Upper and lower airway disease in cats can be challenging to diagnose and treat because the common causes such as asthma, bronchitis, infectious disease (feline herpes virus, fungal, mycoplasma, bacteria, heartworm), allergic disease (rhinitis), polyps, and cancer can all present similarly as a chronic snuffler and/or chronic cough. At the Cat Specialty Center our goal is to determine the reason your cat has respiratory disease so they can be treated appropriately. Some cases may be simple and others require more advanced diagnostics including rhinoscopy, nasal biopsies and cultures, oropharyngeal exams, video otoscope, retroflex scope evaluation of the pharynx, bronchoscope, dental radiographs, and nasal flush all performed at the CSC.
Following a definitive diagnosis, a targeted treatment plan is developed which may include guidance on the use of inhaled medications, immunotherapy, immune modulation, anti-inflammatory therapy, heartworm treatment, chemotherapy, and polyp removal procedures including ventral bulla osteotomy (VBO) which are performed at the CSC.