Feline asthma has been called by many other names, including
chronic bronchitis, bronchial asthma, and allergic bronchitis.
Regardless of the name, it is a common feline ailment. Inhaled
allergens cause sudden contraction of the smooth muscles around
airways, leading to typical clinical symptoms. It is usually
impossible to determine which allergens cause asthma in
individual cats, but common ones include grass and tree pollens,
cigarette or fireplace smoke, various sprays (hair sprays,
deodorants, flea sprays, deodorizers), and dust from cat litter.
Feline asthma is found in all areas of the world and in cats of
all ages. The prevalence in the general adult cat population is
about 1%. The most common symptoms in cats with asthma are
wheezing and coughing. The coughing has been described as a dry,
hacking cough that could be confused with gagging or retching.
Many cats are misdiagnosed as having hairballs! Paroxysms of
coughing occur frequently. In mildly affected cats, coughing and
wheezing may occur only oc