Double-check my vet on a coughing cat

[thudfactor]

I had to take my 9-year-old cat Cato to an unfamiliar vet yesterday for wheezing and coughing. She did a fair amount of bloodwork and a chest x-ray. She said she screened for common viruses of concern, heartworm — all negative. She said the chest x-ray showed "more tissue in the bronchial than we like to see" but "no obvious mass," and wanted to start him on prednisolone with a recheck in a week.

The doc is very conservative about the steroid and has me *only* giving him 2.5mg twice a day for three days before starting to taper him off. She says come back in a week for another check. Does that sound right? That seems really short, unless we expect the inflammation to be resolved very rapidly.

Cato has been pretty much himself except for the several wheezes and (fewer) coughs each day, and the coughs were never productive. Just so I can double-check this with your experience and set my own expectations, how quickly should I see results from the prednisolone? He seems to be doing better, but I just saw a coughing episode right now. He's had three doses at 2.5mg.

I will almost certainly be getting a second opinion next week whether I want it or not; this vet was the "relief vet."

 

[misty8723]

I would definitely get a second opinion, with your regular vet if possible. When I had to take Austin to an unfamiliar vet on my own vet's recommendation because it was weekend, they did an Xray and said they saw something, they didn't think it was a mass, but I should follow up. I was a bit freaked, but I had them send the xrays to my vet. They checked it and said they didn't think it was anything to be concerned about. Not saying you shouldn't use the prednisolone. I do have some experierence with giving a cat prednisolone, but it was for something different, so I can't answer how how it should take to work. Good luck!

 

[thudfactor]

I would definitely get a second opinion, with your regular vet if possible...

If only it were! There's been a lot of turnover at that practice recently, so it's time to get a new vet. I should be seeing one of their regular staff, though. Thank you for the reponse!

 

[silent meowlook]

Hi. For asthma, ask your vet about giving an inhaled medication.
My cat has asthma. I give her a treatment if she has a flair up. She has her own little cat inhaler and mask. It works well without the risks of long term steroids.
Some vets are more cautious than others regarding steroids in cats. Prednisolone in generally well tolerated in cats, but still you want the lowest dose needed.
My question would be that if it is asthma, what will happen when the pred is tapered off. There is no cure for asthma, so what happens then?

 

[misty8723]

If only it were! There's been a lot of turnover at that practice recently, so it's time to get a new vet. I should be seeing one of their regular staff, though. Thank you for the reponse!

Yeah time to find a new vet you trust. Fortunately, I have a good one, but I don't want to take him back to that after hours place.

 

[thudfactor]

So the prednisolone certainly seems to be having an effect -- both positive, as in much less coughing and wheezing -- and the side effects I was warned about with increased hunger and thirst. I also found a really good site that explains the maintenance dose is ideally once every other day, and that this twice-a-day business is really only typical during the introductory period, so in general I am feeling better about that vet's strategy. He's certainly going in for a recheck next week though.

 

[Margot Lane]

…I’m sure you and your vet have both ticked this off the list, but how is the air where you are?

 

[thudfactor]

We are definitely getting some of the smoke from Canada, and Cato’s symptoms coincide with that pretty strongly. Usually this time of year our windows are open, but once we had a coughing cat we closed the windows up. Its certainly a possible cause on our radar.

 

[Margot Lane]

We are definitely getting some of the smoke from Canada, and Cato’s symptoms coincide with that pretty strongly. Usually this time of year our windows are open, but once we had a coughing cat we closed the windows up. Its certainly a possible cause on our radar.

Good, glad to hear windows are closed. Might be a good idea to get some kind of air filter, if you do not. There are various ones listed in the Wirecutter section of the NYT.

 

[thudfactor]

A quick update; Cato did well on the pred until I stepped down on schedule, then he had a significant coughing fit in the evening. I put him back on 2x daily immediately, and got in to see the vet (a different one!) for his scheduled re-check.

This vet says given the medical history and the fact that he responded well to the prednisolone, she suspects he is an asthmatic cat. Lesions are not showing up in the lungs yet, which is consistent with it either not being a huge problem before now. She says I should do 2x a day of the pred for another week, and if we are hearing *no* coughing by that time we can try to step down. Otherwise we may need to consider more long-term options.

Thank you all for your advice and support on this!