How to handle feline asthma

I have a female kitten who i rescued back in february 2015  will be 1 in september. When I got her, she was completely healthy except that she had tapeworms. We got her all fixed up and then a week or two later she started coughing really bad. When I had the vet run tests, he told me it was feline asthma. Being a college student on a tight budget, I know that animal medicine can get pricey. I talked with several vets and rescue facilities on options. One was to give 1/2 a pill of Chlortabs to her when needed. It worked great for a long time (with pocket pills).I even till this day set up a humidifier in the room she's in most of the time. We live in a dorm room right now which does have some mold issues, but I try to keep this place spotless.She has recently learned that the pill is inside the pocket treat. Ugh! Do you guys have any advice as to how to control feline asthma without spending a lot of money? 

sabrinaxkp2 said:

 
I have a female kitten who i rescued back in february 2015  will be 1 in september. When I got her, she was completely healthy except that she had tapeworms. We got her all fixed up and then a week or two later she started coughing really bad. When I had the vet run tests, he told me it was feline asthma. Being a college student on a tight budget, I know that animal medicine can get pricey. I talked with several vets and rescue facilities on options. One was to give 1/2 a pill of Chlortabs to her when needed. It worked great for a long time (with pocket pills).I even till this day set up a humidifier in the room she's in most of the time. We live in a dorm room right now which does have some mold issues, but I try to keep this place spotless.She has recently learned that the pill is inside the pocket treat. Ugh! Do you guys have any advice as to how to control feline asthma without spending a lot of money? 

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There is a product called Pet Amaze which people swear by. It is natural. But so far it hasn't worked on mine. I am hoping it is that I am giving too small a dose. They sell it on amazon. I put my pills in my cat's food. Never notices. 

I have heard... but I am not sure.. that Pet "asthma" can be an issue of the digestive track. The idea that inflammation goes into the lungs -- so see about what she eats.

Kitty litter might also be a factor: if you're using one that's especially dusty or scented, that could contribute.

(One of our cats had a few small coughing episodes soon after we adopted her but completely stopped after we switched to Dr. Elsey's Respiratory Relief. She was never diagnosed with asthma but the coughing was just like the videos of cats having asthma attacks.)

I don't think my cat has asthma, but she does have a lot of respiratory issues and she gets steamed every morning when I have my shower.  It helps.  We used to run the humidifier for her when we first got her, but I live in Kansas City and the summers are just to humid to run it... I really didn't do it at first because I figured that 5 minutes of steam while I was in the shower wouldn't do much for her, but it really does.

MollyBlue said:

 
I don't think my cat has asthma, but she does have a lot of respiratory issues and she gets steamed every morning when I have my shower.  It helps.  We used to run the humidifier for her when we first got her, but I live in Kansas City and the summers are just to humid to run it... I really didn't do it at first because I figured that 5 minutes of steam while I was in the shower wouldn't do much for her, but it really does.

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Yes my cat has been diagnosed with Asthma as well but I don't think he has it. It is more like he has COPD or chronic congestion or something. Currently we are working under the assumption of allergies. I will let you know if that works. 

My cat has always sounded congested ever since he was little. It is entirely possible he had this issue since he was a kitten but i always thought his coughs were hairballs. Only recently did I realize it wasn't hairballs.

Mommytobuck said:

 
Yes my cat has been diagnosed with Asthma as well but I don't think he has it. It is more like he has COPD or chronic congestion or something. Currently we are working under the assumption of allergies. I will let you know if that works.

My cat has always sounded congested ever since he was little. It is entirely possible he had this issue since he was a kitten but i always thought his coughs were hairballs. Only recently did I realize it wasn't hairballs.

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 Snowy definitely has allergies, but to what all we are still trying to figure out. Her eyes, her nose, upset tummy if you change food, itchy skin... poor kid.  When you pick her up, you can hear her wheeze.   I do hope the steam is able to help your furbaby.  I bring Snowy in the bathroom with me and shut the door, and then I open the shower door a couple inches to get the maximum steam out.  I have a small bathroom so it fills up pretty fast!.  Some days she comes and sticks her nose right in the shower.  Other days not so much - but just being in the same room helps.

Snowy likes riding in boxes (we have a packing box with a rope tied on it and she jumps in and we pull her like a wagon.  Its just part of our morning routine now... ride around the apartment, into the bathroom.  She sometimes came in when I had my showers before, but I never shut the door to let the steam build up.  The first couple times I shut her in she wasn't sure about the idea, but now she likes it.

Here's a good web site about feline asthma and treatment options: http://www.fritzthebrave.com/

And a group to join for more help and info: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/felineasthma/info

There used to be an online pharmacy where many people of the group above bought their cat's asthma medicine for really cheap, mostly Flovent. I'm not sure if that pharmacy still exists but you can ask on the group. They may have other tips on how to save money on your cat's asthma medicine.

Any updates on if the steaming helped?