Cat Asthma: Symptoms, Treatment, & Cost

Asthma is a chronic disease that affects 1% – 5% of cats.¹ Caring for a cat with asthma can add up quickly, with diagnostic testing alone ranging in cost from $30 to $600 or more. Treatment costs can run anywhere from $15 a month for medication to as much as $3,500 for emergency hospitalization.^2,3,4,5

Similar to asthma in humans, asthma in cats can cause inflammation of the airways, making it harder for a cat to breathe. With the proper treatment, an asthmatic cat’s life expectancy can be relatively the same as a cat without asthma.

Here’s what cat parents need to know about managing this disease and how cat insurance can help you cover related costs. 

What Causes Asthma in Cats?

Many experts agree that the cause of asthma is an allergic reaction to inhaled allergens in the environment.¹ These triggers may include dust, cigarette smoke, pollen, mold, cleaning products, and more. Certain foods may also trigger asthma in some cats.⁶

When an asthmatic cat inhales an allergen, it triggers an inflammatory immune response. This response may cause increased mucus production and airway constriction or spasms, both of which can make it difficult to breathe. While all cats can be susceptible to asthma, overweight cats may be more likely to develop this condition, and Siamese cats may be more predisposed than other breeds.⁶

Symptoms of Asthma in Felines

While cat asthma can vary in severity, it has some common symptoms. Your cat may show some or all of these signs all of the time, or just when they’re having an asthma attack:^1,6

• Difficulty breathing
• Rapid breathing
• Open-mouthed breathing
• Coughing
• Wheezing
• Lethargy

An asthma attack is usually easy to spot in cats. They may crouch close to the ground and extend their head and neck.¹

Cat Asthma Diagnosis and Related Costs

Asthma in felines can’t be diagnosed by just one test. Instead, your vet will look at your cat’s medical history and run different diagnostic tests.¹ Some of these tests include:^1,6

• Chest CT scan and X-ray
• Bronchoscopy
• Tracheal lavage (fluid flush exam)
• Blood, fecal, parasite, and allergy tests

The tests are important because they help your vet rule out other conditions that may look similar to asthma, such as bronchitis and parasites in the lungs.¹

Cat asthma diagnostic costs

Depending on how many of these tests need to be done, costs for diagnosing asthma in cats can quickly add up. For example, a cat X-ray may cost $100 – $250, blood work may cost $80 – $200, and fecal exams may run $30 – $70.^2,5 A bronchoscopy on its own may cost at least $600.³

Feline Asthma Treatment Options and Costs

Asthma isn’t considered a curable disease. Instead, treatment is about managing symptoms. A good way to alleviate asthma symptoms is by removing your cat’s triggers. If there are environmental, lifestyle, or diet allergens that trigger your cat’s asthma, do what you can to avoid them.¹

You can also help manage symptoms through a few different options, including medicines and inhalers. Work with your vet to decide what’s right for your pet.

Bronchodilators

Bronchodilators are inhaled medications that help relax the muscles in the lungs to help your cat breathe again when they’re having trouble. They can also help reduce inflammation and clear out mucus.⁷

Generally, a cat inhaler costs about $500 and can last up to a few months, depending on how often your cat needs it.⁴ Vets typically prescribe bronchodilators along with corticosteroids to aid asthmatic cats.¹

Corticosteroids

Corticosteroids are medications that help relieve asthma symptoms by reducing inflammation. This steroid can be administered as an injection, orally, or through an inhaler.¹ For this type of cat asthma treatment, costs depend on the type of corticosteroid and the way it’s administered.

For example, cortisone — a type of corticosteroid — may cost around $80 per injection and give your cat relief for 4 – 6 weeks. Oral cortisone pills cost between $15 – $30 per month.⁴

Long-term use of oral steroids may have negative side effects, so your vet may prefer to prescribe inhaled corticosteroids.⁷

Hospitalization

If your cat has a severe asthma attack or is experiencing acute respiratory distress, they may need immediate care through a vet or animal hospital.⁷ If your cat needs to be hospitalized because of an emergency asthma attack, it could cost as much as $3,500 or more.⁵

Diet

Adjusting your cat’s diet may help limit their exposure to certain allergens. Also, obesity can exacerbate existing asthma, so you may want to put them on a special diet to help get them to a healthy weight.⁶

Your vet can prescribe special diet food to help your cat lose weight. While the cost of prescription cat food will vary based on the type of food and other factors, expect to spend more than you would on non-prescription cat food.⁸

MetLife Pet Insurance Can Help You Cover Cat Asthma Costs

Asthma is a chronic condition that has to be managed throughout a cat’s life. Between diagnosis and treatment, vet visit costs for a cat with asthma can add up quickly.

Luckily, depending on your policy coverage, a pet insurance policy can help cover costs associated with asthma in felines — like diagnostic testing, hospitalization, long-term medication, cat asthma inhalers, and more.

Here’s how cat insurance helped one family cover the cost of asthma treatments. Shadow, a domestic short hair cat from California, was experiencing symptoms related to asthma. Shadow’s parents took him to the vet, where he was diagnosed with asthma and given initial treatment. The appointment total was around $1,400, and MetLife Pet Insurance covered over $1,050 of it.⁹

You could have this kind of coverage for your cat’s healthcare costs, too. Get a quote today to see your personalized rate.