My cat has asthma and I’m getting incredibly frustrated with everything. I want her to be ok and the constant asthma attackes despite treatment and vet “supervision” are also incredibly trying and I literally can’t think or have any peace for any extended amount of time in the midst of this never ending storm
I tried inhaled corticosterioids (fluticasone) with rescue (ventolin) for over 2 months using the special brand name cat inhaler AeroKat without any effect on the constant asthma attacks.
She’s currently on prednisolone mixed with liquid cat treat which seemed to work for a bit but its been like 2 months and she’s basically at square one again :(
Running out of ideas and I’m curious about those who have found success i managing this and what that looks like day to day. I swear to god, I’m losing my mind over this and the like 1000-1500 ive spent not to mention untold hours thinking about this
Thinking of demanding or switching vets to get:
- daily prednisolone
- 3-4 month supply of prednisolone PER REFILL not every fucking month for half the month
My cat is asthmatic and sometimes he requires the prednisolone daily also, usually in the winter time when the furnace is running.
Things that you can do to help: Ask the vet to increase the dosage of the inhaled steroids, and try administering twice per day rather than the once prescribed. Put filters over the furnace vents in each room, replace the furnace filter with a HEPA filter, run an air purifier, replace carpet with flooring if possible, have the furnace vents cleaned, switch to unscented litter and laundry detergent and consider that it could be food related and try some different foods with fewer ingredients.
Also have asthmatic cat, all of these non-medicine steps are great tips for cleaner air and they truly do help. Some more: vacuum/wash pet furniture, pine pellet litter instead of clay, swap dryer sheets for unscented balls, don’t burn candles, keep windows shut during bad days, brush your cat to help with excess fur and dander.
Basically the goal is to reduce any and all irritants you can think of, some tips obviously are more expensive or time consuming than others. Start where you can, even the small stuff helps.
My cat has asthma. She also had a stroke around the same time we were trying to solve her asthma. Needless to say it was a stressful, stressful time. Not to mention expensive. I mean, how long has this been going on? And does that length of time coincide with a new apartment? Mold could be an issue, for sure. Fluticqsone is what ended up working for my cat, so I don’t have any med advice. But I will say when we were struggling to figure out the issue/meds that would work, they were trying to get me to pull the trigger on an airway wash, CT scan, and a whole list of other shit—totaling about $8k. But I had literally just spent $12k keeping her alive after the stroke. So, just saying. $1500 is still relatively cheap for ongoing medical issues. I hope you solve it quickly, I saw some other good advice here like the air purifier and switching litter, so you still have a lot of non-medical options.
Also food. Get them on a whole food diet (like Primal, small Batch, answers), completely eliminating kibble and lower grade wet foods that rely on fillers. Food is the best medicine, and it’s much cheaper than continuing vet visits. So that would be my best advice.