I’ve just come home from the vet’s, where my big yellow guy, Leon, has been diagnosed with asthma. He’s on a course of prednisolone, and my vet mentioned that, after that, I may need to use a cat inhaler on him. I googled it, and it is a pretty straightforward process, as long as you can hold the cat and use the inhaler at the same time.
I’m curious to know if anyone else has any experience with this equipment, and can give me any helpful tips.
Wow. I am SO glad this is a subject about which I know nothing! Good luck!
[QUOTE=Fox Wood Farm;8650888]
Wow. I am SO glad this is a subject about which I know nothing! Good luck![/QUOTE]
I’m just hoping, probably vainly, that they have enough sense to scent the inhaled medicines with catnip.
[QUOTE=Louise;8651352]
I’m just hoping, probably vainly, that they have enough sense to scent the inhaled medicines with catnip.[/QUOTE]
Yep. Standard human asthma inhalers are used. That said, the folks I have had who have gone this route report that it’s very well tolerated by cats. The cats seem to make the connection to feeling better
We always recommend using an Aerokat: http://www.breatheazy.co.uk/product/aerokat-feline-aerosol-chamber-with-flow-vu/
I had a client tell me the cat is much more accepting if you get the large dog size mask instead of the cat sized one. There are also youtube videos demonstrating how to acclimate your cat. Good luck!
Jingles & AO for handsome Leon ~ some extra patience for his mom ~
*All the faith in you, Louise that you and dear Leon can work this treatment into the routine ~
((hugs)) of support and comfort ~
We have the Aerokat. It turns out my female doesn’t technically have asthma but rather an allergy so we only use it in sporadically for emergencies and she’s not a particularly cooperative cat but she tolerates the process just fine.
The expense is the most annoying part of it all. Pred and bronchodilators are so much cheaper.
I have a kitty with allergies and asthma.
My vet designed a mask/inhaler thing for me - with get this- a plastic one or two liter soda bottle!
Cut the large end off, we cover the edge with tape. Hold large end over kitty’s face, spray inhaler into top, I then cover the top with my thumb for about 5 seconds.
My vet told me they tolerate the inhaler very well, and my little one has had no problems at all.
Good luck with your kitty, Louise! 
I use the Aerocat with mine, and she’s fine for it. I think the fluticasone steroid isn’t unpleasant smelling/tasting. She does hate the albuterol though.
I’ve started the training. I don’t have the machine yet, need to talk to the vet on Monday about that. But, I’m teaching Leon to jump up on the table for his treats. Now, I am aided in this by the fact that prednisolone apparently makes them very hungry.
I had the treats with his meds in them all lined up on the table - treat, treat with pill, treat with pill and treat. I picked Leon up and put him on the table, intending to feed him one treat at a time, in that order. He took one look at the treats lined up there and decimated them. I think he got all four in his mouth at the same time.
I hope that the rest of the training is that easy.
Leon makes me smile ~ thanks for sharing his treat eating training :lol:
I want to come back as a ‘Louise owned’ cat !
Not giving medical advice but… ideally if her were my cat he would also be on terbutaline(now not later) while on prednisolone. I would go to an Internist for initial treatment of asthma because they tend to be a bit more…um… vigorous or hard hitting and seem to have better long term control with their cases. If treated appropriately there is a chance he may not need to go on an inhaler(fluticasone) although not guaranteed. The poorest control seems to be with just starting the inhaler right off the bat.
Also ideally y’all have ruled out lungworms and heartworm disease already. I assume yes since steroids were initiated.
Hope kitty does well and feels much better and quickly. The AeroKat is great and is a handy device. My cat hates his but easy to use when he needs it.
Thank you, Rudy. I will ask about the terbutaline. I’m not sure if it’s the same thing as an internist, but, my vet is cats only.
Just saw this thread.
We started our kitty on an inhaler using AeroKat. He is just fine with it. I started by letting him sniff it, rubbing the mask part on him, putting it on his nose without the tube attached, etc.
He’s usually very good with it. Sometimes he’ll groan a tiny bit, but he’s good.
He was on a full pill (5 mg) pred a day and it was no longer working to control it.
We started with 2 puffs a day and reduced. Now he’s on 1/2 pill every 3 days and one puff every day and not a single hacking episode.
How’s your kitty doing?
After the course of pred, he was just fine, and continues to have no symptoms. He goes in to the vet’s next week for his annual checkup, and we will discuss what to do next. I imagine that there will be some kind of follow up check to see how the inflammation is. Thank you for asking.
Happy for Leon & Louise !
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