3/3 Ruben Asthma attack?

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RubenTheCat

RubenTheCat

Member Since 2013
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVIysZaWoyU <this is not Ruben, just what it looked like he did

So Ruben did this thing after he ate today,(second time I've seen this in 2 months)
I thought maybe the food went down the wrong pipe or something, but read a post and found this video on youtube.
Very simalar to what happened to Ruben both times... nailbite_smile
Ugh, He had a lot of swallows in between tho almost gulping. Lasted maybe 3-5mins both times. I offered a treat when he started to calm down and he trotted over and was happy to get one.
Could these epoisodes be asthma and how does when test for asthma?
I almost video taped it, but couldn't find my flip. ohmygod_smile
What do you guys think?
 
Hi Sam... can you test Ruben's BG? Kismet has asthma, and whenever he has a flare up, his bg usually shoots up.

This is a video of Kismet having an asthma attack. The way to tell if it is asthma is to look for a couple of signs: Does Ruben crouch low to the ground and crane his neck? When they have asthma, they try to stretch the neck to open the airway, and will sometimes shake their head side to side. They will often cough up fluids (mucus and/or foamy saliva) that they usually swallow back down like you see Kismet doing at the end of the video. This is them trying to expel the fluid accumulated in their lungs. The only way to know for sure, though, is to get Ruben to a vet and have them listen to his lungs and do an x-ray. The duration of the episodes you are describing, 3-5 mins, does sound like it might be asthma. What does he do right before he has them? Does he go outside, or hang near open windows? Is there anything you can think of that might be triggering these coughing fits?

Does Ruben have any known allergies? Asthma in many cats is synonymous with allergic bronchitis. Usually they are brought on by inhaled irritants.
 
ugh nailbite_smile nailbite_smile nailbite_smile
I don't notice anything that triggers except it happened after he ate.
He does have most to all of those symptoms.
He seems absolutly fine now, does he need to go to the ER this event happened 9hrs ago, or can I wait to make an appointment with a vet (I'm trying to find a new one)
 
Since they are infrequent, I don't think there is an emergency. I would only take him to the ER if they are happening often and causing him distress. You should be fine to wait until you see your regular vet. Kismet was having them very often for about 2 weeks before we finally took him in.

Thinking back, he has probably always had it, but would have these fits very rarely (I always assumed he was trying to cough up a hairball.) Last September, he started having them upwards of 4 times a day. I took the video I just posted to show to the vet who made the diagnosis. They put him on oral steroids (prednisolone and theophylline) which we believe caused his diabetes. He was dx with diabetes about 2 weeks later, and then we took him off the oral meds and started him on inhalers which don't get into the bloodstream and are safe for diabetics. Kismet has an rx for Flovent 250mg and Albuterol 90mcg.

Since it happens after eating, it may be a food allergy. Kismet is allergic to fish, and would often have attacks after eating foods with a lot of fish in it. What are you feeding him? Start keeping a record of everything that happens when he has an attack. Has he been playing hard? Sometimes running around too much can cause a fit. Is he eating something he doesn't usually eat? Are there plants in bloom? Chemicals in the house -- hairsprays, cleaning agents, candles? A new litter? Sometimes, very dusty litters can irritate the bronchi.
 
Oh please don't say its the food.
I've been feeding him FF classics mostly the turkey and giblet/chicken feast< that's what got him off the juice
I haven't noticed anything but haven't made the connection yet. eyes peeled :shock: You think I can wait til Fri, thats my next day off?
If not I can try to get a morning off, but jsut went back to work this week after a medical leave. Or should I just see if it happens again, then go?
I did change the litter today, but can't remember if it was b4 or after. I did give him squash (i thought to myself when it went in the dish it was more than usuall, I thouhgt he had a bad reaction so had cut way back, but with the poo getting hard i been adding it more often 1x a day and about 1/2 tsp b4 it was 1-2x a week?
WTheck Ruben can you just give mama bean 1 month without worry.. nailbite_smile :? :smile:

OT-Also poo hard, bought pumpkin, any idea how to keep it fresh< for all eyes
 
It probably isn't the food since asthma is usually brought on by inhaled allergens and/or breathing hard from playing or stress. I was just throwing that out there as a possibility. I'm still not 100% of all the triggers that bring on Kismet's asthma.

The litter might be the problem. My vet told me that this is frequently a trigger in many cats she sees. What brand are you using? Is it very dusty?

