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What I truly do not understand is why vets are so ridiculous about cats with asthma??
You can get online, and it's commonly said on many sites that an asthmatic cat will benefit from inhalers, like Flovent and Albuterol. You can buy the AeroKat spacer on Amazon, to administer those. I got lucky. Stupid lucky. My son was diagnosed and given prescription inhalers for years, but his asthma got better and better, and he stopped using the inhalers without even telling me he had. One day I went into his bathroom and opened a drawer that I had no usual reason to get into, and there were a ton of inhalers. I questioned him about this, and he hadn't been using them for ages! So we had quite a stockpile, and when the cat began having his attacks, I took him to a vet, and I told him that I knew what these attacks looked like, I showed him a video online and said, "It is exactly like this" and first the vet wanted to insist it was hairballs. It wasn't. I argued. Then they wanted to give him a cough syrup. This made it worse. Frustrated and internet-capable, I read about cats and Flovent and what the dosage would be, and luckily my son's inhalers were the right dosage. Albuterol, too. I first went back to the vet and told him what I'd discovered and asked if he'd prescribe Flovent since the cough syrup was only making things worse. And he told me, "I don't prescribe meds that expensive for cats. When a cat costs someone that kind of money, they abandon it or have it put down. I won't do it." Even though I was willing to pay!! Nimbus is family to me, not just oh whatever he's a bit costly let's kill him, jeezus, no! Ugh. So. I ordered an AeroKat spacer. And I started giving him my son's asthma meds, which my son did not use or need anymore. And we've done this for a long time...but now we've run out. And the attacks are coming back.
I know I need to get my boy in and try again to get a vet to give him what he needs, though it's going to be a different vet this time. I just don't understand why this is so hard??? I will pay whatever it costs, for medicine that works, why won't they prescribe it?
You've told us that story before and I don't get it. I do know my vet has an online pharmacy and they sell one of those cat inhalers for $500 and change. I guess the answer is find another vet and tell them you have the means to keep Nimbus alive as long as he wants to be alive. What happens without the inhaler? I guess they don't mind if he chokes.
In Gypsy's case, the asthma is being irritated by the mucus she inhales - and then coughs up hard enough for the last vet to tell me her ribs were sore. Not surprising if you saw her cough. The FIRST vet threw up their hands last July and yet she's still here. So if you can't stop her coughing, give her something so her ribs don't hurt. Do something that makes her feel BETTER. Ease her discomfort.
You've told us that story before and I don't get it. I do know my vet has an online pharmacy and they sell one of those cat inhalers for $500 and change. I guess the answer is find another vet and tell them you have the means to keep Nimbus alive as long as he wants to be alive. What happens without the inhaler? I guess they don't mind if he chokes.
In Gypsy's case, the asthma is being irritated by the mucus she inhales - and then coughs up hard enough for the last vet to tell me her ribs were sore. Not surprising if you saw her cough. The FIRST vet threw up their hands last July and yet she's still here. So if you can't stop her coughing, give her something so her ribs don't hurt. Do something that makes her feel BETTER. Ease her discomfort.
Asking about flooring because we will be putting down a hard surface floor and we're doing the research first about offgassing of different products. Some non-wood floorings are full of chemicals including formaldehyde. Even some wood laminates have the stuff along with a bunch of other chemicals.
Looking back in time ... is there a point when you can remember when all this started with Gypsy? Has she always lived in the same home? The age of your home? Any chance there's Chinese drywall in it?
When I moved into my current house a few years ago with my cat, my cat's asthma started acting up, and even I got sick a lot. I was wondering if it might be mold spores so I even had some specialists come in and measure the air. That was a negative. It then occurred to me it might be the old carpet that was in my house. I had it cleaned just before I moved in, but that only does so much good. Eventually I ended up getting all new carpets (and a new floor in the basement) and both me and my cat's asthma have been much better since. I've also endeavored to give the house a thorough dusting once or twice a year, since I think it might be dust that sets off her asthma.
So I'm wondering if it might be your carpet or something else in your house?
Google "your house is making you sick" and start reading. There are enlightening things you may never have thought of.
Also, if you already don't, try grass seed cat litter. Clumps really well and has almost no dust.
When I moved into my current house a few years ago with my cat, my cat's asthma started acting up, and even I got sick a lot. I was wondering if it might be mold spores so I even had some specialists come in and measure the air. That was a negative. It then occurred to me it might be the old carpet that was in my house. I had it cleaned just before I moved in, but that only does so much good. Eventually I ended up getting all new carpets (and a new floor in the basement) and both me and my cat's asthma have been much better since. I've also endeavored to give the house a thorough dusting once or twice a year, since I think it might be dust that sets off her asthma.
So I'm wondering if it might be your carpet or something else in your house?
Google "your house is making you sick" and start reading. There are enlightening things you may never have thought of.
