Supplements Can Play A Vital Role In Helping To Boost Your Animals Natural Immune System
The building up of mucus and inflammation is the result of a lowered immune system. With the right supplements along with a holistic nutritional regimen, you will be surprised at the improvement you will see in your pets overall health. Remember, all illnesses have a source. We tend to look at the symptoms instead of addressing the source. By improving nutritional intake and supplementing your effort with recommended supplements, you may be able to address the asthma issue once and for all.
What About Coconut Oil
Theres a bit of mixed information about this. Although it seems coconut oil can have multiple benefits for cats, including support for the immune system and helping with hairballs, some vets dont recommend giving it to kitty on a regular basis as it can upset the stomach and cause diarrhea. If youre going to try it, talk to your vet first and introduce it to your cats diet slowly.
Coughing And Respiratory Disease Are Quite Common In Cats There Are Many Causes But One Is Inflammatory Airway Disease Which Is Sometimes Called Asthma
The terms feline asthma and chronic bronchitis are often used interchangeably in cats and are used to describe chronic disease of the small airways within the lungs. Other terms describing the same syndrome are allergic airway disease and allergic bronchitis.
In human medicine, chronic bronchitis and asthma are two separate conditions . Asthma is usually an allergic condition where exposure to a trigger causes inflammation and narrowing of the airways. With chronic bronchitis, there is also inflammation of the airways and excessive mucous production. Environmental irritants may contribute to both conditions. The exact cause in most cases remains uncertain, and secondary bacterial infection is possible.
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Cats And Natural Remedies
Finding the right natural asthma remedy for your cat can be tricky. Acat’s body is designed with several key differences from that of other species. Most notably, a cat’s liver doesn’t effectively process toxins.Because of this, cats cannot tolerate many chemicals, even some naturalchemicals found in herbs and essential oils. It’s very important to understand this fact before choosing any natural asthma remedy that you can find. First, you must look for a remedy that’s formulated especiallyfor cats. You’ll also want to carefully research each of the ingredients to make sure they will appropriately treat the symptoms yourcat is displaying.
Recognize And Avoid Allergens
Mold, mildew, pollens, other animals dandler or feathers, dust mites, and certain food are all factors that your cat could be allergic to and that are triggering the inflammatory reactions and symptoms of asthma. Recognizing the specifics is the first step towards the management o the condition. Several asthmatic cat owners report their cats to stop suffering recurrent episodes after moving to a new apartment and later attributing it to mold presence in the old place.
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What You Should Know About Using Coconut Oil As Cat Asthma Treatment
Cats have very different systems from humans. So, just because a particular ingredient is safe for you, doesnt mean it is suitable for your cat.
So, always consult your vet before giving your kitty coconut oil. You may need to rule out an allergy beforehand.
Even if your cat isn’t allergic to coconut oil, this ingredient can cause digestive issues and diarrhea.
You should also avoid giving your coconut oil to cats who suffer from pancreatic issues.
Dont give your cat coconut oil regularly. Instead, you may want to wait until they are more likely to be exposed to certain allergens.
Furthermore, keep in mind that coconut oil is mostly made up of saturated fats. Thus, this can be rather unhealthy for cats, particularly when consumed over a longer period.
Natural Remedies For Feline Asthma
Feline asthma is a respiratory condition that involves inflammation and excess mucous build-up in the airways. Muscles spasms cause constriction of the airway, resulting in respiratory distress. Feline asthma shares some characteristics with asthma in humans, including symptoms.
Signs of feline asthma may be as mild as an occasional soft cough and/or a wheeze. At times it may seem as though your cat is trying unsuccessfully to bring up a hairball. In extreme and chronic cases, one might notice a persistent cough along with labored, open-mouth, harsh breathing. At this point, an asthma attack could culminate in a life-threatening crisis.
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What’s An Animal Allergen
Things that make asthma worse are called allergens. Some people have animal allergens, which means they’re allergic to the proteins found in:
- animal dander
- animal saliva
- animal urine
Besides carrying dander, spit, or pee, animal fur or feathers also can collect other things that can make asthma symptoms worse, like:
- dust mites
- pollen
- mold
And any animal that lives in a cage from birds to gerbils will have droppings that get mold and dust mites on them too.
How To Prevent Feline Asthma Attacks
Once your cat is diagnosed with feline asthma, you have several options for lifestyle changes that can help reduce recurring asthma attacks, depending on the severity of the case. The first and most obvious thing you’ll need to do is to try to eliminate the environmental allergens that are causing respiratory distress in your cat. Some will be easy others more complicated or expensive. Some of the most common triggers of feline asthma include:
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How Is Asthma Or Chronic Bronchitis Diagnosed
Cats with other diseases such as bacterial infections, pneumonia, foreign bodies, heart disease, airway parasites and lung cancer can present with similar clinical signs to asthma or chronic bronchitis so further investigations are usually needed to confirm a diagnosis. These may include:
- Blood tests
- Bronchoscopy passing a small endoscope down into the lungs to look at the small airways
- Airway washes this is a procedure performed under an anaesthetic that allows cells and fluid from the small airways to be collected and then examined for the presence of inflammatory cells, bacteria, cancer cells and other changes.
