My cat is coughing, burping, and wheezing. What's causing it?

He could have a respiratory infection, allergies, or heart disease. If it continues, have him examined by a vet to diagnose. Your vet can take an x-ray to evaluate his heart and lungs. He might need an antibiotic, anti-histamine, corticosteroid, bronchodilator, or other medications.

Hello and thank you for reaching out about your cat. The most common causes for coughing in a cat of his age are: heart disease and bronchitis/asthma. Other, but less likely causes: infection or parasite. When a cat is coughing it is very important to get him to the vet so a doctor can listen to his heart and lungs and take an xray. This will help to determine which medication(s) would be best to treat his cough. Thank you.

While a hairball could cause vomiting I wouldn't expect diarrhea or coughing. A true cough can be a sign of asthma or a respiratory infection. If he can't rest at night and his appetite is affected I'd recommend making an appointment with your veterinarian. They may recommend an x-ray of his chest and abdomen.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Elvis! I wonder if Elvis is actually coughing. When cats are coughing they sound like they are going to bring up a hairball or vomit but don't or white foam comes up. Coughing in cats commonly indicates asthma. Check his breathing when he is at rest or asleep ideally. If he is breathing with belly effort or his respiratory rate is greater than 40/min he should go to a Vet immediately. I am worried about Elvis, if he is truly trying to vomit possible causes are: foreign body obstruction (requiring surgery to remove), pancreatitis, metabolic condition like kidney failure, viral or bacterial infections, intestinal disease (IBD or cancer). Since he is not eating and is lethargic I recommend taking Elivis to the vet for an exam, blood work and possibly X-rays. If you can video tape the attempting to vomit episodes it may be helpful for your Vet. I hope this helps and I wish Elvis a speedy recovery!

Coughing and wheezing in a younger cat most commonly occurs as a result of asthma, but could also be related to underlying allergies, masses in the chest, or heart disease (although cats with heart disease do not commonly cough). At this point, I do recommend taking your cat back to the vet for another exam and chest x-rays to try to help differentiate (this is not always completely conclusive) between these causes. I hope this helps!

It would be honestly hard to say without an exam. Some possible causes could be a food-based one (IE an allergy to an ingredient in the wet food that is causing a reaction after eating it) or a functional one such as a problem with the esophagus or digestive tract's ability to move the food through the body (something very common in cats). An exam would be a good idea to help rule out these causes through either some testing such as X-rays, or through a food trial to see if an ingredient can be ruled out. Until you can get to your vet, offering smaller meals more frequently may help with keeping food down and minimizing discomfort after eating.

A chronic cough or wheeze may be due to allergies, polyps, infection or even heart disease just to name a few causes. Ideally, Shadow should be physically examined by your veterinarian to diagnose the underlying cause. This way the most effective treatment can be administered.