My Cat Has Difficulties Swallowing

My cat has difficulties swallowing question.

by Valerie Johnson (VA)

My cat is about 8 years old and she recently started to make some loud noises when swallowing. Her purring is also very loud and she seems to gurgle. She also got an eye infection at the same time.

She coughs like she wants to vomit but she doesn't. She only seems to chock. She is also chewing without having anything else in her mouth. She hardly eats or drinks now. We've been to 2 vets but they don't know what is wrong.

She was put on Clavamox and she is 5 days in the treatment and no improvement. She doesn't lack appetite as she comes to me when she hears the sound of an opening can, but she mostly licks the food and acts like a bird drinking water when she eats.

I don't think she ate a string or something like this because she is older and doesn't eat such stuff. I suffer along with her and I wish I could find a cure for her. The loud noises have increased, in the beginning being only like a hick-up or gas reflux. Now they are very profound and loud. Can anyone help?

Answer

Hi
Unfortunately I don’t know what this could be but I will tell you a story my vet told me. He said he once saw a cat three times before he discovered what was wrong with them. He said he checked over and over again in the mouth etc and could see nothing but on the last trip he discovered a very fine string under the cats tongue.

Now I am not suggesting that this could be what’s wrong with your cat but I use the story to tell you that sometimes it can take several trips to the vets and a trial and error treatment regime to try and discover a reason for a cats illness. All you can do is to follow your vets advice and to return to them one the medication is finished if the symptoms persist.

The fact that your cat is making a chewing action may indicate that the cat feels sick as they will often lick their lips a lot when they feel nauseous. It may be a particularly tricky hairball or perhaps there is something very small stuck in the mouth somewhere. But as I say your best option is to keep returning to your vet until a diagnosis and the correct treatment can be found.

I do hope that the cause of your cats condition can be found soon, it must be very distressing for you both.

Comments for my cat has difficulties swallowing question

sick cat by: Anonymous 

My thirteen year old cat was doing this as well and they think she has a sinus infection..kitty flu...her tonsils are swollen and red and her throat is very sore. Her sinus' are very swolen too...they gave her a shot of antibotic and she is starting to do better. Clavamox helped but didn't get rid of the infection. Go back to your vet for another examination...if cats don't eat for two days they start to go into liver failure so be careful...

Stomach, gall bladder or pancreas by: Anonymous 

See a vet- could be pancreatitis. Has your cat had any non steriodal anti inflammatory meds?

Difficulty swallowing by: Anonymous 

Take your cat to a different vet! I had a nine year old cat who had similar symptoms, he COULDNT swallow! He regurgitated everything he attempted to eat. Long story short, he had a tumor that completely blocked his esophugus chocking off the route to his stomach. Don't delay treatment for this. Marley had to be put to sleep and I was left feeling terribly guilty.

Advice by: Vet 

This deffo sounds like a fluid accumulation, as previous poster said. Fluid in chest due to perhaps congested heart failure causes coughing and lack of appetite. Cats often just lick at their food, and don't drink enough water. This is due to them feeling full and bagged up because of the fluid accumulating in chest. This IS a life threatening condition, and needs to be dealt with asap. Basically the cat is drowning to death in it's own body fluid!!! It needs removing NOW.

Top of this My cat has difficulties swallowing page

1. Home Page
 ›
2. More Cat Questions