Boo and Bettie Gagging!

**Soledad** · 09-10-2003, 06:04 PM

I don't know if they're both getting hairballs or what, but Boo and Bettie are doing this weird gagging thing. I brought Bettie to the vet a few weeks about about her gagging and coughing and the doc said she most likely had a virus (she had a sore in her mouth) and that I would just have to let it run its course. I asked about Boo, and he said he might not get it because of the distemper shot, but even if he did it would have to run its couse too.

Now Boo is gagging and it's just making me nervous. I really don't have the money to go to the vet if it's unnecessary, but could this be serious?

**Russian Blue** · 09-10-2003, 07:45 PM

Here's some info off the net. I would at least call your vet in the morning and mention that both your cats are now reacting.

Feline Heartworm Disease

Heartworms are a parasite of dogs and wolves. They don't really belong in cats, but when a heartworm-carrying mosquito bites a cat, the baby heartworms do the best they can. Because cats are a crummy place for heartworms to live, most of the baby heartworms will die and those that survive won't be able to reproduce. However, those little baby heartworms will do the best they can and some may survive. Unfortunately, in cats even one or two adult heartworms can cause a lot of trouble. The cat's immune system often reacts to heartworms in strange ways, so symptoms of the disease are unpredictable and seemingly illogical.

Symptoms
Usually there aren't any symptoms at all. When we see symptoms, they usually resemble other more common problems.

wheezing, choking
vomiting and gagging
fainting spells
hindquarter paralysis

I also found this info on Gagging in Cats and Dogs

Gagging

There is a place at the back of your pet's throat called the pharynx that acts like a switching station. It is responsible for sending food to the stomach and air to the lungs. When confronted by something unexpected, such as a trickle of postnasal drip, the pharynx doesn't know where to send it. It responds by gagging.

For dogs and cats, an occasional gag is just business as usual, says J. M. Tibbs, D.V.M., a veterinarian in private practice in District Heights, Maryland. Older dogs are especially prone to it because they produce a lot of mucus and their pharynges get more sensitive over time. When your pet is gagging frequently, however, there may be an infection or another problem that is irritating the pharynx.

Dogs with kennel cough, for example, will often gag. "You will hear 'cough, cough, cough -- ack,'" says Patricia Shema, V.M.D., a veterinarian in private practice in Glenn Dale, Maryland. "The ack is the gag. It sounds awful, but it is the cough that you have to worry about," she adds.

Anything that produces a lot of mucus, from viral infections to allergies, will often cause dogs to gag, says Dr. Shema. So can a more serious problem, like a weak esophagus or cancer of the throat.

Some pets have anatomical peculiarities that make them more prone to gagging, says Dr. Tibbs. English bulldogs and pugs, for example, often have extra tissue at the back of their throats that can be very irritating to them. In addition, cats sometimes develop polyps in their ear canals. If a polyp dangles into the pharynx, it can cause gagging.

In general, cats don't gag as often as dogs. The one exception is when an upcoming hair ball hits the throat. Cats will gag once or twice, then throw it up. Tonsillitis can also cause problems. "Cats have six tonsils, so imagine how it would feel if they were infected," says Margie Scherk, D.V.M., a veterinarian in private practice in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Pets will gag when their collars are too tight, says Dr. Shema. It might not happen when your pet is lying around, but you are sure to notice it during walks when the leash pulls the collar tighter against his throat.

See Your Vet If...

Your pet gags only when he is on a leash

Your dog is coughing as well as gagging

Your cat is coughing up hair balls

Your dog or cat has a runny nose and scratches frequently

Your pet can't open his mouth or is having trouble opening it

He can't close his mouth

He won't eat or has difficulty chewing or swallowing

His tongue, lips, or muzzle are swollen

There is a foreign object stuck in his mouth

His gums are red and swollen, or there is bleeding

Your pet is drooling or panting excessively

His tongue or gums are blue or pale

Your pet has ulcers on his tongue

He is gagging frequently

There is a lump anywhere on his face

He is pawing frequently at his mouth or face

There is a discharge from his mouth or nose that lasts two days or longer

His breath is consistently bad

Your pet's nose is dry, crusty, or bleeding

His mouth is foaming, or he's grinding his teeth

There is dried saliva around the mouth

Next Steps:

**Barbara** · 09-11-2003, 08:16 AM

Sounds a little like Filou's throat infection (some of his 6

tonsils). If it's a virus of course antibiotics won't kill it (they only kill bacteria) but most virus infections can get a bacteria super-infection.
In Filou's case he got antibiotics and they really helped well.

