My cat, Chloe, doesn't like her back touched. She'll nip and even hiss. She's 15 years old. She also has coughing spells. The vet said it might be her thyroid??? I think it's asthma. Is there a natural treatment that might be helpful?
My cat, Chloe, doesn't like her back touched. She'll nip and even hiss. She's 15 years old. She also has coughing spells. The vet said it might be her thyroid??? I think it's asthma. Is there a natural treatment that might be helpful?
Hi Jackson.
I'm sorry to hear this about Chloe.
Oftentimes when an older cat starts to react in this wat to being touched, I'd be suspicious of arthritis.
Signs can be subtle and may include slowing down, reluctance to jump and muscle wastage.
Amazingly, up to 90% of cats will have some degree of arthritis by the time they are 12.
Coughing would not usually be linked to either pain or a cough. Typical signs include rapid weight loss, excess hunger, being very vocal and a rapid heart rate.
If she is showing any of these signs, we can check her thyroid levels via a blood test. If she does have an overactive thyroid, this is usually managed with daily medication at her age.
A cough would more likely be caused by something like heart disease, chronic bronchitis or fluid on the lungs. Asthma tends to present in younger cats, rather than teenagers.
Usually when an older cat develops a cough, we'd want to take a chest x-ray to assess the heart and lungs. This would actually offer a great oppotunity to assess for arthritis of her back.
I wonder if she may benefit from some pain relief/anti inflammatories if she does indeed have some joint pain. Joint supplements can also be started.
