Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Advances in the understanding of pathogenesis, and diagnostics and therapeutics for feline allergic asthma.
- Journal:
- Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)
- Year:
- 2011
- Authors:
- Reinero, Carol R
- Affiliation:
- Department of Veterinary Medicine · United States
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Feline asthma is a common condition that affects a cat's lower airways and is often caused by allergies. Unfortunately, it can be hard to tell apart from other similar airway issues, like chronic bronchitis, because the definitions used in studies have not always been clear. New tests that measure how well the lungs are working and look for specific markers in the body could help veterinarians better identify asthma in cats. This is important because as we learn more about the allergic reactions involved, we can develop better treatments specifically for this condition. Overall, advancements in diagnostics are expected to improve how we manage feline asthma in the future.
Abstract
Asthma is a common inflammatory disease of the lower airways and is believed to be of allergic etiology in cats. As little progress has been made in establishing rigorous criteria to differentiate it from other inflammatory lower airway diseases such as chronic bronchitis, descriptions of 'asthma' in the literature have often been inaccurate, grouping this syndrome with other feline airway diseases. With the development of more sensitive and specific diagnostics, it will become easier to distinguish asthma as a disease entity. Pulmonary function testing with bronchoprovocation/bronchodilator responsiveness trials and biomarkers hold particular promise. Discrimination is of critical importance as targeted therapies for the allergic inflammatory cascade are developed and become available for therapeutic trials in pet cats.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21036078/