The Best Coconut Oil For Home Treatment Of Cat Asthma
The study conducted into whether coconut oil has anti-inflammatory properties found that virgin coconut oil has the best impact.
This is why you should consider giving your cat Viva Naturals Extra-Virgin Coconut Oil.
The coconut oil is of the highest quality and is food-grade to boot. It has been cold-pressed to ensure that it is chock-full of nutrients for your kitty.
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Manage Your Cats Weight
If your cat is overweight or obese, respiratory function can be compromised.3 For a cat with asthma, this is especially problematic.
Helping your cat achieve a healthy weight is important for respiratory health and to lower the risk of asthma attacks. Ask your vet for suggestions for managing your cats weight. Some strategies your vet suggests may include:
- Feeding your cat a smaller amount of food
- Feeding your cat a specially formulated food to promote weight loss
- Setting aside time for dedicated play to encourage exercise4
Use Coconut Oil In Feeds
How much coconut oil for cats? Try mixing some natural coconut oil into your cats food. Start with smaller amounts and give your cat while checking on her response. If the health response is positive, increase the amount to a teaspoon twice a day or three times per day.
Dont overdo this to avoid weight gain.
The cat coconut oil acts as an anti-inflammatory and will keep asthma attacks at bay.
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Flower Essences Have The Ability To Provide Significant Relief In Many Instances
There are certain brands of spiritual essences that are ideal for upper-respiratory conditions like asthma, bronchitis, and respiratory infections. When taken correctly, this remedy will help to relieve stress, improve the immune system, and promote healing.
It is important to understand that there are unique situations in which it may be necessary to use synthetic medication to get a respiratory condition under control, but over time, the proper environment and the proper diet will have an immense impact on the reduces asthmatic symptoms and occurrences. Start with the remedies that are easily accessed and applied and the work in those that may be a bit more expensive or out of the way.
Medications For Asthmatic Cats
- Anti-inflammatory drugs this type of medication is used to reduce the inflammation in kittys airways. Corticosteroids such as prednisolone are strong anti-inflammatories and can be administered in pill form, as an injection or inhaled with the use of a spacer device, similar to those used for small children.
- Bronchodilator medications are used to relax the small muscles around the airways, which helps them to dilate. These medications are used in combination with corticosteroids and can be given in the same ways that is by injection, in pill form or via inhalation.
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Treatment For Feline Asthma
There are two main types of treatment to manage asthma in cats anti-inflammatory drugs such as corticosteroids to reduce the inflammation which leads to the symptoms, and bronchodilator medication which helps to widen a felines air passage when needed. Antihistamine drugs may also be used when cats havent responded to other treatments.
Medication is often administered through an inhaler, but can also be given in tablet or injection form. If an inhaler is recommended then ensure you are clear on how to use it, with guidance from your vet. Inhalers used by people work differently from those prescribed for cats because you cant ask your pet to breathe deeply to trigger release of the drug.
Top Home Remedies For Asthma
Roughly 34 million Americans now have asthma, about 7 million to 8 million of which are children. Asthma is behind 12.8 million missed school days and 10.1 million missed work days in the U.S every single year. In addition, asthma costs the U.S. about $14.7 billion a year in medical costs, prescription drugs and lost productivity leading many people to search for home remedies for asthma.
Heres something that might surprise you: Although asthma medications can help control symptoms in the case of an emergency attack, they can actually sometimes make asthma symptomseven worse long term. Most asthma medications also have a host of side effects due to how they affect the endocrine system and the immune system. Research shows some asthma drugs might contribute to problems including mood changes, acne, yeast growth and weight gain plus over time they might hinder normal immune functions that make allergic and asthmatic reactions more frequent.
What are some effective, holistic ways of treating asthma that can help prevent attacks instead? Home remedies for asthma that dont require taking prescription medications or even using inhalers include limiting irritant exposure, reducing food allergies, improving gut health, supplementing with vitamin D or getting more naturally from the sun, and maintaining a healthy weight.
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Cats With Asthma: Helping Your Cat Breathe Right
Cat with asthma occurs in 1% of cats with a higher incidence in Siamese cats. The disease is reversible with conventional and natural medications. It is believed that allergens in the environment such as pollen or other environmental toxins such as cigarette smoke trigger asthmatic episodes.
