Feline asthma is a chronic inflammatory airway disease affecting up to 5% of cats, causing episodes of breathing difficulty and coughing that significantly impact quality of life without appropriate management.
Feline asthma episodes cause acute respiratory distress — affected cats crouch in an effort to breathe, extend their necks, and may breathe through their mouths, which is abnormal in cats. The sudden onset of severe dyspnoea is frightening, and status asthmaticus — a sustained, severe attack — is a veterinary emergency that can cause death without treatment. Between episodes, chronically inflamed airways cause reduced exercise tolerance and subtle ongoing discomfort. Inhaled corticosteroid therapy delivered via mask spacer is well-tolerated by most cats when trained with positive reinforcement, and dramatically reduces both episode frequency and between-episode airway inflammation. Environmental trigger control reduces medication requirements.