Cat with cough she "caught" from other cat?

[WG]

Our 12 year old spayed indoor cat Molly was having serious problems with acne/an infected chin a few months ago - see post here - http://www.cathelp-online.com/forums/vi ... sc&start=0 . She's been on Hills z/d since I last posted and her chin has completely cleared up. She's on a "6 month trial" of the food, which is obviously working for her, and due for her yearly check-up in a few weeks.

We adopted a second cat in January of last year (2006.) Zoe is 9 years old, part Abyssinian (we think) and was diagnosed with asthma three days after we adopted her when an x-ray showed (I think the term was) "donuts" in her lungs. She's on a low dose of pred (1.25/every other day) to help with allergies and on inhaled Flovent (steroid inhaler) for the asthma.

The last time I took Molly in for a vet visit, about three months ago, she was very upset (emotionally) and struggling to get away from the vet, and she started coughing a bit. It was the first time I'd ever heard her cough, and the vet listened to her lungs and said she sounded okay, so we both assumed that it was because of stress. But over the past month or so, I've heard Molly cough a few more times. She IS prone to hairballs, being long-haired, so the occasional cough and subsequent vomit of a big hairball isn't unheard of, but this cough SOUNDS and looks more like the same cough Zoe exhibited. But asthma isn't contagious!

I'm questioning whether there might be something going on OTHER than asthma, and whether Molly might have "caught" something that Zoe has, and also whether Molly's acne/chin infection could be connected to the new cough in some way. It seems highly suspicious to me that a cat who's always been very healthy suddenly came down with acne, infections, and now a cough since we adopted the new cat.

Does anyone have any thoughts? Like I said, Molly's going to seen by the vet in the next few weeks and I'll bring up the cough then, but I'd love to be able to go in there with some suggestions and ideas. I'm happy to answer any questions etc. Thank you!

- WG

[Traci]

First of all, I can't tell you how thrilled I am to hear Molly is now on the hypoallergenic diet and the acne seems to have resolved. Woo-hoo!!

As for the rest, you have to remember that she is 12-years old and her immune system may be alittle suppressed due to her age. Stress also can exacerbate this. It's obvious she hates the vet (and why shouldn't she, the first vet couldn't get a handle on her acne condition for several months). However, you have to distinguish coughing from heaving a hairball.

With coughing, most often you will see the chest move.....with heaving, you will see the abdomen move. Heaving also almost always involves both inhaling and exhaling of air, with coughing, it is usually only one with breaths inbetween. Coughing can indicate numerous health issues, like heart congestion, heartworm, fungal disease, lung disease, cancer, bronchial infection, bacterial infection, etc. And no, it's not normal.

I really doubt that the acne condition has anything to do with the coughing, although fungal infections if they spread systemically, might be related. Despite her lungs sounding clear, the vet should also listen carefully to heart sounds, and consider an xray to view the entire thoracic cavity to ensure nothing is unusual or obvious that may require additional diagnostics. You might also rule out things in the home, like dust, allergens, dust mites, perfumes, household cleaners, carpet powders, or other things. I realize you are asthmatic and probably take extreme measures to keep the environment healthy, but do investigate the home for any signs of the above for culprits.

It's possible one or both cats have an upper respiratory infection, but because of their ages, they are not displaying common classical symptoms (i.e, sneezing, runny nose, congestion, etc). But, if you suspect in the least an upper respiratory infection might be passing between them, you have to tell your vet to rule that out.

Fungal infections should also be considered as a rule-out for both cats. Even though Zoe has been diagnosed with asthma, is the vet experienced enough to differentiate that from fungal infection, etc? I assume Zoe has a good vaccination history, or do you even know? Do you know if either cat has been tested for heartworm?

Since Molly has an appointment soon, I would ask the vet about snapping an xray of the chest cavity, checking heart function, and asking about a possible virus or fungal infection either or both cats could have picked up. Not saying they have either, but it's a rule-out that should be explored.

[WG]

First of all, I can't tell you how thrilled I am to hear Molly is now on the hypoallergenic diet and the acne seems to have resolved. Woo-hoo!!

As for the rest, you have to remember that she is 12-years old and her immune system may be alittle suppressed due to her age. Stress also can exacerbate this. It's obvious she hates the vet (and why shouldn't she, the first vet couldn't get a handle on her acne condition for several months). However, you have to distinguish coughing from heaving a hairball.

I feel pretty confident that at least some of this is coughing and not heaving. But then, one of the evenings when Molly coughed a bit, she then went downstairs and threw up a dead leaf with a bunch of stomach ick (we track them in on our shoes and try to grab them all because she LOVES to eat them, but they almost invariably make her ill.) So in that case it could have been coughing BECAUSE of heaving, if you know what I mean. But a few times she's done that same low crouch with her ears back and her chin lifted that I know so well from Zoe, with a little bit of a rasp at the end and then licking her lips like she's coughed up a bit of phlegm.

