A new study published in Environmental Science and Technology demonstrates indoor chemicals can harm cats.
The study, from Stockholm University, establishes high levels of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) found in household dust negatively affect our cats.
Previous studies show BFRs found in higher concentrations in the blood of cats with feline hyperthyroidism than healthy cats. The new study proves healthy cats absorb BFRs as well.
Consumers have BFRs in their homes by way of textiles, furniture, and electronic equipment. Companies use chemicals to prevent materials from igniting.
BFRs leach from products even after years of use, becoming part of household dust.
Aside from frequently airing out your home with open windows and doors, try the following tips to help your cat maintain optimal respiratory function.
Next, we will talk about the specific ways chemicals harm cats.
Breathing Allergies in Cats
Feline asthma is one of the most common bronchopulmonary diseases in cats and is responsible for substantial morbidity and occasional mortality.
There are two major pathologic events associated with asthma:
- Chronic airway inflammation
- Reversible bronchoconstriction is caused by the chronic airway inflammation
An easy way to imagine asthma is to picture a nurse taking your blood pressure.
When the cuff tightens, your cat can’t breathe. When the cuff loosens, the kitty is fine.
Asthma, in its most severe occurrence, shows as an acute episode of “not being able to breathe.” The cuff is super tight.
Most cats with asthma present to the veterinarian in an acute crisis.
A crisis in which the cuff is too tight.
Treatment of a crisis involves bronchodilator drugs to stop the crisis.
However, treating asthma as a disease should focus on controlling breathing allergies and inflammation, with the ultimate goal of preventing a bronchoconstrictive crisis.
In asthmatic cats, exposure to an otherwise harmless environmental aeroallergen allows for the production of allergen specific IgE antibodies.
These are also chemicals that harm cats.
In addition, mold is an excellent example. Mold causes the kitty’s body to produce IgE antibodies.
The IgE antibodies then bind to mast cells on respiratory mucosal surfaces.
Upon re-exposure to the allergen, IgE on the surface of the mast cells binds to the allergen.
The binding event sends an intracellular signal to trigger mast cell degranulation.
When mast cells degranulate, a variety of allergic reactions ensue causing breathing problems for the kitty.
Furthermore, when mast cells degranulate chronically, permanent architectural changes in the lung, called airway remodeling, occur.
Once airway remodeling occurs, bronchodilatory drugs cannot completely reverse clinical signs in the event of a crisis.
To prevent both acute and chronic clinical signs, asthma treatment must focus on inflammation prevention.
Preventing Inflammation
Asthma is most commonly diagnosed in young to middle-aged cats, especially Siamese cats.
Typical clinical signs include some combination of coughing, wheezing, and intermittent respiratory effort or distress.
Also, not all asthmatic cats are equally affected by the disease.
For some, the disease is mild or easily controlled; some cats may have nothing more serious than occasional bouts of coughing.
Therefore, treatment of mildly affected cats will obviously differ from that of moderately/severely affected cats.
Severely affected cats are more likely to develop respiratory distress/crisis in addition to cough. Thus, treatment must be more aggressive.
The respiratory crisis is possible in any asthmatic cat, and management of cats in asthmatic crisis is different than the treatment of cats not presented in crisis.
Therapeutic asthma treatments usually focus on the suppression of inflammation and reversal of bronchoconstriction.
Consistently Effective Western Therapies
Western therapies often work best in conjunction with holistic or natural treatment options.
1. Remove the Allergen
Traditional therapy for asthmatic cats involves environmental modulation.
Identify the allergen and remove it from the environment to eliminate the driving force for the induction of asthmatic events.
Easier said than done!
More often than not, the allergen is either ubiquitous or the patient is sensitive to multiple allergens making it impossible to completely remove all allergens.
Hepatype filters can be beneficial in reducing the load of indoor aeroallergens.
Of utmost importance is minimizing exposure to environmental airborne irritants, especially smoke, dust (e.g., kitty litter), and aerosols.
Unfortunately, trying to identify and remove the allergens is tough.
Most clients give up and acquiesce to treatment with the following medicines.
2. Steroids
The goal of asthmatic cat treatment is to reduce inflammation, most often via treatment with steroids like prednisone.
Address asthma’s inflammatory component to prevent the progression of the disease and irreparable damage to the lungs.
The best way to alleviate asthmatic inflammation is with steroids.
Steroids decrease the likelihood of developing respiratory distress.
For routine oral use, prednisolone is better than prednisone for cats.
3. Inhalers
Inhalant therapy is also available, although administration in some cats can be a nightmare.
Inhalant steroid therapy allows direct application of steroids to airways with minimal systemic absorption.
Adapt metered-dose inhalers containing steroids (e.g., fluticasone or flunisolide) for use in asthmatic cats.
Because the therapies are unproven, use inhalant therapy in cats with mild symptoms, or as an adjunct to systemic steroids in more severely affected cats.
Additionally, bronchodilators are available as inhalers and can enhance airflow to the lungs.
Generally, bronchodilators are for an acute crisis situation, not the inflammatory phase.
However, in certain circumstances, bronchodilators can be beneficial to both situations.
Get the Weight Off Your Cat’s Chest
Breathing allergies cause inflammation and asthma in your cat.
Remove the allergen and administer steroids and inhalers to relieve the crushing discomfort in your cat’s chest.
Loosen the cuff.
Help your kitty breathe freely again.
More Powerful Tools for Overcoming Allergies Due To Chemicals That Harm Cats
There are many quick and easy changes you can make at home to help you give your cat an edge on easing allergy challenges.
- Learn more about cat allergies.
- Switch to a Limited Ingredient Cat Food Recipe. PET | TAO Limited Ingredient Cat Food Recipe is naturally low in foods that stimulate an allergic response.
- Supplement with medicinal mushrooms. PET | TAO Complement Immune Mushroom Blend eases inflammatory response and eases allergy symptoms.
- Try digestive enzymes and probiotics. PET | TAO Harmonize Gi boosts gut health and combats food allergens.
- Feed Freeze Dried Lung Treats. According to TCVM, Lung is on the same meridian as the skin. Therefore, lung treats help both breathing and skin allergies. Lung treats support lung and skin similar to a glandular supplement in a “like treats like” fashion.
- Learn more about TCVM Herbal Remedies. Chinese medicine offers many amazing natural solutions for cat allergies Some good examples are:
