 Phelan chronic bronchitis, often known as phelanasma, is a condition that affects the smaller airways that branch out from the trachea and cats, windpipe. These branches, known as bronchi and bronchioles, allow air to be transported into and out of the alveoli, which serve as oxygen exchange sites. Inflammation in the airways usually leads to excessive secretions that clog the airways. As a result, the capacity to transport oxygen into the alveoli for distribution to the rest of the body is reduced. Thus often, the bronchi may shut due to constriction or contraction of the muscles in the airway walls, reactive airway disease. Although the word asthma is often used to represent all kinds of airway illness in cats, it might be misleading. Asthma is defined as the reversible restriction of muscle inside the bronchial walls. Some cats have genuine asthma, whereas others have bronchitis as a result of another condition, bacterial, viral, or fungal infection, lung parasites, heartworm disease. Bronchitis is characterized by inflammation and swelling of the bronchial walls, leading to constriction of the airways and obstruction or blockage of the airways by mucus plugs or other secretions. Bronchitis can be acute, short-term, and cause reversible changes in the structure of the airways, or chronic, long-term, generally lasting more than two to three months, and cause permanent, irreversible changes in the structure of the airways. Bronchitis and asthma can develop together. Frugal infections, hypersensitivity disorders, allergies, parasites like lungworms, heartworm, toxoplasmosis, or persistent inhalation of airway irritants can all cause chronic bronchitis. In many situations, the fundamental reason is unknown. Symptoms of bronchitis in cats. The most commonly seen symptom of asthmatic cats is a dry, hacking cough. Coughing cats will squat down low and extend their neck out. If you think this sounds a lot like the position a cat assumes when they are coughing up a hairball, you'd be correct. In fact, the first few times you catch your cat coughing you may think they are coughing up a hairball. The difference being a true cough won't end in a hairball on your floor. Other commonly seen symptoms seen in cats with bronchitis include whistling or wheezing with each breath, usually heard more audibly on exhale than inhale, and an increasing difficulty breathing. This difficult breathing can even progress to the point of open mouth breathing. Open mouth breathing, or panting is not normal behavior in cats like it is in dogs, and if you see your cat suddenly panting you should seek veterinary medical attention immediately. As your cat's bronchitis progresses you may also start to see a decrease in energy, noticing them laying around the house more. It's important to note that cats with bronchitis won't lose their appetite nor will they have a fever. Your cat's bronchitis symptoms may be cyclical, seasonal, or even constant, depending on the cause. Causes of bronchitis in cats. And bronchitis can be caused by any number of airway irritants, allergies, bacterial infections, or even parasites such as lungworm, heartworm, or toxoplasmosis. Determining the actual cause of your cat's bronchitis may not be possible. This is due in part to the range of causative agents but also due to the range of tests needed to rule out each cause. Testing for each individual cause can be time consuming as well as cost prohibitive. Airway irritants can include things like cigarette smoke, perfume, carpet cleaners, scented laundry detergents or fabric softeners, and even essential oil diffusers. Hello. This video is sponsored by Beemix Pets. Are you looking for high quality cat collars at an affordable cost? Check out BeemixPets.com. Use coupon code KittenLife, to get 20% off. Bronchitis in cats diagnosis. Diagnosing asthma and bronchitis in cats requires ruling out other diseases that cause respiratory signs. These diseases include infectious pneumonia, fungal, bacterial, parasitic, feline heartworm disease. Cats are hosts for the canine heartworm disease parasite, primary lung parasites, and cancer, either a lung tumor, or one that has metastasized, or spread to the lungs from elsewhere in the body. Diagnostic tests will include a complete blood count, CBC, blood chemistries, fecal exam, and urinalysis. These tests will assess the general health of the cat and may provide clues as to the underlying cause. One type of white blood cell, the isinophil, is commonly associated with allergic events or parasitic disease and its presence supports a tentative diagnosis of asthma. Elevated blood proteins also occur in some affected patients. In some cases, special tests will be performed on stool samples, looking for evidence of lungworms. Additional diagnostic tests may include the following. Heartworm test. This is a blood test and should be performed on any coughing cat. This is often performed in conjunction with feline leukemia, FALV, and feline immunodeficiency virus, FIV, tests. These tests are helpful in determining the overall health of the cat. Thoracic radiography, chest x-ray. There are several characteristic changes seen on lung radiographs in cats with asthma and bronchitis. Radiographs can help eliminate other lung and heart diseases. For instance, feline heartworm disease and lungworms create specific suggestive lesions that can be seen on radiographs. Bronchoscopy with cytology and or culture. Bronchoscopy is a procedure typically performed by a specialist and allows the veterinarian to visualize the airways of an anesthetized cat with a small fiber-optic scope. Samples of the mucus and cells lining the bronchi may be obtained for examination under the microscope and for culture. Tracheal lavage. The pet is usually placed under sedation or anesthesia, and a thin, flexible, sterile catheter is passed into the area being investigated. A small amount of sterile fluid is flushed forcefully into the area and then promptly suctioned or aspirated back out. The recovered fluid contains mucus and a small number of cells that can be cultured for microorganisms and examined under the microscope. In most cases, a single underlying cause cannot be identified, despite a complete and thorough diagnostic workup. Even when the underlying cause is not identified, many cats can achieve a reasonable quality of life with medical management. Bronchitis and cats treatment. Once other diseases are either identified and treated or ruled out, treatment for asthma and bronchitis can proceed. Most cats with asthma and bronchitis are treated as outpatients. Since feline bronchitis can be caused by a variety of things and since determining the true cause can be difficult, treatment takes a multimodal approach. This may include medications, diet, and avoiding potential allergens. Medical treatment may include bronchodilators such as albuterol and corticosteroids such as pridnisolone. These will help to open up your cat's airway as well as decrease the inflammation in them. Just like in people, bronchodilators are usually administered by inhalation. Believe it or not, there are inhalers manufactured for cats. Your vet can help you and your cat get acclimated to their new inhaler system in no time. Avoiding airway allergens can mean different things depending on those present in your home. Using your laundry detergents to a dye-free, fragrance-free variety, especially when washing your cat's bedding is one step. If your cat's litter is particularly dusty, switching to a low-dust, fragrance-free litter can help keep their bathroom habits allergen-free as well. Of course, all cats have different litter preferences, so keep an eye on your cat's bathroom habits to ensure they like their new litter. Installing air purifiers and filters throughout your home can also keep airborne allergens to a minimum. A cat with bronchitis may benefit from a limited ingredient or hypoallergenic diet. Although it's not the most common manifestation of a food allergy in cats, if your cat's bronchitis is due to an allergic response, choosing an allergy-friendly diet may help manage their symptoms. Feline bronchitis can sound like a scary diagnosis at first. Although it is a disease process that may not be fully cured, it is one whose symptoms can be managed. If you have concerns about your cat's risk of bronchitis, speak to your veterinarian. If you enjoyed this video, kindly press the like button. Also don't forget to subscribe with notifications on, so that you don't miss out on videos like this. Thank you for watching.