2023-05-10 00:41:07
When the season changes, more dogs and cats visit veterinary hospitals with respiratory symptoms such as runny nose, sneezing, stuffy nose, and cough, just like people do. This time, we looked at feline asthma, a representative respiratory disease that becomes more severe during the changing seasons.
Asthma is a disease of the lower airways of the lungs that affects 1-5% of cats. It is often diagnosed before the age of 5 years. There is some debate regarding the definition, but it is believed to be caused by an allergic reaction to inhaled allergens, particles that stimulate the cat’s immune system.
When a cat first inhales an allergen to which it is susceptible, its immune system produces antibodies that target that antigen. Later, when exposed to the antigen once more, the antibody recognizes the allergen and brings various types of immune cells into the airway. As a result, the diameter of the airways decreases and mucus builds up within the passageways, preventing air from moving through the airways as well and leading to respiratory distress in cats. Cigarette smoke, cat litter, pollen, mold, dust mites, and aerosol spray vapors are the main allergens known to cause asthma.
The main clinical symptoms are wheezing, tachypnea, open breathing, coughing, vomiting, etc. When an asthma attack occurs, the body bends close to the ground and the neck is stretched forward, and coughing is common.
There is no test that can definitively diagnose feline asthma. Instead, the veterinarian comprehensively considers the cat’s health history, radiation/CT results, cytological evaluation of airway secretions, allergy test results, and blood tests when asthma is suspected to arrive at a diagnosis. In particular, in imaging examinations, accumulation of inflammatory cells along the airways is often bright, so chest radiographs are basic, and in many cases, characteristic lesions are observed. However, the most important thing in diagnosing feline asthma is to rule out other diseases with similar clinical symptoms and test results. Chronic bronchitis, heartworm infection, and infectious diseases that cause pneumonia must be differentiated first.
In order to treat feline asthma, a steroid prescription to reduce inflammation in the lungs is the basis, and bronchodilators are sometimes used. In addition, desensitization treatment for specific allergens, intake of omega-3 fatty acids, and leukotriene regulators that block inflammatory metabolic pathways are prescribed. However, since long-term steroid therapy carries the risk of side effects such as diabetes and pancreatitis, inhalers are preferred in recent years, which also has the advantage that higher levels of the drug reach the lungs.
Feline asthma is a progressive disease with no cure. From mild to life-threatening asthma attacks, it is necessary to take care and care from the guardian so that the cat can stay healthy for a long time through appropriate treatment and medication.
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