My 3 year old Tort. Female Ashley - Coughing Suggestions Please Vet Appt Monday Even.

Here is a link to the thread that started about Ashley:

http://www.petoftheday.com/talk/showthread.php?t=133452

She's still coughing, I called the vets back to ask whether I should bring her in again or not and she said she'd like to see her again and to make sure she is eating which I'm sure she has been. I caught her last weekend or sometime this week eating, it's hard to watch with 6 cats now.

Plus she hates me right now and won't come out when I'm home because I had to give her pills and she hates that.

So now she only seems to come out when Hubby is home. I'm going to stop and get some tuna tonight to make sure she is eating but I know last night she had some milk late in the night.

She seems to be doing this hard cough almost like she is going to throw up but then she sorta jerks her head likes it's hard to swallow.

I just talked with the vet and she said that she would like to possibly sedate Ashley and have a closer look at her throat. I'm pretty scared about that but she said she could have a Polyp in her throat. She said she really wants to make sure though that Ashley is eating and drinking which I know she is.

Basically what I'm wondering is has anyone else here experienced this?

I'm going to try to find my recorder thingy so incase if she starts tonight or this weekend I'll have her on tape so the vet can hear it.

Sorry I havent experienced a cough.
I would suggest confining in a small area (spare room, bathroom)where access is easy to get to her or better yet crate her.

I don't know alot about coughing in cats as mine have never done anything like you're describing, and we rarely see ones doing that at the hospital, most of those are sneezing not coughing.

As far as watching to be sure 6 cats are eating, I'm having to assume you free feed them? I have 7 cats (used to be 8) and I feed them several times a day, keep everyone in their own food bowls for 10-15 minutes, then pick up the food bowls so I always know who's eating and who isn't. If I have one I'm monitoring for bathroom habits etc, then I shut that one in a room by themselves.

Awww! I would want them to look and see what is cauding her to cough like that too. That sounds so scarey! Poor babies, they can't tell us what is bothering them. Keep us posted on this!

I do free feed my cats, they get a handful of food and I have 5 bowls only because the kitten just came along and she doesn't eat that much right now.

Good suggestion.

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Originally Posted by Catlady711

I don't know alot about coughing in cats as mine have never done anything like you're describing, and we rarely see ones doing that at the hospital, most of those are sneezing not coughing.

As far as watching to be sure 6 cats are eating, I'm having to assume you free feed them? I have 7 cats (used to be 8) and I feed them several times a day, keep everyone in their own food bowls for 10-15 minutes, then pick up the food bowls so I always know who's eating and who isn't. If I have one I'm monitoring for bathroom habits etc, then I shut that one in a room by themselves.

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I do too. Right now my money is really tight but hopefully I can come up with the funds necessary to pay for this depending on the costs (the vet said we can discuss that on Monday during her visit). I will do what I have to do to make sure if Ashley needs to be sedative that she will be.

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Originally Posted by Laura's Babies

Awww! I would want them to look and see what is cauding her to cough like that too. That sounds so scarey! Poor babies, they can't tell us what is bothering them. Keep us posted on this!

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I do too. Right now my money is really tight but hopefully I can come up with the funds necessary to pay for this depending on the costs (the vet said we can discuss that on Monday during her visit). I will do what I have to do to make sure if Ashley needs to be sedative for this procedure that she will be no matter the cost.

Melissa

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Originally Posted by Laura's Babies

Awww! I would want them to look and see what is cauding her to cough like that too. That sounds so scarey! Poor babies, they can't tell us what is bothering them. Keep us posted on this!

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I wonder if she is trying to cough a hairball?

Hopefully the vet can just have a peek in her throat and see what's there, if Ashley is a good girl!

I know it's really hard with 6 cats...any idea if she has been pooping in the box?

Good luck!

Well Ashley is very very cranky when she goes to the vets, she loves car rides but I can't even get her to go with me since she thinks I'm going to be giving her a pill.

I'm not sure if she has been, I'm going to have to assume that she is using the litter box.

She did peek in her throat the last time I had her there and the vet saw that it was red which I did too and we just assume that it's because of the kitten that I brought into the house that had the URI but none of my other cats are getting sick which is weird because she is the only one in the house that has not cleaned the new kitten or really had any contact with her.

It does sound like she is going to cough up a hairball but much louder and she jerks her neck really hard like she is trying to swallow or something.

