Before understanding bronchitis in cats talk about what the bronchi do through a simple dissection of the breathing process in cats. During respiration, oxygen enters the trachea through the back of the throat and then divides in two into two airways, which are called bronchi, which then lead to the two lobes of the lungs for breathing purposes. Regarding bronchitis, in layman’s terms, it is an inflammatory disease of the lower part of the cat’s airway that causes daily coughing. Because it is a relatively common disease in life, we are giving you a little knowledge about this disease today so that you do not panic when things go wrong. The cause of bronchitis in cats can be caused by a variety of factors, but these two are common: respiratory infections and allergens. Respiratory tract infections. Allergens: tobacco, house dust, cat litter dust, food allergies, sprays, perfumes, pollen, etc. Types of bronchitis in cats There are two types of bronchitis: acute bronchitis and chronic bronchitis. Acute bronchitis: the cause is usually a viral infection that causes acute, persistent dry heaving and coughing with pain, producing green or yellow sputum, and some cats will also have fever. Acute bronchitis is less common. Chronic bronchitis: Symptoms are similar to acute bronchitis (cough) but last longer and have a reduced frequency. Sometimes there is no warning before the cough breaks out, and some cats may also have shortness of breath at rest. Chronic bronchitis may also develop from multiple bouts of acute bronchitis and is a progressive disease. Symptoms of bronchitis in cats are one or more of these ten symptoms: cough (the hallmark symptom), intermittent dry heaving or vomiting, fever, poor appetite, poor spirits, lethargy, sputum (yellow or green, which is mucus from the lungs, bronchi and trachea), sneezing, shortness of breath at rest or during sleep, and possibly intermittent dyspnea (after exercise) when reaching the middle stage of the disease. Diagnosis can be confirmed by doing these tests at the veterinary hospital to confirm the diagnosis of bronchitis: taking a medical history, blood work, chest x-ray, examination of the trachea and bronchi, culture of secretion-sputum specimens and drug sensitivity test, and bronchoscopy. Treatment The treatment plan is determined by the bronchial condition, etiology, secondary diseases and clinical status of the cat, and the common treatment methods are as follows: oxygen infusion, non-oral corticosteroid therapy, nebulization Inhaled bronchodilator drugs, systemic bronchodilator drug therapy, etc. Drug therapy: cough suppressants, bronchodilators, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial therapy, etc. The optimal treatment plan varies from cat to cat and is symptomatic. Prevention 1. Record the maximum healthy activity length (from calm to shortness of breath, some cats will also do “canine breathing”) and limit the length to avoid frequent shortness of breath (rapid breathing) due to excessive exercise. 2. Control the cat’s weight, do not be overly obese, cats may be fatter and cuter, but fatter is not necessarily healthy. 3. Maintain a good environment, less dust, less dust, less chemical fumes and tobacco, and don’t smoke when sharing a room with your cat. 4. Home care: You can create a steam environment for your cat, such as a shower or a small humidifier, etc. The purpose is to soften the infected mucus in the bronchial tubes. Note that if you already have chronic bronchitis, you should treat it promptly. The pressure brought to the respiratory system by inflammatory disease may also lead to thickening of the bronchial walls, making the cat more susceptible to other infections and even secondary diseases such as asthma, emphysema and even pneumonia, which has a high fatality rate. Timely treatment is also necessary to maintain a good environment for the cat, with less dust and tobacco, to reduce the pressure on the cat’s survival.
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