What are Swallowing Difficulties?
If your cat is having trouble swallowing, it may be a sign of an underlying health condition that needs to be treated as soon as possible.
Every animal occasionally coughs or gags while eating, but if you notice your cat experiencing swallowing difficulties repeatedly, it’s time to see a veterinarian to determine the cause. Besides coughing and gagging, cats may also drool, make repeated attempts to swallow, or get in unusual positions to eat their food when experiencing this condition, called “dysphagia”. If left untreated, cats may begin to rapidly lose weight because they are unable to eat.
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Symptoms of Swallowing Difficulties in Cats
There are three types of dysphagia, and each may present with specific symptoms.
Oral Dysphagia
- Struggling to open the mouth or hold food in the mouth
- Collecting food on the sides of the mouth
- Throwing head backward to eat
Pharyngeal Dysphagia
- Repeated attempts to swallow
- Gagging
- Coughing
- Drooling
- Spots of blood in the saliva
- Excessive chewing before swallowing attempts
- Unusual neck and head movements while eating
Cricopharyngeal Dysphagia
- Regurgitating food
- Weight loss
- Loss of appetite
- Repeated attempts to swallow
- Gagging
Causes of Swallowing Difficulties in Cats
Each of the different types of dysphagia is caused by different factors.
Oral dysphagia can be caused by:
- Jaw or tongue paralysis
- Muscle swelling
- Mouth trauma
- Dental disease or infection
Pharyngeal dysphagia can be caused by:
- Cancer
- Enlarged lymph nodes near the pharynx
- Abscesses
- Pharyngeal inflammation
Cricopharyngeal dysphagia can be caused by:
- Strained or deteriorating muscles
- Nerve damage
In some cases, the cause of dysphagia can be neurological. If your cat is suffering from a brain disorder or rabies, dysphagia may be one of the side effects of the condition.
Diagnosis of Swallowing Difficulties in Cats
If you notice your cat having trouble swallowing on repeated occasions, bring him into a veterinarian as soon as possible. Tell the veterinarian what symptoms you have noticed, when they first began, and how often they have occurred. If your cat has been injured or suffered any form of trauma, make sure you let the veterinarian know.
After discussing your cat’s symptoms, the vet may perform diagnostic tests to get a better idea of the cat’s health. First, a complete blood count, urinalysis and biochemical profile will be completed to determine if your cat has an infection or muscle injury.
Vets may also take X-rays of the mouth, skull, and chest, as well as an ultrasound of the pharynx. These tests are done to determine if there is any structural damage or growths. If growths are found, the vet will likely take a biopsy to test for cancerous cells.
At this point, the vet should be able to determine the cat has some form of dysphagia. But, the vet may still need to run a test, known as a fluoroscopic barium swallow, to see how your cat is swallowing. During this test, food material and barium is given to your cat while the vet observes him swallowing using a video X-ray device. This will help the vet figure out where the issue lies within the cat’s oral cavity and throat.
Treatment of Swallowing Difficulties in Cats
The treatment plan for dysphagia will depend on the underlying cause. If an infection is causing the issue, antibiotics will be prescribed, but if the issue is inflammation, steroids may be given instead. Both of these medications may need to be administered to the cat at home for up to ten days.
If a strained or contracted muscle is causing your cat to gag and cough up food, the vet may prescribe muscle relaxers to help this muscle relax and allow your cat to swallow.
If the cause is some sort of structural damage or abscesses, surgery may be required to correct the issue.
If the biopsy reveals there are cancerous cells within the abscesses, your vet will discuss different chemotherapy and radiation treatment options with you.
Finally, dental disease may need to be treated by removing the infected teeth and administering antibiotics.
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Recovery of Swallowing Difficulties in Cats
Unless the cause of your cat’s swallowing difficulties was cancer, he or she should recover within one to two weeks. But, cats will have trouble eating food while they recover from dysphagia, so it’s your responsibility to make eating easier until they are well. Talk to your vet about how you can make your cat more comfortable and help him keep food down. For example, the vet may recommend you only feed the cat soft, mushy foods that will easy slide down the cat’s throat. Or, the vet may recommend you position the cat in a certain way while you feed him. In extreme cases when the cat has lost a significant amount of weight, the vet may keep your cat on a feeding tube while he recovers.
Any medication prescribed by the vet must be administered as advised. Be sure to bring your cat in for a follow-up so the vet can ensure everything is healing correctly.
Swallowing Difficulties Average Cost
From 584 quotes ranging from $300 - $3,000
Average Cost
$1,800
Top
Swallowing Difficulties Questions and Advice from Veterinary Professionals
TORTIOUSESHELL SIAMESE
DOLLY
15 Years
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Decreased Appetite
Restlessness
"Noisy" Swallowing Noises .
