Feline asthma and chronic bronchitis cause recurrent respiratory distress in cats, and long-term management with inhaled medications significantly improves welfare compared to oral steroid approaches.
Feline asthma welfare management has been transformed by the adoption of inhaled medications delivered via the AeroKat spacer — the same approach used in human pediatric asthma management. Before inhaled therapy became standard, long-term oral steroid management caused significant secondary welfare harm through diabetes induction, muscle wasting, and immune suppression. Inhaled corticosteroids at appropriate doses control airway inflammation with far lower systemic exposure, providing superior long-term welfare outcomes. Acute bronchospasm represents severe welfare harm — cats in respiratory distress show extreme anxiety alongside physical breathlessness, and having rescue bronchodilator available at home enables owners to provide immediate relief before emergency veterinary care. Environmental trigger management that reduces exposure to allergens reduces attack frequency, directly reducing the acute welfare burden of bronchospasm events.