My kitten is coughing a lot. What's causing it and when to see a vet?

Question

My 12 week old Sphynx kitten has been doing a weird sort of cough since last night. He coughs about 2-5 times every 5 minutes. I have a video if needed. Pet's info: Cat | Sphynx | Male | unneutered | 2 months and 14 days old | 1.5 lbs

Elva Ma DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello, and thank you for your question. The most common cause of coughing in kittens is an upper respiratory infection, due to an underlying viral infection such as herpesvirus. Along with this, you may notice sneezing, runny eyes or runny nose. Other possibilities would include pneumonia (lung infection), hairball cough, or feline asthma (which would be rare in a young kitten). If Ash's coughing is continuing overnight, I would recommend taking him in to the vet tomorrow morning. They can perform a full physical exam, check for fever or dehydration, and prescribe the appropriate antibiotic medication if an infection is suspected. If Ash seems to be getting worse tonight, is having trouble breathing, or is lethargic, I would suggest getting him to the emergency vet tonight. Kittens can decompensate quickly, so it is important to get him stabilized soon if he is worsening. Hopefully this is not the case with Ash. I hope this helps, and that Ash feels better soon!

My kitten is coughing a lot. What's causing it and when to see a vet?

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