**Soledad** · 09-11-2003, 03:38 PM

I'm terrified. Boo is making some very disturbing noises so I'm taking him to the animal hospital now. I hope it's not serious!!! Please, send him your love, prayers, thoughts, vibes...whatever it is you choose to call it.

**slick** · 09-11-2003, 03:42 PM

I'm so sorry Soledad. My prayers are been sent that it's nothing serious.

**Soledad** · 09-11-2003, 03:50 PM

I just found foam with blood in it in the closet!! I have no idea what's wrong with him.

**Logan** · 09-11-2003, 03:56 PM

Hang in there, Soledad. Please update us when you return from the vet's office. I do hope that Boo and Bettie will be better in no time. So sorry that they are sick.

**Miss Meow** · 09-11-2003, 05:46 PM

Oh no, lots of positive thoughts coming your way. I hope everything is all right with Boo and Bettie {{{hugs}}}.

**Soledad** · 09-11-2003, 05:53 PM

Well, the vet seems to think that Boo has contracted Bettie's URI and possibly a secondary bacterial infection. So, it's just antibiotics for now, and if it gets worse he's going to have to go in for xrays, etc. It was so scary finding that foamy bloody stuff, but hopefully it's going to be under control.

**Cataholic** · 09-11-2003, 06:00 PM

Goodness, how scary that must have been for you guys! I am relieved that it is 'only' a uri.....hugs, and hang in there!

**slick** · 09-11-2003, 06:03 PM

I can't imagine how scared you must have been. I would have panicked. Sounds like Boo and Bettie have some serious recovery time coming their way, still, I'm glad is nothing life-threatening. Please keep us posted.

**rg_girlca** · 09-11-2003, 09:03 PM

Oh Soledad, I shudder just thinking how scary that must have been for you. I'm glad that you were able to bring Boo right away to the vets.

Prayers on the way that the antibiotics work fast and Boo has a full and complete recovery.

**Soledad** · 09-11-2003, 09:18 PM

Thank you guys for the support. I'm still scared for my little Boo because this noise he's making is just horrendous. The vet said to take him in right away if he has any shallow/labored breathing or is off his food. He just ate a few minutes ago and his breathing is normal.

I'm just scared that it isn't a URI and that there's something more sinister lurking. But I just didn't have the money for the xrays and blood work (app. 300 bucks) so I went with the antiobiotics and keeping a close eye on him.

I feel so horribly guilty everytime he coughs. Guilty that I brought Bettie into our home and guilty that I didn't have the money to give him all the tests necessary to come to a definitive answer. I wish I could help him in some way other than giving him pills.

Has anyone had a situation like this? What can I do for my poor little boy???

**Miss Meow** · 09-11-2003, 09:32 PM

It's so hard seeing a pet in distress and hoping like hell that the vet got the diagnosis right ...

If Boo's breathing is OK and he's eating, I'd follow the vet's instructions with the pills and still watch him like a hawk. It takes a few days for antibiotics to start kicking in so you may not see improvement for a little while. Having said that, if anything changes for the worse, I'd get him back to the vet's asap. Is that awful breathing sound the same as when he was at the vet's? If it's different, give the vet a call to check if that's normal.

I know Boo is a tough, optimistic sort of guy, but he's moved half-way across the world, been shafted by the removalists, settled into a new home, become used to having his mummy at home during the day, and been introduced to a new cat - so maybe his immune system is a bit low from the combined stress. But you know him best - go with your gut feel.

**Soledad** · 09-12-2003, 05:24 PM

Last night was so tough. Boo had a really bad coughing fit and I just lost it. Thankfully, Nicole (Miss Meow) was around for comforting PMs.

When I came home from work today, he was making some weird noise, but coughed a bit and went straight for his bowl. I think it would take his jaw to be wired shut for him to not eat.