Just like humans, cats can experience both sneezing and coughing. These reflexes are natural ways for their bodies to clear irritants and protect their respiratory systems. Occasional sneezing or a cough here and there is usually nothing to worry about in a healthy cat. However, when sneezing and coughing become frequent, persistent, or are accompanied by other symptoms, it’s time to pay closer attention.
If your cat is experiencing persistent or severe sneezing and coughing, scheduling a visit to your veterinarian is crucial. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are key to ensuring a swift recovery and preventing potential complications. Understanding the possible reasons behind your cat’s sneezing and coughing will help you provide them with the best care.
Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you understand why your cat might be sneezing and coughing and what you can do to help.
Why Is My Cat Sneezing and Coughing?
The causes of sneezing and coughing in cats are varied, ranging from simple irritants to more complex health issues. Sometimes, the reason is quite obvious. For instance, have you recently switched to a new, dustier cat litter? You might notice your Cat Sneezing And Coughing more while using the litter box. Inhaled irritants of any kind can trigger these responses.
Prolonged exposure to irritants, such as secondhand smoke or strong perfumes, can also lead to persistent sneezing and coughing. Beyond irritants, several other factors can be responsible for these symptoms in cats:
- Respiratory Infections: Viral, bacterial, fungal, and parasitic infections are common culprits behind sneezing and coughing in cats. These infections can affect different parts of the respiratory tract, leading to a range of symptoms.
- Feline Asthma: Asthma in cats involves airway inflammation, narrowing, and mucus buildup, often triggered by allergens or irritants. This condition is a significant cause of coughing, and sometimes sneezing, in cats.
- Pleural Effusion: This condition involves an abnormal accumulation of fluid around the lungs, which can cause coughing and difficulty breathing.
- Inhaled Foreign Objects: Just like humans, cats can inhale foreign materials like food particles or plant matter. This can trigger coughing and sneezing as the body attempts to expel the object.
- Nasal Polyps or Tumors: Growths in the nasal passages can cause sneezing, and if they affect the lower airways, they can also lead to coughing. Cancer affecting the respiratory tract can also manifest with coughing and sneezing.
- Trauma: Physical injuries, as well as chemical or thermal damage to the respiratory system, can result in sneezing and coughing.
- Heartworms: While heartworm is more commonly known for affecting dogs, cats can also be infected. Heartworm disease in cats can present with subtle signs, including coughing.
- Allergies: Similar to humans, cats can suffer from environmental allergies to pollen, mold, dust mites, and other allergens. Allergic reactions often manifest as sneezing, and can sometimes include coughing due to post-nasal drip or airway irritation.
It’s important to note that while heart disease is a frequent cause of coughing in humans and dogs, it is less commonly associated with coughing in cats. Coughing in cats is much more likely to be related to a respiratory issue.
Sneezing vs. Coughing: Understanding the Difference
While both sneezing and coughing are respiratory reflexes, they serve slightly different purposes and originate from different parts of the respiratory tract.
Sneezing is primarily a reflex to clear irritants from the nasal passages and upper airways. When the nasal passages become irritated, the sneeze reflex is triggered to forcefully expel air, along with mucus and irritants.
Coughing, on the other hand, is a reflex that helps clear the lower respiratory tract, including the throat, larynx, trachea, and bronchi. Coughing is initiated when receptors in these areas are stimulated by irritants, mucus, or inflammation.
Sometimes, it can be tricky to distinguish between a sneeze and a cough, especially if they occur close together. However, understanding the primary function of each reflex can help you better describe your cat’s symptoms to your veterinarian.
Wet Cough vs. Dry Cough and Sneezing in Cats
Observing the characteristics of your cat’s cough and sneeze can provide valuable clues for diagnosis. Veterinarians often differentiate between wet and dry coughs, and similar distinctions can be made about sneezes, although less commonly described as “wet” or “dry”.
Wet Cough: A wet cough is characterized by the production of phlegm or mucus. This type of cough is often associated with respiratory infections where the body produces excess mucus to clear out pathogens and debris from the airways. You might hear a moist or productive sound when your cat coughs.
Dry Cough: A dry cough, in contrast, doesn’t produce significant phlegm. It often sounds harsh or hacking. In cats, dry coughs are commonly linked to conditions like asthma, inhaled foreign bodies, or tumors. These conditions may cause airway irritation and inflammation without significant mucus production.
Sneezing Characteristics: While not typically categorized as wet or dry, sneezes can also be informative. Frequent, forceful sneezes might indicate irritation in the nasal passages, possibly due to allergies or irritants. Sneezing accompanied by nasal discharge can suggest an upper respiratory infection. The nature of the discharge (clear, white, yellow, or green) can also provide further clues.
These distinctions are not always definitive but can be helpful in guiding your veterinarian towards a potential diagnosis.
Cat Sneezing and Coughing with Other Symptoms
Sneezing and coughing rarely occur in isolation. They are often accompanied by other symptoms, which can be crucial for pinpointing the underlying cause.
Cat Sneezing and Coughing Together
When sneezing and coughing occur together, especially with nasal discharge, an upper respiratory infection (URI) is often the primary suspect. Infections of the nasal passages cause sneezing and nasal congestion, and some of the discharge can drain into the throat, triggering a cough. Other symptoms of URIs may include watery eyes, decreased appetite, and lethargy.
