Introduction
Wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath and other signs of oxygen deprivation commonly occur in asthmatic cats. As frightening as these symptoms can be, they are also the primary determinants for diagnosing asthma in cats.
Diagnosing Asthma (Allergic Bronchitis) in Cats
There is no single test that will conclusively confirm whether a cat has allergic bronchitis or some other respiratory condition. A diagnosis of feline asthma is made based upon a number of things, including the cat’s clinical signs, a thorough veterinary examination and history and ruling out other conditions that could cause or contribute to the symptoms, such as infectious pneumonia, cancer, heartworm disease or lung parasites. Chest radiographs are extremely important to diagnosing this condition. With bronchitis, the chest films may show evidence of inflammatory lung damage, infection or scarring, or they may appear normal.
Other tests that can help to eliminate or confirm feline asthma include transtracheal wash, bronchoalveolar lavage, bronchoscopy with specimen collection, heartworm and fecal tests for internal parasites, echocardiography to assess the heart and comprehensive blood and urine evaluation to assess systemic health and organ function. Sometimes, a positive response to medical treatment helps confirm a diagnosis of feline allergic asthma when other tests prove unhelpful.
Fortunately, feline asthma typically can be treated successfully with lifelong medical therapy.