Anyone's cat or dog suffered from reflux?

[Nosha123]

I dont know that this is the problem with my cat - and he is going to the vet this evening.. but I wondered if anyone expert here might have any experience...

My cat has just this last week when sleeping - with his head on its side - seems to wake with a start and then make this awful coughing, rasping noise... its almost as if fluid has travelled up the wrong way as he is lying down and he wakes choking...

He is still eating - if anything his appetite has increased slightly.

he gets cooked fish every saturday - and the two occasions I have witnessed this coughing have both been when he has eaten this - and for the following 24 hours. But being at work - I don know if he is or isnt doing it in the week.

Any ideas what could be causing this???

[wolf63]

I don't know if cats get this - but I don't see why not. I have suffered from it since my teens but in the last couple of years I have had to start taking medication for it.

I know in humans it is worse if overweight - is he a fat cat?

Maybe its the fish that is upsetting his system - but, as you say, he could be doing it all the time and you are just not seeing it happen.

Best wishes to both of you for your trip to the vet.

[mccfluff]

bone stuck in his throat?

[Nosha123]

thanks Wolf! He isnt a fat cat as such - but has put a little bit of weight on since 2009 apparently...

Couldnt be a bone in his throat as the fish doesnt have bones.. plus he's been like this for two weekends now...

I'm worried he may have a growth or something that is making him retch and cough.. I guess I will only know once the vet has seen him!

I hate going to the vets almost as much as he does!!!! So stressful!!!

[wolf63]

My cat had a cough - sounded like hacking up a hairball but nothing ever came up. It turned out that he was asthmatic and was trying to cough up gunk from his lungs. He has had one really bad attack - his lungs sounded as if they were gurgling. He now takes, unwillingly, his inhaler twice a day.

Hope things go okay - is that your cat in your avatar? My avatar is Frankie the asthmatic cat - his sister is gorgeous but always looks like a black blob in a photograph.

[LoftyLottie]

Could well be a hairball?

[lankeela]

Is he actually vomitting? If he is just coughing it could be a hairball or an allergy. With reflux he would be bringing up food. It could also be a heart problem, they can cough with that.

[Nosha123]

Well do far the vet has diagnosed bad Gingevitus... poor little love! His gums were red raw... and I hadnt even noticed!!!
He is on antibiotics and inflammatories with an appt to go and have a full scale and polish to clean the plaque off followd by more antibiotics.
Have invested in some posh biscuits too - as apparently the cat food we all buy in supermarkets is just junk food for cats!!!!
Unbelievable eh! Full of sugars, fats and preservatives! I've been told its the equivalent of feeding your pet Mcdonalds everyday!!!

Hopefully 10 years old isnt too late to make these changes!