A Cry for Breath… Feline Asthma

Dr. Bernadine Cruz  on Pet Life Radio

It wakes you up in the middle of the night.  That noise…where is it coming from?  Did you really even hear it?  You strain to listen not wanting to get out of bed…there it is…is it a cough, a gag, your cat hacking up a hair ball?  In the morning this feline sleep wrecker seems just fine, eating and purring like normal.  But there it is again…the cat looks like it is trying to clear its throat?  Should you worry?  Is it worth a trip to the vet?

Cats can be a mystery.  And like your car, you may get it to the veterinarian’s only to find that it doesn’t make the noise.  My guest, Dr. Lynelle Johnson is currently a professor in the Department of Medicine & Epidemiology at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, and a clinician in the Internal Medicine Service at the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. Dr. Johnson's research interests include clinical respiratory disease of dogs and cats and interactions of the heart-respiratory system. She is an expert in feline asthma.

BIO:


Dr. Lynelle Johnson earned her DVM degree from The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1987. She then completed a MS (1993) and a three-year residency at the University of Illinois. In 2000, she earned a PhD from the University of Missouri. Dr. Johnson is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and a member of the American Thoracic Society. She is currently a professor in the Department of Medicine & Epidemiology at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, and a clinician in the Internal Medicine Service at the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. Dr. Johnson's research interests include clinical respiratory disease of dogs and cats (including feline asthma), and interactions of the heart-respiratory system.