My ragdoll kitten has been hacking for two weeks!

moxxismom

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Does anyone know what could be going on? She hacks like 4 times a day and has been doing this for two weeks. She is about 17 weeks old. I bought her hairball paste and she has used it for about a week. I'm worried about her. She crouches low and coughs pretty fast for about a min then is done. Any ideas?
 

stephenq

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Hi there!

Has she ever produced a hairball?  The low crouch is a possible symptom of asthma, and given her very young age, whatever is causing her to cough (hairball, asthma, respiratory infection) is a real medical concern.

Something is wrong with her, its been going on too regularly for it to be "nothing" and she needs a vet visit as soon as you can make one. 

Has she been to a vet before? Kittens need 3 rounds of vaccinations when they're starting out at 8 weeks, 12 weeks, and 16 weeks of age, so if she hasn't started getting these then now is the time. 

All kittens also need to be de-wormed, and tested for FIV and FeLV if this hasn't already been done, and may vets recommend a re-test a few months later.

Links on asthma below, but don't try and self-diagnose, please take her to a vet as soon as possible.  She is depending on you for a long and happy life!


http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/asthma

http://www.vet.cornell.edu/FHC/health_resources/Asthma.cfm

Please keep us updated!

Stephen
 

oneandahalfcats

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Does anyone know what could be going on? She hacks like 4 times a day and has been doing this for two weeks. She is about 17 weeks old. I bought her hairball paste and she has used it for about a week. I'm worried about her. She crouches low and coughs pretty fast for about a min then is done. Any ideas?
Low crouching and hacking can by a sign of hairballs, or asthma. They both both look very similar. Hairballs should normally be expelled through stools. If she is hacking frequently, you don't want to ignore this. I would agree with the above that your cat needs to be seen by a vet to rule out asthma or to address the issue of hairballs.
 
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moxxismom

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She has had all her shots and vet visits up to date. She is a ragdoll purebred. The breeder had that done before a picked her up. I will take her this week to the vet! Thank you for the help! :)
 
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