You might also rule out things in the home, like dust, allergens, dust mites, perfumes, household cleaners, carpet powders, or other things. I realize you are asthmatic and probably take extreme measures to keep the environment healthy, but do investigate the home for any signs of the above for culprits.

Our house is OLD and the basement, where the cats spend a small amount of their time, IS dusty. In fact, my husband swept the entire basement out this morning and then Molly coughed, so there's definitely a possible connection there. We don't use some of the culprits, though -- no perfumes, no carpet powders, and I only use (very few) natural cleaners like baking soda.

It's possible one or both cats have an upper respiratory infection, but because of their ages, they are not displaying common classical symptoms (i.e, sneezing, runny nose, congestion, etc). But, if you suspect in the least an upper respiratory infection might be passing between them, you have to tell your vet to rule that out.

There's no way to know, I guess. I'll definitely bring it up. There's definitely no sneezing, sniffling, runny nose, goopy eyes, or anything like that.

Fungal infections should also be considered as a rule-out for both cats. Even though Zoe has been diagnosed with asthma, is the vet experienced enough to differentiate that from fungal infection, etc? I assume Zoe has a good vaccination history, or do you even know? Do you know if either cat has been tested for heartworm?

I don't know if Zoe's vet is experienced enough to differentiate between asthma and fungal infection. She has an asthmatic cat herself and pointed me to the Fritz the Brave website. Zoe was treated first with a steroid injection and a course of pred, which brought the symptoms under control very quickly, but I didn't want to keep on pred long-term. Would the injected steroid and pred would have helped her if it was a fungal infection? Would her x-ray have shown all those little inflamed circles in her lungs if it was a fungal infection?

We have no idea about Zoe's vaccination history -- she was surrended with 10 other cats to the local animal shelter (by a woman who gave a false name) and although she was 8 years old she hadn't been spayed. I think it's safe to assume she saw little vet care the first 8 years of her life. I later found out that she was the only adult cat from the group who was adopted - the rest were all euthanized.

I asked about having Zoe tested for heartworm originally but the vet said it was highly unlikely that she had it (and also maybe that the lung x-ray showing the "donuts" made heartworm even more unlikely? I should take notes, LOL!) Zoe did have a full round of blood tests at the time prior to her spay (because of her age) and everything they normally check came out fine (but they didn't check for heartworm.)

I don't believe Molly has ever been checked for heartworm. We adopted her when she was 5 months old, from a shelter, she'd been a stray, and she's been an indoor-only cat ever since with regular vaccinations and always completely healthy until partway through 2006.

Since Molly has an appointment soon, I would ask the vet about snapping an xray of the chest cavity, checking heart function, and asking about a possible virus or fungal infection either or both cats could have picked up. Not saying they have either, but it's a rule-out that should be explored.

When you say "checking heart function," is that a blood test? (I mean, it's not just listening to her heart, right? They've always done that and said she sounded good. In fact, at her 2006 check-up, they said she was like a much younger cat, she was so healthy.)

I'll be sure to ask about the x-ray and about the possibility of viral/fungal infections.

Thanks so much, Traci! It's a relief to have someone to talk to about this. Molly is really my husband's cat (she loves him but mostly just tolerates me) but he's very casual about her health and thinks she's just coughing because "she's getting old."

- WG

[Traci]

Don't let her eat the dead leaves Of course, any of these things could leave residue in the esophagus or stomach and cause irritation.

Licking lips after an episode is almost always due to a vomiting or regurgitation episode. But, can also accur due to heart conditions (i.e., congestive heart failure)

If the cats spend any time in the basement, take steps to always keep the dust at bay, particularly for Zoe.

A fungal infection may be able to be treated with prednisone, but ideally, they are treated with specific antibiotics (depending on the infection). Pred can be used to reduce inflammation. Xray views are various, depending on the infection and location.

More vets are including the heartworm test in a full bloodwork panel, as a preventative measure. Heartworm is commonly un-diagnosed in cats, and oftentimes not tested for, despite common symptoms that mimic other respiratory problems. Not knowing Zoe's full history, I'm surprised the vet didn't offer the heartworm test immediately when you first had her examined.

Listening to the heart is an important part of the exam, especially in senior pets and if there is any health issue going on that the signs indicate checking the heart. There are a few bloodwork parameters one can check, but ideally, xrays and ECG are the definitive diagnostics. Anytime there is a respiratory problem, especially coughing that occured suddenly or seems to persist, total heart function should be tested, xrays usually first, followed by an ECG and/or ultrasound. An ultrasound can be helpful if there is anything unusual about the ECG or to determine the heart's structure and look for defects, valve problems, etc.