If the attacks are infrequent, I think you should be okay to wait. You will want to get him checked out as soon as you can, but if he is not having them every day, I think you're fine to wait until Friday. I would suggest switching his litter to a low dust, natural litter, or whatever you were using before. We use feline pine that we get from pet supermarket; a lot of grocery stores also carry low dust litters. Newspaper based litters are also recommended for asthmatics, but Kismet won't use them ohmygod_smile

Fritz the Brave is a wonderful resource.
 
we use litter maid self cleaning litter box litter. i'm not sure if its low dust but i think its natural, have to by it a pet store
what do i need to know/ask the vet? i know no steroids, but thats all....wtheck nailbite_smile nailbite_smile i hate this feeling. what should i have done at vets? do they have to put under for xrays?
will this effect fd?
i think my other cat has had this for a while, i always chalked it up chronic respitory infection from coming from the pound, ruben had a bit with when we first got maple 8yrs ago, was put on meds, then never again...
 
(((Sam)))

He is going to be okay! It's only an emergency if the attacks are happening frequently and Ruben is struggling to breathe. Since this is just one of two attacks in several months, it's not an emergency. Best case scenario, it's just allergies and you won't even need inhaled steroids. Some people give their cats benadryl, zyrtec, or some other OTC anti-histamine.

They don't need to put the cat under for an x-ray. It's very quick and painless... the whole process took about 10 minutes.

When you go to the vet, describe the symptoms and the frequency. To make the diagnosis, they will need to perform an x-ray. In asthmatics, fluid shows up in the lungs on an x-ray, and they can often hear wheezing in the lungs with a stethoscope. Kismet has a mild case (his lungs looked really good, actually!) And he was having very frequent attacks. On the Fritz website, there is a table that describes the severity of asthma:

Distress Levels

James and Kathryn have categorized Fritz' symptoms into increasing levels of distress. These can be used as a guideline for your cat with adjustment to his or her particular symptoms:

Asymptomatic: I feel great, sleep well, eat really well, and have the best time playing with my toys and pals.
Minor Attack: I start coughing and have a tough time stopping. I hold my neck out straight and keep my head close to the ground while I cough. My lungs sound gurgly, and in a stethoscope sound "crackly".
Full-blown Attack: Breathing becomes labored and the volume inspired is low, my sides heave in and out (abdominal breathing), and I look puffy (my lungs have too much air trapped in them due to excess mucus). I am unable to do any of my normal activities.
Crisis: I pant, looking like a very frightened or very aggressive cat, but really it is just because it is hard to breathe. I start to get a lot of mucus in my lungs and start drooling big frothy drools. My heart races.
Praying This Isn't My Ninth Life: I sit up and try to stretch up high to get my breath but it is very hard, like sucking air through a flattened drinking straw.
Cardiopulmonary Collapse and Death. Not one of my symptoms, thank the Tuna Gods.
Click to expand...

From your description, it sounds like Ruben would be Asymptomatic or Minor Attack at most if he even has asthma.

Another thing to ask the vet is to test for allergies. If it is just allergies, he may be able to just take the OTC drugs. If it is asthma, you will of course want to mention the history of diabetes to rule out oral medications. Worst case scenario, he gets on an inhaled treatment regimen. Albuterol is a rescue inhaler that is used to treat the attacks as they occur. Right now, Kismet only receives Albuterol for when he has an episode. Flovent is an anti-inflammatory that is given every day to prevent attacks, but this is only used in cats that have moderate to severe cases of asthma. Since Kismet doesn't have attacks frequently anymore, he doesn't get Flovent.

Breathe deeply. Ruben is going to be just fine :)
 
Oh thank you, I am one of the forum member that needs lots of reassurance, Im sorry to be needy, but i instantly go into the "what if" game :roll: and contastrphize the situation.
Ok breathing now and gonna call the vet tomorrow< which is a new one, but feeling good about going to them, they have good reviews.
Thank you sooooooo much, I'm less nervous about this illness then dealing with FD so I guess thats a step in the right direction.
It's like lil Ruben is falling apart all of a sudden, tho he seems ok lately... :lol: :lol: :lol: oh i'm crazy.. Praying for low numbers tonight when I test @10pm.
 
You're welcome, and no worries. I was a neurotic mess when I first came here in September. :lol: We got a double whammy... my happy, healthy 3 year old baby was dx with two serious conditions within weeks of each other nailbite_smile

Asthma is a serious condition that warrants treatment, but Ruben does not appear to be in crisis, or even have a moderate case, and that's very GOOD news! If it turns out to be asthma, you've caught it very early and will be able to start treatment before there is likely to be any serious or permanent damage.

