How to tell if my cat's coughing is hairballs or feline asthma?

Poor Coco! He could be coughing due to asthma or a hairball, but it could also be to cardiac disease or a respiratory illness. I would have him seen by a vet for this coughing. The vet can do a physical exam, blood tests, urinalysis, and x-rays to diagnose what is causing his coughing so he can be treated.

When nothing seems to be coming out, it's usually asthma, which is quite common in cat. you will have to bring him to your vet to have it confirmed, treatment will probably be needed in the form of steroids tablets.

There are no specific diagnostic tests for asthma, so it's a diagnosis of exclusion. The vet can do a physical exam, blood work, x-rays, parasitic tests, and evaluation of bronchial secretions to rule out other causes of his sneezing and coughing. I would take Blaze back into the vet tomorrow because the antihistamines aren't working. The vet may prescribe a stronger drug in case he has allergies, such as steroids, or they may decide to further testing to diagnose what is causing his symptoms.

I'm sorry Sacha isn't feeling well. There are several possibilities for respiratory disease in cats. Cats can develop asthma, get heartworms or have allergic bronchitis. Any of these conditions require a trip to the vet for diagnosis. Especially if you feel she is having trouble breathing please take her soon before this turns into an emergency. Your vet may recommend X-rays or bloodwork after doing an exam on Sacha

It definitely can be hairballs, it can be from whatever she is eating (plant wise or anything she isn't supposed to) but it could also be asthma. To diagnose asthma Pebbles would need X-rays. If Pebbles has asthma there is an injectable steroid. I would discuss this with your veterinarian. Heartworm disease in cats is extremely difficult to diagnose. I hope she feels better soon and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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 is very hard to say what may be causing Keanu's symptoms. My best guess would be asthma but there are many other things it could be. I suggest you have him examined by your vet. It would be a good idea to videotape an episode to show your vet as he likely won't do the behavior during the exam.