Every single person on earth who has had a cat will know what it is like to see their feline hacking up a hairball. No other type of pet does this, and when you see it for the first time you may think they are choking or having trouble breathing for an entirely different reason. You quickly come to learn that nothing of the sort is happening, and it is nothing more than a temporary response to an unfortunate outcome from their fastidious grooming habits. But asthma in cats it is going to be a big-time breathing problem, so let us look at how to treat cat asthma. Â
This starts and ends with corticosteroids, and if you are not familiar with the class of drugs what they do is take inflammation and stop it dead in its tracks. And if you are not familiar with the workings of asthma it is inflammation that causes the airway to be constricted and breathing to becomes such a challenge. That is true for humans and felines equally, and most asthma treatment medications for those of us on 2 legs are corticosteroids too. If your cat is born with asthma you are going to learn of it quickly, and the bronchoconstriction is going to be unavoidable. Â
But with the right medication you can prevent it, and getting that medication is central to how to treat cat asthma. If your veterinarian proceeds to diagnose asthma in cats, they will be quick to prescribe a medication that you can use to overcome an asthma attack in cats. There are other ways you can be proactive with how to treat cat asthma attacks, and one is to eliminate or reduce airway irritants in your home. Examples can be cigarette smoke, dust, and dust-creating cat litter. Â
One of the best corticosteroid bronchodilators for asthmatics of any type is Albuterol, and your doctor may recommend that you take Ventolin tablets and grind them up into the pet’s food when they are experiencing asthma symptoms in cats. You will need a prescription to buy them, but if that is what your vet sees as the best plan then you can trust that is your way to go for how to treat cat asthma. An asthma inhaler for cats may be a possibility too, but if breathing difficulties persist you need to meet with the vet again. Â
The last thing we will mention with how to treat cat asthma is to say it is also important to ensure that cats receive adequate parasite control. Make sure they are taking some type of heartworm preventative and keep in mind that these and other parasites can also induce lung disease. This will make cat asthma worse and even more difficult for you to achieve desirable treatment outcomes. You want the best for your cat, and while it is unfortunate they were born with asthma it does not have to be a fully debilitating affliction for them. Â