Feline asthma is a common syndrome in cats. It causes chronic coughing and wheezing in some individuals. Others may suffer from acute asthmatic crises that cause severe respiratory distress. These crises can be fatal.

Feline asthma historically has been challenging to treat. No cure is available. The mainstay of treatment has been oral steroids, but these medications are not universally effective and have the potential for serious side effects.

Inhalable asthma medications also may be of benefit to asthmatic cats, but special equipment is required to administer these drugs. Also, many cats do not tolerate the process of receiving nebulized (inhalable) medications.

Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) is an independent organization (although it has links to Hill’s) dedicated to research that benefits animals. I am pleased that the foundation has recently initiated a feline-specific emphasis in order to make up some of the discrepancy between medical care for dogs (who always seem to get the best that veterinary medicine has to offer) and cats (the second species of veterinary medicine).

MAF recently released news that they are investigating a potential cure for feline asthma. The treatment, called rush immunotherapy, is designed to attenuate or eliminate asthmatic cats’ excessive response to items that simulate the immune system. This excessive response is the cause of asthma. Rush immunotherapy may soon be available by injection or as a treatment that is introduced into the nose.

I hope it works. You can read more about the study here.

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Is it bad for my cat if my husband smokes in the house?

Heidi
Vacaville, CA

Although I may contribute to marital discord in your household, I will answer honestly. Secondhand smoke is bad for cats. It’s bad for dogs, too.

Cats and dogs have exquisitely sensitive respiratory systems. Their lungs, bronchi (tubes that carry air into the lungs), windpipes, and sinuses all may suffer adverse effects from secondhand smoke.

Secondhand smoke can contribute to, cause, or exacerbate bronchitis, sinus infections, tracheobronchitis (also known as kennel cough), pneumonia, heart failure and lung cancer in pets. Secondhand smoke is especially notorious for exacerbating feline asthma.

I recommend that smokers with pets go outside to enjoy their cigarettes.

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An article on Yahoo! news the other day caught my eye. Here is an excerpt.

American doctors regularly prescribe placebo pills that are intended to have a psychological effect, a new survey finds. . .

The placebo effect, well-established in countless studies, is a benefit produced by assuring someone that whatever is being given will benefit whatever the problem happens to be — “optimism or confidence that something is being done,” as [Dr. Farr A.] Curlin phrased it.

What the article says, in essence, is that when people go to the doctor, they want to be cured. Many people feel neglected if they do not receive some form of treatment or medicine.

This happens in veterinary medicine, as well. As I mentioned in my first and second articles on the little-known side effects of common medications, practicing clinicians often write prescriptions that will not truly affect a patient’s condition except through the placebo effect. However, when these medicines are prescribed, side effects are possible.

In some cases, veterinarians write needless prescriptions because clients pressure them to do so. In other cases, the pressure comes from inside the vet. Vets want to feel like they are working to cure their patients. They sometimes dispense a medicine even though it isn’t truly appropriate for the condition.

I have most regularly witnessed this phenomenon in the treatment of feline asthma. Mild cases of feline asthma cause occasional coughing. Many cats with mild asthma don’t need daily treatment. They would be better off without medication.

However, quite a few mildly asthmatic cats are placed on antihistamines such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl) or chlorpheniramine (Chlortrimeton). In theory, this makes sense. Asthma in cats is caused partly by allergies.

However, numerous studies have shown that these two antihistamines have no effect whatsoever on the clinical course of feline asthma. Prescribing these medicines makes vets and clients feel like they are helping cats. That is how the placebo effect works in veterinary medicine. In reality, the medicines do nothing but annoy the cats and put them at risk of side effects.

Before you accept a medication for your pet, talk to your vet. Make sure that the medication is truly appropriate for your dog or cat. Don’t give your pet placebos.

Share this entry with your pawple anywhere:

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