Feline asthma is a relatively common diagnosis in cats. The illness begins with bad inflammation in the cat's airways. This leads to constriction and difficulty breathing, especially if the cat is performing high-energy physical activities.

Most often, cats with asthma will cough or wheeze and will have difficulty breathing. Many of these felines have exercise intolerance because the feline asthma comes from excessive physical activity. Severity can range from mild to severe and can even be life threatening in some circumstances.

Feline asthma isn't the easiest ailment to diagnose. This is because there are other diseases that have similar symptoms to asthma. For example, some vets may confuse asthma with feline heartworm disease or another parasitic disease of the lungs. Some veterinarians believe that true incidents of feline asthma are largely over estimated and that many of the incidents involve a parasite.

Diagnosis relies on a thorough physical examination and often a veterinarian will request a radiograph of the cat's chest. The vet may also ask for routine blood, urine and fecal testing and a bronchoscopy or tracheal wash can be used to collect specimens from inside the pet's airways for evaluation.

In some cases, veterinarians will determine diagnosis by attempting various treatments. To treat feline asthma, the best option is normally to use corticosteroids. These are drugs that may be adnistered as an injection, and oral medication or through an inhaler. Your veterinarian can help you to the most effective method for your cat. Bronchodilators are also commonly used to treat feline asthma. These can be administered through the same methods. Sometimes vets will prescribe cyclosporine, antihistamines or zafirlukast to help with their case.

Pet owners cannot prevent the occurrence of asthma attacks, but they can help to keep their cat healthy by avoiding dust or smoke or other impurities in the cat's environment. Also, cats have a higher likelihood of healthy asthma maintenance if they are not exposed to cigarette smoke at their home. Use dust-free cat litter and do not use sprays around your home or your cat. Also, changing your air filters in your home regularly can help to minimize the potential for cat asthma.

If you believe that your pet has feline asthma, call a local vet today. Your veterinarian will be able to perform the necessary tests to see if your animal needs treatment for this serious ailment. If so, then a veterinarian can prescribe the medications necessary to help regulate the inflammation in your pet's airways. Make sure that you regulate your pet's exercise and don't overwork the animal if you believe that he or she has cat asthma. Call a local vet today to get started!