Skin Twitching
Cannot Lay Head Down
my female senior(Tortie) cat has been making loud swallowing noises when at rest(not eating). And there's a sound when she's doing it, like there's a flap of skin or something in her throat; and it looks like I do when I have strep throat and it hurts SO BAD to swallow, that my head actually moves from wincing when I swallow-that's how she looks. And her appetite is diminished-she does eat wet and dry food, but mostly Temptation treats is what she chooses over wet and dry food. She also seems uncomfortable when laying her head down, I noticed. After a few seconds of laying her head down, while falling to sleep, she lifts it up quickly, as if having her head down bothers her too much, and tries again in a minute or so, then lowers her head, like we humans do when putting our head down on the pillow-going to sleep, but she jolts her head up after a few seconds after laying it down-jolts her head up again, then after a few seconds, repeats this process-like it's TOO UNCOMFORTABLE FOR HER HEAD TO BE PARALLEL WITH HER BODY. And, another thing I need to mention is when I pet her, her back twitches. This looks so uncomfortable for her. I don't know how to explain that symptom more, but I think it's something that's not normal, so I needed to mention that(maybe it has to do with the HARD SWALLOWING PROBLEM?) THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ANY ADVICE FOR HER, DOLLY, MY SWEET CAT!
June 11, 2018
0 Recommendations
There are a few possible issues which may be affecting Dolly, however without examining her myself I cannot pinpoint a specific cause or offer a course of treatment; Dolly is in a great deal of discomfort and pain, you should visit your Veterinarian immediately for an examination as this isn’t going to be a simple case of laryngitis. Your Veterinarian will thoroughly examine Dolly paying close attention to the throat and spine, they will then may a recommendation for treatment or management of this condition. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
June 12, 2018
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Orange tabby
Sunny
13 Years
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My pet has the following symptoms:
Weight Loss
Throwing Up
Loud Swallowing
How can I help Sunny start eating again without throwing up all his food. I've tried soft food and even having him eat slower. Is he in pain? How much will it roughly cost to have him checked out?
Anything I could look for to get an Idea of what it could Be that is wrong?
June 8, 2018
0 Recommendations
It is difficult to say what may be causing the vomiting without having a good examination; a dog may vomit due to infections, parasites, intestinal obstruction, liver disease, pharyngeal disorders among other conditions. You should visit your Veterinarian for an examination, however the price of a consultation will vary depending on your country and city of residence; in the USA a consultation will run between $50-$90 typically with any tests or treatment extra. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
June 9, 2018
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tabby
Sunshine
19 Years
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0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Vomiting
Coughing
I have a 19 year old tabby cat who is swallowing water fine but won’t eat and when she does swallowing it follows with a small cough earlier today she was fine but about 2 hours ago when I got home from work she was coughing really bad then she stopped and would swallow then start coughing. When she was coughing bad she also had a little vomit come out of her mouth. My two kittens are also coughing every once in a while but not because of swallowing difficulties.
April 19, 2018
0 Recommendations
There are various causes for swallowing difficulties in cats especially as they age which may include masses around the throat (tumours, enlarged thyroid etc…), pharyngeal disorders among other causes. You should try to feed a softer food, I find sometimes mixing some smooth wet food with a little water helps it go down easier. If there is no improvement, I would recommend a check up by your Veterinarian either today or tomorrow. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
April 20, 2018
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Domestic shorthair
Rams
12 Years
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0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Cough
Shakes Head
Swallow
Hello, I did an earlier post about my 12 yr old female Dom Shorthair, Rams, swallowing and gulping a lot last weekend and having trouble swallowing food. Took her to vet & they gave her appetite stimulant, Cerenia shot & prescribed carafate. She was like a zombie for a few days but now is almost entirely back to normal, returning to herself :) stretching, yawning, eating, grooming, has most of her voice back, scratching on the scratchers, playing with toy, jumping up on top of the back of my office chair when Im in it :) running up the stairs zooming past me when I go up :) No signs of gulping..EXCEPT...she still occasionally shakes her head... AND when she gets on my lap and starts to purr she'll do one gulp, a dry cough or sneeze im not sure which is which its just an air blowing sound and she steps off and goes to her spot on the couch and lays down....is this just the last of what still needs to resolve since shes acting so much better?? How long should I keep her on carafate (6 days now) & can I ask my vet for some clavamox as she is prone to slight URIs along with allergies..is antibiotic worth a try?
April 15, 2018
0 Recommendations
It is good to read that Rams is improving and has just a few remaining symptoms which will hopefully resolve with time. You can ask your Veterinarian for antibiotics but it would be down to their discretion if they give them to you without an examination or an actual infection being present; you can continue to use the Carafate but discuss this with your Veterinarian. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
April 16, 2018
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Swallowing Difficulties Average Cost
From 584 quotes ranging from $300 - $3,000
Average Cost
$1,800
Get a free pet insurance quote in less than 60 seconds!
Easily compare quotes from the most trusted pet insurance companies in the United States.
