TL;DR: If your cat is hacking without producing fur, they may have a respiratory condition like asthma rather than a hairball. Seek immediate emergency care for open-mouth breathing or blue gums, and capture a video of the episode to help your veterinarian provide an accurate diagnosis.
What causes my cat to cough without producing a hairball?
- A hacking sound without a wet clump of fur often indicates a true cough rather than a hairball.
- This reflex is the body's way of clearing inflammation or mucus from the lower airways.
- Potential underlying causes include feline asthma, bronchitis, or respiratory infections.
When is my cat’s coughing considered a medical emergency?
- Low Urgency: If the cough is infrequent and your cat is eating and acting normally, schedule a non-emergency appointment.
- High Urgency: Seek immediate care if coughing is accompanied by open-mouth breathing, blue-tinged gums, or extreme lethargy.
How does taking a video of my cat coughing help the veterinarian?
- Capturing a video on your phone is vital because cats rarely cough on command during a physical exam.
- Seeing the cat's posture and hearing the specific sound helps the clinical team distinguish between a hairball, a cough, or a reverse sneeze.
- Providing visual evidence allows for a more accurate and efficient triage process.
Clinical Context (Merck Veterinary Manual)
Coughing in cats is often indicative of an underlying disease process, such as feline asthma or heartworm-associated respiratory disease. The act of coughing is an attempt to remove mucus and exudate from the respiratory passages. Clinical signs of bronchitis include spasms of coughing that are most severe after rest, a change of environment, or at the beginning of exercise, and in advanced cases, inspiratory crackles and expiratory wheezes may be heard. Diagnosis involves considering the history and clinical signs, and eliminating other causes of coughing, with chest radiographs potentially revealing increased linear and peribronchial markings in chronic bronchitis.
Chapter: Respiratory, Pharmacology
Source: The Merck Veterinary Manual, 11th Edition (Page 2608)