Hacking cough

[Phoenix]

Yesterday evening Dylan was on my bed and suddenly developed a hacking cough! :shock: I brought him downstairs (carrying him because it was the only way to get him downstairs for us to help him even though he hates getting picked up - gets frightened a little) and after I'd got him in the sitting room he appeared to cough up into his throat whatever was bothering him and swallow it.

He hasn't repeated it and I keep him well groomed (once or twice a week for a very short shorthair cat). Does anyone know what may have caused his sudden hairball? He was lying on his tummy on the bed when it started.

[angieh]

It's quite alarming when they chuck a hairball isn't it? Merlin looks as if he's going to chuck his entire insides out.

Dylan may have got something else caught, other than a hairball and whatever it was, it's lucky he managed to get it up - shame he swallowed because you'll never really know - although thinking about it, if it was a hairball I doubt if he would have swallowed it. (Does that make sense?)

[Phoenix]

It's quite alarming when they chuck a hairball isn't it? Merlin looks as if he's going to chuck his entire insides out.

Dylan may have got something else caught, other than a hairball and whatever it was, it's lucky he managed to get it up - shame he swallowed because you'll never really know - although thinking about it, if it was a hairball I doubt if he would have swallowed it. (Does that make sense?)

I can't think what it was if it wasn't a hairball, because at the time of starting to cough he'd had his mouth closed and was purring his heart out (I was stroking him at the time)

[dandysmom]

Yes, makes sense to me. I've never known a cat to swallow a fur ball either, it always comes out the front end! It may have been a bit of food stuck in his windpipe. I'd probably not worry unless he does it again. I groom Leia every night; not that she really needs it being shorthaired, butt she looks forward to it...bonding session.

[Phoenix]

Yes, makes sense to me. I've never known a cat to swallow a fur ball either, it always comes out the front end! It may have been a bit of food stuck in his windpipe. I'd probably not worry unless he does it again. I groom Leia every night; not that she really needs it being shorthaired, butt she looks forward to it...bonding session.

So if he does it again it's time to panic :shock:

I hope he won't do it again :shock: although I have known Beauty to somehow swallow either a furball or a lot of fur (that was part of what caused the first lump in her bladder if you all remember from a thread a while ago)

[Fran]

Could be a hairball, you could get some hairball remedy from your vet. However, I notice you are in Yorkshire?? According to our dog trainer, kennel cough is really rife around these parts at the minute and Bordatella that causes kennel cough is transmissible to cats. So just a thought if it persists and doesn't settle with hairball remedy or the expulsion of hairball. Obviously this would be unlikely if you don't have dogs or contact wth dogs. Hope all goes well for your cat.

[Phoenix]

Could be a hairball, you could get some hairball remedy from your vet. However, I notice you are in Yorkshire?? According to our dog trainer, kennel cough is really rife around these parts at the minute and Bordatella that causes kennel cough is transmissible to cats. So just a thought if it persists and doesn't settle with hairball remedy or the expulsion of hairball. Obviously this would be unlikely if you don't have dogs or contact wth dogs. Hope all goes well for your cat.

We don't have any dogs, but there are dogs at college (not sure if any of them are inoculated or not :oops: )

He hasn't coughed at all since I posted, sneezed once (and that was earlier on today) but is purrfectly normal behaving.

[sgw1988]

i had this same this morning but Lola actually had a treat stuck in her throat! i panicked didnt know what to do but she eventually got it dislodged and then drank a bit of water to wash it down, she was fine before i left for work but its still horrible to see!

[dandysmom]

This may sound weird, but is there anything similar to the Heimlich maneuver that could be used in a case like that?

[Phoenix]

It happened a couple more times since I posted about it, we think it's either Dylan eating his food too fast or cat milk that's the problem.

[Mags]

It happened a couple more times since I posted about it, we think it's either Dylan eating his food too fast or cat milk that's the problem.
Have you tried a hairball remedy on him, it's worth a try. Cassie gets a hacking cough when she tries to expel hairballs.

[Phoenix]

Have you tried a hairball remedy on him, it's worth a try. Cassie gets a hacking cough when she tries to expel hairballs.

We haven't yet, we have still got some katalax from when we had Beauty - don't know if that will still be OK to try him on.

[dandysmom]

It should be OK. A tube of it lasts quite a while.

[Phoenix]

It should be OK. A tube of it lasts quite a while.

I'll try him on it and see. What I think it is though is Dylan eats his food too quickly (he meows for food then when he gets it a bowl of food is gone in a matter of seconds)

[dandysmom]

Maybe try giving him smaller amounts more frequently?

[Phoenix]

Maybe try giving him smaller amounts more frequently?

Tried that, he still tries to pull the "starving kitty need food now" trick.

We give him small amounts of food three times a day - otherwise he'll eat until he's sick. Literally.

[Mags]

Just a thought RCR, has he been wormed recently?

[Phoenix]

Just a thought RCR, has he been wormed recently?

We wormed him last week, had great fun trying to get the worming tablets down him - I'll ask the vet next time Dylan goes in if he's got any non-tablet worming stuff - Dylan got really distressed getting wormed :(

[dandysmom]

They do make a liquid wormer; I used it with Onyx. It was liver flavored and I just added the amount to her wet food. She gobbled it, wormer and all ....

[Phoenix]

They do make a liquid wormer; I used it with Onyx. It was liver flavored and I just added the amount to her wet food. She gobbled it, wormer and all ....

I'll see what the vet says, I'm reluctant to try tablets again because of how distressed Dylan got. I have no idea if Dylan likes liver flavoured things or not! :oops:

[dandysmom]

Do you have Fancy Feast there? They make a nice liver pate; you could see if he likes it....

[Phoenix]

Do you have Fancy Feast there? They make a nice liver pate; you could see if he likes it....

I've not seen any, could look in our local pet shop for it - don't think I've seen any though.

Could try getting a little bit of liver from our butchers (like I did for Beauty) and see ...