Asthma in cat symptoms are caused by inflammation in your cats airways. Even small amounts of inflammation in the airway have a disproportionate negative effect on your cat. Feline asthma treatment then, focuses on reducing this inflammation. The key is to prevent inflammation from occurring in the first place. If the inflammation is not brought under control it can actually remodel the airways, causing a condition that cannot be reversed with medications.
Common symptoms include coughing, wheezing and trouble breathing. You might also notice that your cat has trouble exercising. Some cats appear to tolerate the disease and only show mild symptoms, while others suffer more.
Asthma is not caused by infection. There can be a presence of infection due to other problems, but not from the asthma.
Home Management Of Asthma In Cats
Acute management also includes home treatment of acute asthma attacks that are not severe enough to warrant emergency presentation to a veterinary facility. Acute exacerbations may result from exposure to asthma triggers. This usually manifests as episodes of spasmodic coughing and increased expiratory effort. At-home care providers should be trained to deliver bronchodilator therapy during episodes involving increased respiratory effort. One option is the use of inhaled albuterol delivered via a metered-dose inhaler with an aerosol chamber attached. However, this works best when cats have been trained to accept the chamber and accompanying mask some cats will not tolerate the apparatus. Alternatively, owners can be trained to administer a SC terbutaline injection during these events. In addition to managing these events when they occur, clients must know to contact their veterinarian when asthmatic cats experience these events regularly or the frequency of these events increases. This can indicate that the disease is poorly controlled and that long-term management must be adjusted, or that a secondary or concurrent condition must be addressed.
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How To Treat Cats With Asthma
Asthma in your cat stems fromthe same triggers thataffect humans — allergies.
Asthma is a chronic breathing problem. Both cats and people suffer from it, but it isn’t contagious. An asthmatic cat has bouts of extremely difficult breathing called asthma attacks. An asthma attack is fairly easy to spot you’ll notice rapid, open-mouthed breathing accompanied by wheezing and often by forced exhalations.
Because breathing is so severely restricted during an asthma attack, the cat’s gums and tongue may take on a bluish color.
Asthma often develops from another breathing problem called allergic bronchitis. This is pretty much what it sounds like: The airways in the cat’s lungs get inflamed as the result of an allergic reaction to inhaled germs, dust , wood smoke, and other irritants.
Usually the cat has no other major signs of illness, a normal temperature, and continues to eat well. The only telltale sign is that she just has fits of deep, moist-sounding coughing. If the allergic bronchitis goes untreated or the source of the allergy isn’t removed, the lungs can be permanently damaged, resulting in emphysema and asthma. Once the damage is done, even removing the original cause or causes of the allergic bronchitis won’t make asthma go away.
Giving Coconut Oil Separately
You can put coconut oil on your cats plate and let her lick. Remember the plate should be far away from the cat litter box.
Coconut oil is sweet and has a pleasant aroma. It is easier for cats to lick it away.
In the case of a selective cat, you can start by applying coconut oil to the paw. Since cats are clean animals, they will automatically lick it away.
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Does Steam Or Vaporizer Reduce Chances Of An Asthma Attack At Night
Generally, steam or vaporizer can liquefy mucus when breathing problems are caused by an allergy or cold. This can help a person feel better. On the other hand, asthma is caused by chronic inflammation of the airways, making it difficult to breathe. Steam or vaporizer can cause irritations and worsen breathing problems.
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Natural Approaches For A Cat With Asthma
Once you get the inflammation in the airways under control with conventional therapies, you may want to research adding a natural or holistic approach to the mix. This may help to reduce the frequency of asthma attacks. Certain herbal remedies such as Inula helenium has been used for hundreds of years to support respiratory health. Others such as Althea officinalis , have also been studied for its positive impact. Be sure to discuss this option with your veterinarian or holistic pet health professional.
Jeff Grill is passionate about cats and has written hundreds of articles on feline health. See this site for more information and research on cat with asthma treatment options.
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Acupuncture Can Definitely Help
I know the skeptic is coming out of the woodwork. As a person who has actually used acupuncture before, I am aware of how effective it can be when it is done correctly. I will honestly admit that I have never used acupuncture on a pet for any reason, but I dont see why the same principles would not apply here. There are several highly reputable pet acupuncture specialist out there who claim to achieve remarkable success in dealing with all types of conditions, including asthma. It is definitely worth a try.
When To Call The Vet
Any full-blown asthma attack is a medical emergency, which means your cat needs immediate veterinary medical care. Likewise, if your cat gasps for air, collapses, or turns blue in the gums and tongue, don’t wait to take her to the animal hospital. Milder signs aren’t emergencies, but you should get your cat to the vet as soon as possible. They could be caused by something other than allergies. And if it is bronchitis or the start of asthma, your vet may be able to give your cat medication that can prevent the danger and fright of a full-blown attack.
DANGER LEVEL: Dangerous a severe asthma attack can be fatal.
In the next section, we will examine how to treat your cat if she has urinary tract disease.
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