Hi I'm new here...Have a question about my cat who I just found out has asthma

I have 8 rescued cats all VERY much loved & spoiled, all indoor only(all fixed).They range from 4yrs to 14 yrs.

I have one who was recently diagnosed diabetes, & I'm dealing fairly good with that. But now my little guy Tuffy was just diagnosed with asthma. He had a hard time breathing and wheezing badly, so we made an emergency appt with the vet. He prescribed Amoxi Drops every 24 hrs,Prednisolone, 6 cc every 12 hrs. & Theophylline 1 tablet in the p.m. every 24 hrs.and Tuffy was given oxygen. It was all so scary, especially when he has a hard time breathing & is gasping for air. I have so many questions & concerns. I don't want to lose my little guy. I found him in a grocery parking lot after someone ran him over & left him to die. He sleeps next to me nearly every night with his paw touching my shoulder. Is there anything I can give him if he has a sudden attack, especially after hrs when the vet is closed. Is there anything like bottled oxygen to give in an emergency? 

I love my cats, they give me something to come home to. I lost my husband suddenly & it gets very lonesome. He didn't have any life insurance so I am on a very strict budget and am trying my best to give my cats good care. Right now my little guy is wheezing, I'm so afraid I will lose him. Any advice that people have who are in the same situation will be much appreciated. 

Talk to your vet about using an AeroKat with inhalers. This delivers the medication directly to the lungs, so brings faster, more effective relief. It also means you need to use much less of the drug than you need when giving orally, which is always a good thing.

It is more expensive to set up, but it really is the most effective treatment.

I know some members here have made their own oxygen boxes so they can give oxygen at home. Definitely something else to discuss with your vet.

I've not had a truly asthmatic cat, but my old boy had asthmatic symptoms as a complication of chf. Making the switch from oral meds to the AeroKat and inhalers made a HUGE difference to him. My pony developed seasonal asthma a couple of years ago, and the horse version of the AeroKat made a massive difference to her too. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Be very aware of any irritants you might be using in the home - strong smelling cleaning products, air fresheners etc, and even perfumes are all possible triggers for an attack. Obviously you have to clean, but try to make sure Tuffy isn't around when you're using them.

A steamy bathroom might temporarily help ease his breathing, and it certainly won't do any harm.

Lastly, stay as calm as possible for him - especially when he's having an attack. I know it's hard, but stress is only going to make things worse. Tuffy needs you to be a calm, reassuring presence right now.

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/asthmatic-cats

I found this site enormously useful when trying to get to grips with Cali's asthmatic issues http://www.fritzthebrave.com

I don't have a diagnosed asthmatic cat, either, so don't know anything about medications or oxygen, but do want to say that one of our cats had several asthma-like coughing fits shortly after we adopted her... but they stopped after we switched kitty litters, to Dr. Elsey's Respiratory Relief, which is fairly dust-free and isn't perfumed. (We'd been using Fresh Step, which is very dusty and perfumy.) Whether Fresh Step caused an allergy, mild sensitivity, or something more serious, I feel fortunate that Ireland hasn't had a coughing fit in two years, since we switched litters.

I hope Tuffy improves on his medications!

linny said:

. Is there anything I can give him if he has a sudden attack, especially after hrs when the vet is closed. Is there anything like bottled oxygen to give in an emergency? 

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You need a rescue inhaler for those emergencies. The vet has to prescribe you one and you will need the AeroKat device to administer it.

Inhaled asthma medicine such as Flovent works best. Talk to your vet about it,

This group is very helpful for cats with asthma: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/felineasthma/info

It is so distressing to see a cat have an asthma attack, I do sympathise. My Wellington has had asthma all his life, though he has not had a full-blown attack for several years now. He has a 1mm tablet of prednisone daily, and if he starts wheezing badly I double the dosage for a few days. But it is a dangerous drug and can have side effects so never use it without veterinary advice relating to the particular cat. And he needs regular checks for heart function and diabetes. Inhalers were not available when he was first diagnosed, 10 years ago, so I have never used them - when he first got attacks I used to put him in the bathroom and steam it right up, while comforting him. But on the whole he is fine and is living a normal life.

LTS3 said:

 
You need a rescue inhaler for those emergencies. The vet has to prescribe you one and you will need the AeroKat device to administer it.

Inhaled asthma medicine such as Flovent works best. Talk to your vet about it,

This group is very helpful for cats with asthma: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/felineasthma/info

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I second this.  We just found out Casper has mild asthma.  The vet said it wasn't necessary to over medicate at this time but, did suggest using the Flovent.

I personally use it too so he said we could create a make shift inhaler from a paper or plastic cup with a hole cut into the bottom.  Insert the part of the inhaler that dispenses the medication into the hole, and hold the cup to his muzzle.  Give one "puff", should only take a few seconds.  The great thing about this is we don't have to spend who knows what on an inhaler dedicated for him which is not covered by insurance.  Mine is only $15 a pop.  Since I hardly use it, and Casper only has an attack every once and a while (weeks can go by before he has one - it's very sporadic) it should last a long time.

FYI - we had an x-ray done of his lungs to see just how bad the situation was.  Luckily, it is very mild but, I do agree it's kind of frightening to see a cat having an attack.  

Lots of good advice given here too.  Keeping carpets cleaned, finding as dust free litter as possible, not smoking in the house and keeping other heavily scented items out of the home too should help to some degree especially since finding out what triggers the attacks is kind of difficult.

My kitty was diagnosed with asthma last year. He gets Flovent which has luckily been very effective as he has not had any attacks since. I use it with the areokat. The first few days of use my cat hated it and would try to squirm away. I would offer him treats afterwards to try to get him to cooperate. Now he just sits there and takes it. I still occasionally give him treats after but not everytime.  I am not an a vet, but I am a nurse (for people).  But asthma in cats is not too different from human asthma. Also cats are given the same medications as people who have asthma.

Flovent however is not meant to be used as a "rescue inhaler." It is an inhaled steroid meant to prevent asthma attacks and does not treat them as they are happening.

If your cat continues to have attacks while being treated with an inhaled steroid, your vet will likely prescribe a fast acting bronchodialor such as albuterol for sudden attacks. You would only use this type of inhaler when your cat has an attack.  

Also here is the best web site i have found with information about feline asthma.  Hope this is helpful and your kitty is doing well.

http://www.fritzthebrave.com/index.html