Kismet was only on insulin for 2 weeks the first time around before going OTJ. Curiously, he went into asthmatic remission the same time he went OTJ. A few weeks ago, he started wheezing a bit after being asthma free for close to 6 months. I checked his bg and discovered he was in the 200's, so back on insulin we went. Again, asthma and diabetes onset at the same time :shock: In Kismet, there is a correlation between asthma and diabetes, but I am not sure what it is. Melissa's Tarragon also has asthma, but she hasn't noticed any relationship between the two conditions in her cat.

ECID, so you will just want to keep a close eye on Ruben and make notes of any changes you see. Does he wheeze/snore at all when he sleeps? Does he get tired after playing or running? Does he take a lot of deep breaths? Things like that. I keep a journal where I record EVERYTHING. I write about Kismet's activity levels, behavior, food, what chemicals I use around the house-- if I mopped the floor, did laundry, changed shampoos -- anything that might give me some insight into what triggers his asthma. Really, the best way to deal with it is to try to determine what might be triggering it and eliminate those things. Kismet had an asthma attack earlier today, for example, and I think it was from having the windows open. (He was sitting on the window sill when it happened.)


Good luck with the vetty and keep us posted!
 
can not thank you enough for talking me off the ledge, I fear the amount of love i have for him, don't even know if that makes sence.
Gonna call tomorrow to make appt. and try to relax til then,
He just chased maple around the house and seems fine, he has had a more wet and shiny nose as well as coat, but was hoping it was b/c he was feeling better. He did look a lil greasy but attributing that to the extra water. He has watery eyes periodically but no more than usual.
just breathing and gonna try not to overthink it....yeah right nailbite_smile ohmygod_smile :lol:
(((((((thank you courtney and kismit)))))))))
 
Sam, Sam, Sam! Our little snuggly fur babies are a constant worry! That's motherhood for you. Are you sure its not a nasty hairball? I don't know anything about asthma or allergies, but when I watched the video you posted, it looked like the ocicat had a hair ball hung up; maybe gagging on a big hair ball and an asthma attack look the same?
 
You can freeze pumpkin in ice cube trays and pop out one the meal before to thaw in time for the next meal. There is also Miralax for constipation as an alternative. Only use if you are sure he is not obstructed.

Asthma is inflammation of the lung tissue and constriction of the airways. Inhaled meds can work for maintenance treatment; some does get swallowed and into the blood stream, although it is much less than giving it orally or by injection.

During a flare or major attack, it may be necessary to give steroids systemically. When that happens, you adjust insulin requirements as needed, either going back on insulin, or adjusting the dose. Undertreated asthma can kill.

An additional differential for the diagnosis is heart failure. Inadequate circulation can back up fluid in the lungs which triggers coughing. While what you are describing sounds more like asthma, the vet will rule in or out some other possibilities.
 
My cat Romey was diagnosed with asthma in Jan of 2011. He was having attacks daily! If you could afford it, I would get a chest xray at your vets office. I don't think it's necessary unless it becomes chronic. I give Romey an inhaler daily! Good luck to you!
Tracy
 
thank you so much guys, I really don't know what I would do with out here (((((FDMB)))))
I could not handle the stress of all this.
I have an appointment tomorrow with a new vet, so we'll see if their any better than my last...ugh.
love ruben so much its beyond words and love you guys almost the same ;-)
send healing vines for ruben and for me...lol I'm sick when ruben is
 
My Boo had asthma. At first I thought he was just trying to bring up a hairball. My vet did a chest xray on him and it did confirm the diagnosis. However I have read that not all cats with asthma will show it on xray. His lungs would sound a little wheezy on occasion at the vet office but I never heard any audible wheezing. Boo was on a flovent inhaler. Boo had many environmental allergies. He had something called eosinophilic granuloma complex. The asthma didn't start until a few years after he started his allergy shots for all his other allergies. I'm glad you feel better. It really does sound like Ruben can wait to go to the vet when you have a day off. Luckily Boo's asthma was mild. I did have an albuteral inhaler on hand as well but only had to use it maybe three times over the course of many years. I'm guessing that some of the sugar kitties here with asthma probably use the inhalers too instead of taking oral pred. Boo wasn't diabetic but almost went into liver failure from depo so that is how I was introduced to inhaled steroids. The depo was given to him a few times because of his skin problems.

Sandy
 
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