I'm sure he means well, but tell hubby that "just getting old" should never be a reason to ignore health issues that suddenly occur or any unusual symptom or unusual change in behavior. It is with yearly testing that many diseases can be detected early on in which to afford the best treatment options to either cure or halt or slow the progression. Our senior pets need twice as much attention as their mid-adult counterparts to stay ahead of the issues and correct them when possible.

[WG]

Don't let her eat the dead leaves Of course, any of these things could leave residue in the esophagus or stomach and cause irritation.

Believe me, I try! Every time we come into the house I search the floor for them, LOL.

Licking lips after an episode is almost always due to a vomiting or regurgitation episode. But, can also accur due to heart conditions (i.e., congestive heart failure)

Huh. Zoe's often done that, too (licked her lips after a coughing episode.) Interesting.

If the cats spend any time in the basement, take steps to always keep the dust at bay, particularly for Zoe.

It's difficult because *I* can't be around the dust and my husband works long hours and commutes. Doing a lot of heavy cleaning isn't something I'm capable of, and I'm pretty much it. I'm going to look into some options, though. I might try cleaning the basement with a mask on and see how that goes. I've tried before with minimal success but it's been a while.

A fungal infection may be able to be treated with prednisone, but ideally, they are treated with specific antibiotics (depending on the infection). Pred can be used to reduce inflammation. Xray views are various, depending on the infection and location.

Do you think Molly's current coughing could be some kind of rebound effect from all the antibiotics she was on? She was on them for either 10 or 12 weeks. I'd think if she'd HAD some kind of fungal infection, one of the three antibiotics she was on all that time would have taken care of it?

Listening to the heart is an important part of the exam, especially in senior pets and if there is any health issue going on that the signs indicate checking the heart. There are a few bloodwork parameters one can check, but ideally, xrays and ECG are the definitive diagnostics. Anytime there is a respiratory problem, especially coughing that occured suddenly or seems to persist, total heart function should be tested, xrays usually first, followed by an ECG and/or ultrasound. An ultrasound can be helpful if there is anything unusual about the ECG or to determine the heart's structure and look for defects, valve problems, etc.

Luckily, the coughing is just occasional and doesn't seem to be troubling her. Other than that, she's acting perfectly well -- eating and drinking normally, using the litter box as usual. Her breathing is fine (no wheezing that I can hear, and it's not rapid or anything.) She's bright-eyed and cheerful, and last night she and Zoe were chasing each other around the house like maniacs. I'll definitely bring all this up when we go in to see the vet, though.

- WG

[Traci]

No, it is highly unlikely any of the antibiotic treatment contributed to her coughing.

I should have been more clear, it is antifungal drugs that are specific for treating many forums of fungal disease, and no, the antibiotics she's been on would not target a fungal infection. Antibiotics could be used as a secondary treatment IF there was a secondary problem going on, like a bacterial infection unrelated to a fungal problem.

Keep a record of how often she coughs and how she reacts prior to, during and after an episode. Try to describe the cough in detail to your vet, so she can listen carefully to heart and lung sounds. Again, she should be paying attention to heart health as well. Also be careful with both the girls, you don't want either of them exhausting or overexerting themselves, particularly Zoe, since she has asthma (presumably), and if there's a developing cough problem for Molly, you want to watch her activity for signs of a problem.

[WG]

I should have been more clear, it is antifungal drugs that are specific for treating many forums of fungal disease, and no, the antibiotics she's been on would not target a fungal infection. Antibiotics could be used as a secondary treatment IF there was a secondary problem going on, like a bacterial infection unrelated to a fungal problem.

Ah, okay. I understand. Thanks for the clarification.

Keep a record of how often she coughs and how she reacts prior to, during and after an episode. Try to describe the cough in detail to your vet, so she can listen carefully to heart and lung sounds. Again, she should be paying attention to heart health as well. Also be careful with both the girls, you don't want either of them exhausting or overexerting themselves, particularly Zoe, since she has asthma (presumably), and if there's a developing cough problem for Molly, you want to watch her activity for signs of a problem.

I'll start keeping record of Molly's coughing episodes now. If they get more frequent I'll absolutely call the vet and move her appt up.

I can't imagine how I could stop them from playing if they want to! Molly only consents to play with Zoe when she's in the right mood -- if she's not, she puts a halt to any attempts immediately with a quick hiss and a lifted paw. (Zoe's asthma -- assuming it is asthma! -- is well-controlled and she's fairly active most of the time.) Molly was fine last night during and after play -- when they settled down, she came and sat on the couch with my husband and was being very sweet and cuddly, no wheezing or coughing. But I'll definitely keep a close eye on her. Thank you!

- WG

[Traci]

You don't have to stop them from playing, just ensure that they don't overexert themselves. You'd know this by signs of panting or open-mouth breathing, wheezing, coughing, tiring easily.