Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat General => General Cat Chat => Topic started by: Den on August 12, 2009, 11:50:26 AM
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I got woken up at 2:05am this morning to a very loud noise. It was one of those noises where you know something isn't right. First thing that popped into my head was "MEMPHIS". So I raced around looking for him and found him on the landing next to his litter box. He was hunched over and was coughing. He just kept coughing and coughing .. it was a proper deep manly cough too. Then he started to look a little stressed and was running around as best he could - he was a bit wobbly - but was still coughing :(
So I picked him up, carried him back to bed and he snuggled up. The coughing kind of stopped but was replaced with a sort of cross between wretching and the hiccups. It wasn't quite one or the other. It seemed like this bit went on for eternity but it was probably more like 5 minutes. I couldn't find anything in his mouth. In the end I moved him slightly and he kind of belched and then nothing. No coughing or wretching like noise :scared:
I eventually crawled back into bed properly, turning the light off at 2:25 but he just wouldn't settle. So I couldn't sleep. Not sure what time I got to sleep, but was still awake at 3:30.
He seems perfectly ok now, so I have no idea what that was all about. Only thing I can think of is he ate something which got stuck. But he had finished all of his dinner before bedtime. So it is a mystery what he could have possibly gotten hold of.
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the thing that sprung to my mind when I read your post is that he had breathed in a piece of litter
and that he coughed it back into his mouth and then swallowed it right down - eventually
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the thing that sprung to my mind when I read your post is that he had breathed in a piece of litter
and that he coughed it back into his mouth and then swallowed it right down - eventually
You know what, I thought that whilst writing and reading back my post. But he hadn't been in his litter tray as it was clean and there wasn't any litter around it. I think it's just coincidence because he can be often found camping out next to his tray for some bizarre reason. It's one of his comfort spots around the house. Not saying it's not at all impossible because it is, just there is also a chance it isn't litter related.
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Sounds like he has a furball to me and if so may start doing this again when he thinks its time to bring it up
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How frightening for you :hug:
I'm inclined to think the same as Gill, Milo did something similar last year on a couple of occasions it was horrible and scared the living dayllights out of me, then I managed to record an episode and show the vet and they said it was normal and likely to be a fur ball.
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He's never had one of those before. Is it simply a case of he hacks it up and leaves it lying around for me to step on or do I need to do anything.
Thank you Leanne and Gill :hug: I kept thinking he was choking or something.
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Yes he will leave it around for you to tread in LOL
As he is not a long haired cat he probably hasnt figured out how to get it up yet, mine are all longhaired and they pop out and eat grass cos thats the way it works in nature. Also they will stuff themselves with too many biscuits cos that works too LOL
Another way is defurrem treats, mine wont eat them, or very expensive katalax which comes from the vets......dont know if you can get it from Vet UK but mine wont eat that either!
I even tried putting it on Duchas leg so he would lick it off but birmans are smart and he just ribbed his lef all over things to make them all sticky until it was gone.
Looked at me with his baby blues and said....Meowmy stop trying to poison me!
Misa used to get very surprised when he was doing what Memphos was doing and he backs away from where he thinks its gonna land :rofl:
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:rofl: :rofl: Poor Misa and Ducha! How often do long haired cats get furballs? Or even short haired cats for that matter.
Memphs is short haired but I'm sorry to say he eats everyone elses hair. I can brush Molly, set her hair aside and out pops a paw from nowhere and eats it before I can get to him. He's done it with the bunny too :scared:
I do have some Lax-a-past in the cupboard which is for hairballs but he was given it for constipation. Think it's like Katalax. Is it worth giving him some, or just see how he gets on. He's indoors so doesn't have grass ... maybe I should grow him some grass? I brought some in from the garden before, but he wont touch it .. yet likes munching on me plants, so he clearly likes his greens.
What are defurrems and do PAH sell them? He loves treats so probably no trouble in giving him them.
Sorry for all the questions! Thank you Gill :hug:
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Trigger vomits up a 1" furball every couple of weeks, yet when I use slicker brush on him there is almost nothing there - but he is a very enthusiastic groomer
he has never coughed up one though
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Oh the 4 of them and Misa is the worst can have one or more a week but thats cos Misa often overeats and eats so much grass, he brings them up regualrily.
