ill if I do not stay on top of his hair ball regimen, and sometimes even if I do. His last illness lasted 84 hours. I am fortunate that I have the skills and supplies to administer sub q fluids at home, so he did not have to be hospitalized while I massively dosed him with hairball remedy, and gave him fluids daily, (as he was not eating)and massaged his stomach and abdomen while waiting for the stuff to start passing. (I am in touch with my vet the whole time during these episodes)

So..what I am saying is, just because a cat has never had hairball problems before it doesn't mean they won't ever. And sometimes it can be a one time thing, but often, once the trouble starts it can be a life long trouble, that you just have to stay on top of.

And I think I already said, just because they don't bring them up, doens't mean they aren't having them.

In fact that kind of convulsive hacking, with no hair ball coming up, could very well mean there is a thin mat of the stuff lining her throat or esophagus, causing constant irritation, and thus the coughing.