Hacking/Coughing, but no hairballs

meghann1965 · Nov 27, 2016

I have a cat who just started doing the same thing. I took him to the vet on Friday after we'd thought his coughing was just a fluke. They x-rayed him and didn't find anything wrong. They suspected a URI, so gave him an antibiotic shot and Laxatone. He's still coughing and still not eating, which I'd noticed was "off" on Wednesday. I'm taking him back in tomorrow morning because he's not better and as of this morning, he's vomiting. He is getting water, but nothing else. He refuses to eat turkey bits, he refuses his canned food and of course, nothing else is going in. He's not got a hairball as far as I can tell. He coughs just like the cat in that video did.

I've had several well-intentioned people tell me everything from "it's his teeth" to "he's got a bone stuck in his throat". I know they mean well, but unless I hear it from our vet, I'm not going with that answer.

I will hopefully find out something in the morning.

meghann1965 · Nov 28, 2016

As an update to this, I am happy to report that he ate this morning. I spoke to a friend who recommended that we try petroleum jelly-and when I told her he had Laxatone, she said to give it to him and not to waste time. He was yelling outside my bedroom door this morning and actually ate some food, so that's a plus for him today!

marie044 · Nov 28, 2016

That's really great news. I was concerned when you said he also wasn't eating. Mine has been eating just fine, in fact, maybe even more than usual. Glad to hear he finally ate for you.... let me know how things go. Things are about the same here. My kitty had another "dry coughing" event a few hrs. ago, she seems to always be in the room across the hall from me when it happens, or when she just exits that room it also happens. I'm beginning to think there's something in that room causing some type of allergic reaction or something. Her symptoms began the exact day it turned cold outside and we had to turn our heater on....maybe the heat vent in that room (?) I don't know, just watchful waiting for now, unless she gets worse...of course I would take her in if I see her condition declining in even the slightest way, but she seems the same. Just the stupid cough and snoring. Sorry for calling it stupid, I'm just frustrated. Keep us posted and thanks.

terrysueakana · Dec 9, 2016

Hi, I too have a female Maine Coon with coughing/hacking with nothing coming up. She is 6 years old and this is a new development. Did you ever find out what to do?

ReallySleepy · Dec 10, 2016

This is the thread that I've been looking for. My own cat Turbo has been doing this off and on for years, gasping and retching but never throwing anything up. I mentioned it to a vet in 2014, but she did not do or suggest anything in that regard. For a while I gave him Royal Canin Fit 32 dry food, which is supposed to help with hairballs,but I am not sure if it had any effect.

On two occasions he was knocked out by this gasping for a couple of days, and there was a ticking sound coming from his interior - about one tick per second - as if a recalcitrant hairball were passing through his intestines. But he pulled through fine on both occasions. I have acquiesced in the realization that this is probably not a serious condition. But it looks unpleasant, so I would like to rid him of it. I hope those of you whose cats have similar symptoms come back to this thread if you find out more.

jsnnkeksjfbns · Dec 17, 2016

My cat keeps hacking/caughing as if shes about to throw up or have a hair ball but nothing comes out. Its been like this for a good while now about to be a month gradually getting worse but sorta. It started shortly after i put some flea and tick poisen aroumf her neck area to kill the parasitic fleas but in doing so i belive it may have caused the hacking. Im not sure thats the reason and the medicine is made for animals but she would always lick it off so i decided to wash her so be clean. Please help we dont have enough money to take her to the vet for awhile and im so scared

terrysueakana · Dec 18, 2016

I, too, became concerned when my 6 year-old 1/2 Maine Coon/Siamese female feline began to crouch low to the floor and hack, hack, hack with nothing coming out. Over $300 later the vet declared "asthma."

kimberly r · Jan 2, 2017

this is exactly what my kitty is doing.... every so often she coughs or sounds like she is choking. It does not last long and she seems just fine in every other way except for the snuffly noise she's always made. She occasionally has a runny nose or weepy eyes. When she went to the vet , of course I can only describe it. She is a maine coon so she is on the large size.. ( around 20 lbs) and they said she was fine but I am concerned about this gagging. I have tried laxatone from the vet and the OTC stuff for fur balls. She is a licking machine.. herself as well as me. If I pet her or brush her I think she has a fliptop head, she just licks and licks. Before I drive myself crazy worrying...any other things anyone can add? TYI

debronjames · Jan 6, 2017

My cat started doing that also around 3yo. He's 5 now and just diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure. Get an echocardiogram before it's too late!

debronjames · Jan 6, 2017

He was also misdiagnosed about 45 times as asthmatic so I can't stress enough it may be heart disease

arizonacatmom · Feb 22, 2017

Almost all instances with Maine Coon cats?
Is there something to this?? I inherited my parents Maine Coon after they passed, and he is around 9 yrs old. For the last day he's been coughing like he has a hairball but nothing comes out. Now his voice is different - and I mean his voice! Extremely vocal cat can yell and meow like crazy and now you can barely hear him squeak- nothing the house points to him getting into it as to an obstruction. What could I do to help this guy out??

