My cat is coughing, sleeping, and breathing hard. What tests & cost?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Mediumhair | Male | unneutered
Hello, a family friend gave me their cat about a month ago and for the past 3 weeks he's been having these short coughing fits spread throughout the 3 weeks and sleeping a lot, i didn't know what was wrong I thought maybe a cold but tonight his breathing has changed I don't know much about vets and I wanted to know what test can determine what's wrong with him? How much does it usually cost?
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on October 23rd, 2018
Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Boots! The most common causes for coughing in a cat is feline asthma. It can be diagnosed by an exam (listening to the lungs and heart) and by X-rays of the chest. Other tests depends on how old Boots is. Asthma can be from inhaled allergens, lung worms or feline heart worm disease. Prices vary by region but on average an exam is $50 and X-rays are around $120. I would call to make an appointment because you mentioned his breathing has changed. Ask for the exam price and then after the Vet listens to him ask for a detailed estimate for anything else. Asthma is treated with steroids, bronchodilators and sometimes antibiotics. Good luck!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
-
Published on September 12th, 2017
I agree that the cough is worrisome. Cats do not normally cough and 5 minutes is a long time for him to be coughing. I would recommend taking him to your vet and having them take some x-rays to evaluate what is going on. We frequently see asthma in cats that causes a cough, but there can be other causes too. Any cough in a cat needs to be evaluated and treated appropriately to keep it from getting worse. Here is some additional information on feline asthma. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=562 I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Hello there Just got back from a brief holiday and my 1.5 year old cat is not well. She occasionally makes a strange sound resembling a cough, but she constantly seems to have either a heavy and difficult breathing or stomach spasms. Vet found no fev
My cat coughs once or twice a day for about 5 minutes. He is eating ok but seems to sleep more than usual. He still plays and irritates my other cat by the cough is worrisome.
My cat is coughing and finding breathing trouble.. its saliva is smelling bad... Can you suggest a medicine to cure
My cat seems like he coughs sometimes. He has a breathing problem but not all the time. He weases a bit while he sleeps. When he does start coughing, he sits and starts hacking. Kind of like he needs to puke but it sounds like a person trying to coug
Why is my cat coughing and breathing heavy?
My cat has been coughing for almost a week. always during the middle of sleep, coughing wakes him up and stopped after less than one minute. and he goes back to sleep after that. he eats and plays like usual. I live in China so I want to have some pr
My cat has been having some issues breathing. We have him on an antibiotic from vet. He has taken three doses but seems to get really bad once evening hits. Can this be asthma?
My cat is experiencing labored, abdominal breathing. Other than that he appears to be in great condition, normal appetite, clear eyes, pink gums, no cough or nasal discharge, lays and sits in comfortable positions. But it worries me, I took him to th
Hi..I have a 13yo cat. Indoors. He is coughing, not like a hairball cough. He is also licking my hand when I rub across the area on the lower spine. He has dander, so I brush him daily. I am concerned about the cough, he's a terror to take to a vet.
Cat has persistent cough. Dry cough, 15 to 30 secs at a time, usually after waking up in morning and after evening nap. A course of Caricef and a course of Velosef didn't help. Gave her dewormer (half a tablet of Drontal) on Friday morning and now (S
Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.
