How to help cat with asthma
Our 8-year-old cat has a history of asthma. We have seen several specialists and tried various medications to keep her comfortable.
It has always been obvious that the only medication that keeps her from having terrifying attacks of wheezing is prednisolone. All of the specialists we have seen say that long-term use of prednisolone might have detrimental effects but that it will need to be used.
Are there other medications we can try? What negative effects could result from long-term use? We want her to be healthy, but most of all we want to keep her comfortable.
I often say, “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.” In the case of your cat, if prednisolone is the only medication that works to treat her asthma, then that is what you will have to use despite any possible side effects.
Since you have already had her seen by specialists, I will not try to second-guess their diagnostics and treatment protocols. I also suspect that there are not many alternative medications left to try.
Prednisolone is a glucocorticoid and safer than its precursor drug, prednisone. Both cause common side effects of increased thirst and urination as well as increased appetites. Other possible longerterm side effects include high blood pressure, muscle weakness, an increased possibility of diabetes and even a condition known as Cushing’s, in which the adrenal gland cortices are suppressed from making the body’s own cortisol, leading to a large abdomen, thin skin and hair loss.
I would minimize the dosage and frequency of use of prednisolone as much as possible to achieve the desired effect of keeping your cat comfortable. Have your cat evaluated on a regular basis, testing blood and urine to make sure things stay on track.