My cat keeps coughing?!?

Question

She's an old girl about 13 she's a rescue cat so we don't know too much about her. At night she tends to cough alot and sometimes appears to retch as though she's going to be sick although nothing comes up.

A few months back she started vomiting alot but nothing was coming up? It just looked like bile i took her to the vets they took blood for some tests and she was clear of any serious illness. Since then she hasn't vomited like before but as i explained coughs and retches. On a few occasions i have found around the house what look like hair balls?

Could she be coughing because of hairballs and if so how can i prevent the build up?
I comb her and use a product called Kitty malt but the coughing never stops?

Answer 1

One of mine does that all the time, especially the long haired cat. About once a month she will cough up a hair ball, although it doesn't look a lot like a ball more of a black cocktail sausage. Very unlikely that it would get stuck in her throat, just try to keep an eye on her while she goes through it.
I've tried biscuits and other stuff that supposed to help but nothing does
My other cats do the cough and retching, and as you say nothing comes up, their stomachs break it down and it comes out with their waste.
If you are still worried, take her back to the vets and he will reassure you. I know that it doesn't look very nice and it is very distressed the first time it happens, but it a natural function for the cat to go through, so try not to get too upset about it.

Answer 2

Yes, she could be coughing because of hair balls. Be sure you are using a good brand hair ball remedy and give as directed. This should do the trick and I can't understand why it isn't helping, she could also be having a slight allergic reaction to something- have you recently added anything new to the house? Furniture, carpet, drapes, new pet, too much dust in the cat litter? New blankets or pet beds that she may be having a reaction to? Have you changed the litter brand?, some litter is overly scented and cats don't like that. Have you changed her food or started adding any other food to her diet, like treats?
Did your vet do an xray? She may have a narrowing of her esophagus, or sometimes congestive heart failure can cause coughing so I'd consider having an xray and maybe ultrasound done of her heart.
Is she indoors or outdoors. I'm curious as to why it's more predominate at night? That's something that may be a clue to the problem. Go thru and check some of the pet vet sites on the net and see if there's anything helpful in one of those.
One case I saw when I worked for a vet is a cat had a sewing needle embedded in the roof of her mouth, that's another good reason to do x-rays. But that would make her cough all day and not just at night.
Be careful about giving more than the recommended dose of hair ball medication, it could prevent the absorption of beneficial vitamins and minerals if you give too much of it.
Check all of the above and hopefully a change of one or a few of them will help the problem. Good luck.


PS: I forgot to mention that you may also want to check her teeth and gums, if theres a problem there and she's swallowing saliva that is loaded with bacteria, then this could cause a coughing problem.

Answer 3

She needs a vets visit I think. According to my vet hairballs & being sick are a bit of a myth unless you have an unusually long haired cat. It could be anything from a simple tummy problem to something more serious like heart or lungs if she is quite old. At least if the vet pronounces her ok you will not worry so much

Answer 4

I've heard there are foods/ treats to help reduce hairballs. However if it is too big for her to cough up it could eventually inhibit her digestion and may have to be surgically removed.
Don't mean to scare you, just a thought. Discuss the coughing with the vet again and ask about hair-ball dissolving foods.

Answer 5

She may have a slight irritation of the throat. Try her on tinned food instead of dry. Also, as cats get older they do have more hairball problems as their digestive system slows down. Royal Canin makes a special blend of cat food for older cats, and also for hairball problems.
The malt may also help calm the coughing, like honey does for us. If she likes it offer her a little extra.

Answer 6

Ask your vet about acid reflux in your cat.

Mine does the same thing. She retches but produces nothing. After a thorough checkup, he said that since he couldnt find anything physical in the sense of hairballs or such, that it might be acid reflux. Since it doesn't seem to bother her, I declined giving acid reducing medicine because she's already on insulin and I didn't want to have her on another medication. She's otherswise healthy and happy. It may be something you want to ask about.

Answer 7

Definitely hairballs...I have four cats and two never seem to get them, one can cough them up fine, and the last seems to resist the natural reaction of coughing them up, which has resulted in exactly what you have described.

There are treats and food to help break down the hairballs.

Answer 8

Take her to the vet again. Also try Petromalt-it's like Kitty Malt-I use it on my 2 cats and it works. Also, try anti-hairball cat food-like Purina One or if you have an indoor cat-Purina's cat indoor formula- can help also. Also, go to Petco or any other pet store-they should have anti-shedding cat brushes. Hopefully, this helps! Good luck!

Answer 9

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Answer 10

Does she go outside and eat grass. If she stays in then you can get grass for indoor cats which helps the digestion and helps them bring up any furballs.

If your in any doubt though take her to the vet and ask hiom to check for asthma I know it might sound strange but cats can suffer from asthma.