My Abby has asthma, but not very bad. She hasn't had to take meds for years now. It is worse in spring and fall, when the windows are open (she stays indoors). Things I have found to help:

1. Change your furnace filter often! I think a dirty filter is one of the main causes in Abby's case.

2. We got a HEPA air filter for those times of the year when there is a lot of pollen in the air.

3. Don't smoke or allow anyone to smoke in your house.

4. Keep the dust down (I am a horrible housekeeper, and I hate dusting, but keeping dust down helps).

5. We haven't done this yet, but when we have the money I want to get rid of the carpets (most of them) and put down wood. Carpets trap a lot of dust.


Your regular vet can also give you information, and there is a lot of info on the internet.

Relax. I know it is scary. Abby has had it for years and has not suffered an attack for a long time. She is horrible about pills so when she was having attacks often I'd bring her into the vet and they'd give her a steriod shot. That stopped it for a few weeks at a time. Abby didn't do the weird stomach thing that you described, but she was having what looked like to me, hairball yakking episodes, but nothing would come up. I got concerned and when I brought her to the vet they dignosed asthma.