SonshineLearner Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 Hey There :) My cat.... has asthma... at least that's our best guess. I'm thinking that this is about $50 a month... for maybe 10 years?? That's..... $6000. Best not to think about her whole life costs, I guess. Anyone else deal with this? I have been giving her prednisone, but seems she needs the "puffer" UGH :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vettechmomof2 Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 It is a common occurrance among cats. It might not cost you that much all the time though because they can have months where they are fine BUT you do have to be prepared for another attack. First thing is try to get them to lose weight if they are overweight at all! Weight will only make the attack worse. Has the vet recommended anything else yet, long term wise? You do not want them on Pred forever if you can help it. You normally have a tapering dose to see how they respond to less. There are steroid injections that help as well that can last for depending on the animal 2-4 weeks at a time. How often is she needing the inhaler? Inhalers can help, cleaning the house often with minimal cleaners though can make a difference. Treating your house just like you would for a human with asthma can help. But first make sure it is diagnosed as asthma, then talk treatments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CindyH in NC Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 My daughter recorded on of our kitty's episodes and showed the vet who did x-rays. THe vet said it appeared to be a mild case, but she has been on prednisone for nearly a month now and is still having at least one mild episode per day. I was wondering if they might prescribe an inhaler when she goes in for her next check up. How long has your cat been on the prednisone? Hope your kitty improves quickly! Cindy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 Are you sure your cat isn't just choking on fur balls? Our cat used to do that a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catherine Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 Our kitty was getting very fat, and our vet helped us to figure out why-he was eating as a way to claim territory from another cat in the house that he was not getting along with. He also had developed asthma. We isolated them, and his territorial eating, after several weeks, has improved markedly, and he seems to be losing some weight. Better than that, though, is that he hasn't coughed or wheezed much at all since we isolated them. Vet thinks, and I agree, that his asthma was at least in part a stress-induced problem. That is certainly the case in people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbkaren Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 Your best guess? So, no vet involved? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
black_midori Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 I thought you could only take prednisone for short periods? I'd ask the vet if something else might help. Our dog with skin allergies can take Benadryl (don't know if that helps with asthma, though - probably not). Our son with allergies takes loratadine and singulair on occasion (which IS helpful for asthma, I think, for humans! very expensive) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted November 12, 2011 Author Share Posted November 12, 2011 I've spent a few hundred on her so far.... I've been taking her in since November of LAST year ;( We've gone down the list... 4 times of $50 antibiotics.... (plus visits) then all the other visits, x-rays, blood test which said Asthma was unlikely... 2 anti-viral medicines... and on... and on... Lysine.... (and I feed her a great quality no grain food) Basically, I'm just always thinking "how much more am I willing to spend" I really just don't have hundreds a year for our cat... but we do love her :) I saw an "attack" that she was having.... Today I saw an asthma attack online and just immediately realized that I had been right..... My cat had been having an attack. She's been on Prednisone for 2 weeks.... She's not sneezing from deeper down, it seems, and has sneezed up dryed snot :( I actually saw her sneeze it up, so it's not like it was dry just because she had sneezed before :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewingmama Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 I hope her asthma is not triggered by cat fur :lol: (Sorry, couldn't resist) I've never heard of asthma in a cat before -you learn something new everyday. Poor kitty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vettechmomof2 Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 http://cats.about.com/od/respiratorydisease/a/felineasthma.htm This is a good article with basic info about asthma in cats. There is a tell tale hunch while during an asthma attack. Thinking good thoughts for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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