ReallySleepy · Mar 4, 2017

ArizonaCatMom said:
Almost all instances with Maine Coon cats?

Mine is not a Maine Coon, but he's a big cat (19+ pounds). An issue with big cats?

I looked over this thread again, but the suggestions from vets don't point to anything specific as far as I can see.

Fortunately, it seems harmless in my cat's case. But it sounds like your cat, ArizonaCatMom, could need help from a vet.

pats demon · Mar 25, 2017

Hi all. New here. This was the first site I found when searching this topic. Pats (my cat) has been dry coughing the last month or so without any other symptoms. I almost called the vet but first thought I'd try one last thing - I bought a few humidifiers. She hasn't coughed at all since, so this could be a solution if it is only a cough. Ive only been in this condo 2 years and it has been very dry this winter. Thought I'd share

rampionrampage · Mar 27, 2017

The cats around here (farm country) seem to be running a trend the last decade where they are really, really bad at bringing up hairballs. They are definitely hairballs, occasionally just vomit, but they can't seem to get them up without some degree of excitement or help. Since we took a few of these adorable genetic rejects in, we try to stay on top of hairball issues. One of the cats is a daddy's girl, she'll actually walk over to SO so he can massage her throat. It settles the gagging for awhile until, hopefully, she's actually able to bring it up (or pass it).

Lennie · Feb 14, 2018

joy j said:
I have a large long haired female Mane Coon cat and she isn't loveable and hates to be held or combed, she is about 5 yrs old. She has in the past had hairball issues but always got them up. Now she lays low to the floor and coughs like she does with hair balls but she seems to swallow it back if she coughs up anything. She eats good and seems to use her box regular. She is totally an inside cat. I have given her hair ball ointment from the pet store, which has done her no good at all. She would be a terror to get to the vet as she isn't a social cat by any means.

My MC is the same but she loves to be cuddled by me but she hates to let go of hairballs - keeps swallowing them back down. When they eventually come out they are humongous - she is on dry hairball indoor cat food and I mix that with her wet food and I give her hairball goop every day...its heartbreaking to watch her. One vet said to clip her fur sort but I hate to do that.........any ideas?

Tupperware Chip · Jul 2, 2018

marie044 said:
@LindseyStirling Hey, my story is identical to yours. My female cat is also coughing a couple times a day, wheezing, and when she sleeps, it sounds like she's snoring. Been going on for about a month.

Did you ever find out what was causing it? I haven't taken mine to the vet either, I have the money but she is completely wild and I'm honestly worried she will die on the way there or injure herself in the cat carrier. She was/is feral and only knows and trusts me. Besides the above^ symptoms, she seems completely fine and acts like nothing is wrong. Just wondering how your kitty is doing and if you took her to the vet and got any answers. I will have to take mine in if things don't improve, but I dread it, especially because she isn't even acting sick at all when she doesn't cough. The vet appointment alone might kill her, yet maybe not doing anything at all might kill her too.....I'm stuck right in the middle and I don't know what the heck to do.

Everyone in my family is just telling me to keep an eye on her. Well, I am keeping an eye on her....and nothing is changing.... and I'm going nuts keeping an eye on her.

Thanks for any update............

You can tell the vet your cat is aggressive and only trusts you and they can likely give you gabapentin to give your kitty and then bring him into the vet. My cat needs gabapentin to go to the vet because she is violent and the vet wont be able to examine her unless shes drugged.

MBMD · Aug 19, 2018

Not for nothing but the govt allows the spraying of Aluminium Oxide into the atmosphere for cloud seeding, among other heavy metals allowed into the environment. got a huge rain storm where i live recently and my cat spends a lot of time outdoors and developed a cough. no coincidence. also dont discount vaccines for nonexistent rabies, which has chicken protein that can cause permanent allergies. same reason why humans are getting food allergies-vaccines.

Hacking/Coughing, but no hairballs

meghann1965

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meghann1965

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marie044

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terrysueakana

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ReallySleepy

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jsnnkeksjfbns

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terrysueakana

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kimberly r

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debronjames

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debronjames

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arizonacatmom

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ReallySleepy

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pats demon

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rampionrampage

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Lennie

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Tupperware Chip

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MBMD

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