Cat Sneezing, Coughing, and Wheezing
Wheezing, a high-pitched whistling sound during breathing, is a classic sign of feline asthma. When combined with coughing and potentially sneezing, and labored or rapid breathing (sometimes with an open mouth), asthma becomes a strong consideration. These symptoms occur because of airway constriction and inflammation characteristic of asthma.
Cat Sneezing or Coughing Up Hairballs
It’s important to differentiate between a true cough and the retching or gagging associated with hairballs. While it might sound like your cat is coughing, when a hairball is expelled, it originates from the digestive tract, not the respiratory system. Cats may make coughing-like noises when trying to bring up a hairball, but this is technically not a cough. Sneezing is not typically associated with hairballs.
Cat Sneezing or Coughing Up Blood
If your cat is sneezing or coughing up blood, this is a serious symptom that warrants immediate veterinary attention. While an occasional sneeze or cough is usually not alarming, blood in sneezed or coughed material is a potential emergency.
Possible causes for sneezing or coughing up blood include:
- Trauma to the nasal passages or respiratory tract
- Nasal tumors or cancers that are eroding blood vessels
- Severe respiratory infections
- Exposure to rat poisons or other toxins that interfere with blood clotting
Seek veterinary care immediately if you notice your cat sneezing or coughing up blood.
Diagnosing the Cause of Cat Sneezing and Coughing
To determine the cause of your cat’s sneezing and coughing, your veterinarian will perform a comprehensive examination. This typically includes:
- Detailed History: Your vet will ask questions about the onset, frequency, and duration of sneezing and coughing, as well as any other symptoms, changes in appetite or energy, potential exposure to irritants or new environments, and your cat’s vaccination and health history.
- Physical Examination: A thorough physical exam will include listening to your cat’s lungs with a stethoscope to detect abnormal sounds like wheezing or crackles. The vet will also check for nasal discharge, eye discharge, fever, and overall health status.
- Diagnostic Tests: Depending on the initial findings, further diagnostic tests may be recommended. These can include:
- Blood Tests: To check for signs of infection, inflammation, or other systemic illnesses.
- Fecal Examination: To rule out parasitic infections.
- Upper Airway Swabs or Washes: To identify bacterial, viral, or fungal infections.
- Rhinoscopy: A procedure where a small camera is used to visualize the nasal passages and potentially collect biopsies.
- Bronchoscopy: Similar to rhinoscopy but for the lower airways, allowing visualization and sample collection from the trachea and bronchi.
- Radiographs (X-rays) or CT Scans: To evaluate the lungs and chest cavity for pneumonia, tumors, pleural effusion, or other abnormalities.
- Allergy Testing: If allergies are suspected, skin or blood tests may be used to identify specific allergens.
Treatment for Cat Sneezing and Coughing
Treatment for cat sneezing and coughing is aimed at addressing the underlying cause.
- Irritants: If irritants are the cause, removing them from the cat’s environment is key. This might involve changing cat litter, avoiding strong perfumes or cleaning products, and ensuring good ventilation.
- Respiratory Infections: Bacterial infections are treated with antibiotics, while viral infections are managed with supportive care to boost the cat’s immune system and prevent secondary bacterial infections. Antifungal or antiparasitic medications are used for fungal or parasitic infections, respectively.
- Asthma: Feline asthma management typically involves a combination of strategies:
- Environmental Control: Reducing exposure to potential triggers like dust, pollen, and smoke.
- Medications: Bronchodilators to open airways and corticosteroids to reduce inflammation, often administered via inhalers or systemic medications.
- Pleural Effusion: Fluid buildup around the lungs needs to be drained, usually with a needle and syringe (thoracocentesis). Further treatment will depend on the underlying cause of the fluid accumulation.
- Inhaled Foreign Objects: Removal may require bronchoscopy or surgery. Antibiotics are often prescribed to prevent or treat secondary infections.
- Nasal Polyps or Tumors/Cancer: Treatment options vary depending on the nature and extent of the growth and may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or palliative care.
- Trauma: Treatment depends on the type and severity of the injury and can range from supportive care to surgical intervention.
- Heartworms: Treatment options for feline heartworm disease are limited, making prevention crucial. If heartworm is diagnosed, management focuses on supportive care to alleviate symptoms.
- Allergies: Managing allergies involves minimizing exposure to allergens and using medications like antihistamines or corticosteroids to control symptoms.
In addition to specific treatments, symptomatic and supportive care can be beneficial for coughing and sneezing cats. This may include:
- Humidification: Using a humidifier or taking your cat into a steamy bathroom (as recommended by your vet) can help to loosen congestion.
- Nasal Discharge Management: Gently wiping away nasal discharge to keep nasal passages clear.
- Fluid Therapy: In cases of dehydration, fluid therapy may be necessary.
- Oxygen Therapy: For cats with severe respiratory distress, oxygen therapy may be required.
Cough suppressants are rarely used in cats as it’s generally more important to clear the airways than to suppress the cough reflex, unless specifically advised by your veterinarian.
Prevention is always better than cure. Ensure your cat is vaccinated against feline respiratory viruses, minimize exposure to irritants, and maintain a clean and healthy environment to help prevent sneezing and coughing issues. Regular veterinary check-ups are also essential for early detection and management of any health concerns.