Reckon its Memphis eating of others fur thats doing it for him then :rofl: :rofl:
Sorry I dont know that medicine so dont know if it would do the job......to be honest cant remember where the defurems came from but loads of others on Purrs use them so ask :evillaugh:
I suspect Memphis would prefer grass grown in the house but know all of mine are very fussy about which clump of grass they will eat LOL......Misa almost just goes for anything green.........sigh
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I don't want to worry you, but that was how I discovered Sam had heart disease - the coughing, like he was trying to bring up a furball, but not producing anything. He'd coughed like that every now and then for a while, and I just thought must be furball (didnt occur to me at the time that there never was a furball!) He had one particular episode where he coughed and coughed, his legs were wobbly and he stumbled as he tried to go out the patio doors. Just worth keeping an eye on and if it happens again without furball being produced, would think about a check up just in case.
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OMG :( thank you for that Gillian. I will admit to being terribly worried now. He has had one or two coughs, every now and again, but I haven't thought anything about it apart from being one offs. I most certainly shall be keeping a very close eye on him now. He does have the vets next month for his boosters and yearly check up, if he does it again before then he shall be straight off to the vet. If not (and he doesn't throw up a furball) I will mention it to them at his check up and see what they think.
Thank you for pointing it out.
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I will admit to being terribly worried now.
Sorry! Hopefully its nothing sinister with Memphis though. :hug:
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Thanks for posting that Gillian, something to remember :hug:
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I will admit to being terribly worried now.
Sorry! Hopefully its nothing sinister with Memphis though. :hug:
Don't be a sorry. I am a terrible worry wort and always think the worst of things.
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Smartie started coughing a few years ago for 1-2 days -sounded like whooping cough -took him to the vets and he has seasonal asthma- maybe that ?
He is on 1mg steroids per day through warm weather , down to 1/2 round end Sept/Oct and usually off completely by November.
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When Willow started having her episodes, they suspected Asthma. They were going to take a chest x-ray but decided on a full body one. They said her chest was clear but she was blocked up with poo and to give her 1" of Katalax for a few days. It went away but she still has the odd session.
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Positive vibes being sent to you and Memphy! :Luv: :hug:
One of my short hairs has episodes of coughing and it is fur related, have never seen her bring a furball up as such but there has been some fur in her sick! ;)
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Thanks everyone :hug: He was fine last night :Luv2:
Just so I know .. are there any other signs of heart disease or asthma which a cat would display that I should be on the look out for - just in case.
Oh before I forget, I went ahead and gave him a splat of Lax-a-past which he ate. Seems like it is a very similar product to Katalax http://www.vetuk.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1016 For hairball related issues how often do people give their cats Katalax .. ie once or twice a day and over how many days?
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The vet said at the time to give Willow a full inch once a day for 3 days. You can go onto a maintenance dose after that which I think is 1/2" every other day but it should tell you on the tube.
I will try that as Willow is refusing to clean it off her fur with fortekor ground up in it. I think she was OK with Katalaz but it is so expensive for a tiny tube. I tried the one made by vetoquinol but apart from the fact that she doesn't like it, it is full of E numbers etc. I have also tried defurrum, sherleys (the worst) and johnsons :Crazy:
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Just so I know .. are there any other signs of heart disease or asthma which a cat would display that I should be on the look out for - just in case.
With Sam's heart disease, the coughing of course, but later I noticed when he was on my lap, his breathing was quick and somewhat laboured. Open mouth breathing is another thing to watch for, (but thats more advanced disease), possibly lethargy (don't reckon thats Memphis though! ;) ) :hug:
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Thank you :hug:
I have a vet sticker going across the directions for use section on the box, so I can't read them :evillaugh: It didn't matter before because my vet gave me directions .. but that was for constipation not hairballs LOL. And the actual tube has everything on it but directions.
Thank you Gillian ... the only heavy breathing he does is after he's completed his own 1500m Olympic race against himself :evillaugh: I will still keep an eye out just in case I've been missing something noticeable.
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For human dispensings its very important where things are stuck, should be the same for animals imo!
Directions for use
To prevent hairballs
Adult cats: Press 6-13mm paste out of tube.
The cat will lick the paste from the tube or your finger.
Treat once a week.
To remove hairballs
Adult cats: 25mm paste per day for 3 consectutive days.
Spike just got really exicted when i got the box out :Luv2: