lungworms

Has your cat been coughing lately?  Have you noticed weight loss in your pet or periods with difficulty breathing?  You may be dealing with a parasitic infection rather than a respiratory disease, feline heartworms, or feline asthma.  Any cat with clinical signs of respiratory disease that is over 3 months of age should be screened for the feline lungworm, or Aelurostrongylus abstrusus, which is a nematode (type of roundworm) capable of infecting the lungs of cats.