my cat has difficulties swallowing

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?

Thank you so much.

Reply
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.

Best wishes Kate