Also, if you already don't, try grass seed cat litter. Clumps really well and has almost no dust.
Yes indeed our houses have become so air-tight and energy efficient that they don't breathe well at all (oops, repeating myself from a previous post). Here in northeast FL humidity is up even in winter, so I bought some Eva-dry E-333 mini dehumidifiers which have really helped. On occasion we've turned on the AC just to help get rid of moisture (helps prevent wet windows). Our breath, our cooking, taking showers (even when using vents) throw so much moisture into our air. But there is a fine line when air can become too dry. Finding the balance is a challenge.
At a previous house I had two air purifiers running, but for me they didn't really help with air quality (keeping down the dust), but I know of others who swear by them.
One way to check for Chinese drywall is to remove an outlet or wall switch plate and look for blue-green corrosion on copper wires. This isn't a 100% indicator, but gives a clue.
One other thing I do in the winter is have a small humidifier running in the room where my cat sleeps overnight. It's this steam generator thing, actually. She's often had asthma attacks in the winter, and doing some research I found that's common for asthma to be worse in cold, dry air (I "tested" this once myself, actually). So when overnight is going to go down below maybe 40 degrees I turn it on overnight. Moisture in the air also keeps down the dust, which is what I suspect triggers her asthma.
I think Gypsy has had this tho for a few yrs & from another location, if I'm correct NYC refugee? Also, our indoor cat also has some allergy issues but our all-cat vet can't help pinpoint them either. Allergies are VERY hard to find out the cause. I know this even in humans.
So, my thinking it is more likely a structural issue/defect rather than an exogenous one. It is not as likely from the outside of her body but rather something inside causing the breathing distress. I've maintained this idea thru all the times we spoke re her. I still think a knowledgeable vet specializing in airway obstruction could diagnose far better than random vets.
Cornell would be the vet school I'd think would be most likely to see this type thing or at least be interested in further eval re it. Now I know you're no longer anywhere near there but I'm trying to think of ideas that may get to the root cause. ALL symptoms have a root cause. So trick is to FIND that root cause.
Asking about flooring because we will be putting down a hard surface floor and we're doing the research first about offgassing of different products. Some non-wood floorings are full of chemicals including formaldehyde. Even some wood laminates have the stuff along with a bunch of other chemicals.
Looking back in time ... is there a point when you can remember when all this started with Gypsy? Has she always lived in the same home? The age of your home? Any chance there's Chinese drywall in it?
ALL laminates leach chemicals & have offgassing as far as I know. The ONLY way to avoid would be very costly hardwood floors. Costly yes, but if it is a long term residence then I'd opt for it if any way to afford. Not trying to spend your $ but I know it protects ALL living creatures in your home w/ hardwood, & is THE only way we'll go when we go to buy our new home (well used home, haha).
Cigarette smoke too is a major airway obstruction causing substance too. NYC refugee, I never asked re if any residual cig smoke is in the home??
I don't think there's any Chinese drywall. I haven heard of anyone having it here.
In this area, the biggest problem can be moisture, but we've been good. I keep DampRid in the closets, the one with the charcoal for any odors, toss them twice a year or so. We came from NYC, where our apt was dry and over-heated. Then we moved to a ground floor apartment in an ancient building with garage underneath, cold when the heat wasn't up, roasting when it was. Now we have this pretty decent (weather-wise) house. I keep the air filter changed, probably too often, and open windows when I can. Gypsy has been sick on and off through all three locations, worsening over time.
I don't know about off-gassing, but before moving in, we pulled up the carpet and had vinyl installed. That was bedrooms and living room. The kitchen, dining, and bathrooms had vinyl since the house was built (1999). That was six weeks before we moved in. There could be residual cigarette smoke, but I assume most of it would have gone with the soft stuff, like the carpet.
One of the vets suggested she might be allergic to "a piece of furniture" that we moved from place to place. Whatever she has, no one knows jack about it or how to give her any relief.
NYC refugee ... sounds like you are very aware of environmental scenarios and do what you can to make your home as healthy as possible for both you and Gypsy.
I've spent a few brief hours researching asthma and other breathing ailments (how they affect all animals including humans), and really surprised at how little is truly known about causes and treatments. I was hoping to find some studies done by Cornell - there has to be some out there, but I didn't quickly find any.
Throughout many discussions the finger of blame keeps pointing to allergens. Firstly, it's nearly impossible to always identify the allergen, and secondly, any substance that might be similar to that allergen, but isn't one, still sends up the red flag to the body to react to it anyway.
One item that may be an asthma trigger in humans is processed foods. Have you tried a raw diet for Gypsy? I'm not experienced with feeding raw, but someone who is can chime in. What if long ago Gypsy ate a certain processed food and developed an allergy to it and now any processed food that has any similarity to it has triggered her breathing issues?
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