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Originally Posted by Catty1

I wonder if she is trying to cough a hairball?

Hopefully the vet can just have a peek in her throat and see what's there, if Ashley is a good girl!

I know it's really hard with 6 cats...any idea if she has been pooping in the box?

Good luck!

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Poor baby! I hope the vet can relax her and find out what it is!

Even a small abcess in a kitty's throat could cause problems.

When is her appointment?

HUGS and prayers to both of you!

Prayers From All Of Us For Your Dear Little Companion, And We Pray That Your Vet Finds That Its Nothing Serious, Or Expensive!!

Well the good news is I caught her eating not much though so I'm going to give her some tuna tonight.

Ashley's appt. is this coming Monday at 5:30 p.m.

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Originally Posted by Catty1

Poor baby! I hope the vet can relax her and find out what it is!

Even a small abcess in a kitty's throat could cause problems.

When is her appointment?

HUGS and prayers to both of you!

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My Yodie had a polyp that grew from her ear down into her throat and it caused her to cough, although that isn't the word I would use to describe it but I don't really have a word. She jerked her head in the same way and it's probably because she was trying to swallow, not knowing what it was and that it was stuck there. She didn't eat much either because it hurt to swallow and it also cut off her air that she needed to breathe. If it is indeed a polyp, your vet may be able to laser it, which is what my vet did. Yodie had a sore throat for a couple of days afterwards but she was fine and has been ever since. Good luck and keep us posted. We're praying for you both.

Well I managed to get Ashley on my recorder for the vets to hear but you can't make it out too well and this morning she woke me up coughing again. My husband said she did it a couple of times yesterday and I'm just getting worried about her. She is eating I do know that and she's drinking and she even wanted to play yesterday so other than hiding underneath the bed she's doing well.

I just hate not knowing what is wrong and you just wish she could tell me what hurts and where.

Could need antibiotics.Bartonnella can cause this.It's a 40 dollar blood test(here anyway).but it takes 1 week to find out.Zithromax or Azythromycin gets rid of bartonnella and the worst upper resporatory sicknessess.Or she could need predisone because she may have broncitis.But she would need an xray for that.
I know you said it was in her throat but she may have broncitis so bad it made her throat red.
I'm leaning more toward bartonnella.
Then there is Chlamydia but that is WAY to expensive to test for.It cost us 900 bucks to find out my cat Trudy had it VERY bad.But she had wet coughs and laringitis and snotty nose.
I doubt your cat has that.
I'm no expert.But throwing things out to ask your vet.
she needs a vet for sure.
I hope she gets better quick.Good Luck and I'll say prayers.

Well soon I will be taking Ms. Ashley to the vets. She goes at 5:30 p.m. tonight. I hope I can get an answer. She coughed 3 times yesterday and so far today my husband said twice. So we'll see.

Melissa

I'm sorry to hear that she's coughing so much and I sure hope it's nothing serious.:( So what did the vet have to say? Please update us when you can. Prayers and positive thoughts are being sent her way.

Well Ashley went to the vets yesterday and she did a wonderful job. Well the vet said that she does have a bacteria infection in her ears and she will be on some meds for 2 weeks and we'll see after that what happens. It cost $72.26 for the visit, pill pusher, pills, and the ear exam. I'm crossing my fingers hoping that this will clear it up.

At least you got an answer and thank goodness it isn't a polyp. I'm sure she'll be fine. Prayers continuing for her speedy recovery.....

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Originally Posted by Medusa

At least you got an answer and thank goodness it isn't a polyp. I'm sure she'll be fine. Prayers continuing for her speedy recovery.....

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Well the vet wasn't ruling out a polyp, although she didn't see one she's hoping these meds will take care of the cough and if it doesn't she will need to be sedated and look down her throat. I'm hoping these meds take care of it but she hates taking pills but hopefully she will be good because she will have to take them.

Can you try the pill pockets for the pills, or are they really large?

What is a pill pocket, I got a pill pusher from the vet and hopefully that will work fine tonight. I hope. We'll see how it goes tonight.

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Originally Posted by Anikaca77

What is a pill pocket, I got a pill pusher from the vet and hopefully that will work fine tonight. I hope. We'll see how it goes tonight.

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Look here...

http://www.greenies.com/en_US/products_pill_pockets.asp

Prayers for a speedy recovery.