Swallowing Difficulties in Cats
Swallowing Difficulties in Cats - Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, Recovery, Management, Cost
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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Average Cost
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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
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Swallowing Difficulties Questions and Advice from Veterinary Professionals
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Sphynx
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Jack
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2 Years
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1 found this helpful

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1 found this helpful

My pet has the following symptoms:
Vomiting
Hello, we have a Sphynx boy cat. He is 2 years of age. Just turned 2 on February the 18th. We've had him since January the 18th 2017, bred from a licensed breeder. He gets fed two whiskas pouches a day along with some biscuits when he feels like them. Through the night, he normally wakes my daughter up a quite few times for a few biscuits and then goes straight back to sleep or sometimes he wants a little bit of pouch through the night and then goes straight back to sleep. This night he let my daughter sleep through the whole night which is very unusual. When she woke up and he woke up with her, she knew something was different as he seemed very tired and he is normally very energetic and excited in the morning to get biscuits. She give him a few biscuits and as soon as he ate them, he went back to the bed and looked tired still so she put the covers over him and went downstairs to eat her breakfast. When she came back up, he's normally at the door waiting for her meowing to let her know he's had a poo as he has a poo once a day in the morning about 12pm and it was roughly that time when she came up and he was still in the bed looking at her tired looking. So she went over to him and asked if he was okay and give him a few kisses. He still looked tired so she just let him sleep as he naps during the day on and off. He slept until 6pm which is unusual as he naps on and off and runs around the room on and off. 6pm he meowed for some food so she give him a little bit of pouch and noticed a strange crunching sound when he was eating and he was taking quite a long time eating it as he normally gobbles it down and he kept spitting little bits of food out and eating them over and over like he was having difficulty swallowing or chewing. He then drank his water and she stayed with him for a bit and we tried playing with him and he did play a bit. Not too much but a bit and he jumped on his climbing frame fine. I then left him with my daughter and about a half a hour later he went under her bed and started making this strange sound, like a gagging sound. He's made that sound in the past when he's about to vomit either because he's ate too fast or he's eaten more then he should have as he loves his food and won't settle without getting extra. After making the gagging sound, he vomited quite a bit of biscuits and pouch together but mostly biscuits and then he took a few steps and started making that gagging sound again and vomited again but only a little bit this time. She said to him that it was okay as she's learnt him a few words and sentences that he understands and she then put him on the bed to rest as she cleans it up. She let him rest for a while and went out of the room and came back in when he started meowing and she seen poo in his litter tray but it didn't smell and when she was changing it with a bag and cleaning the litter tray, it didn't seem warm. So we don't know if he poo'd through the night but didn't wake my daughter up which is unusual as he always expects some pouch after he's had a poo or he had it before she came in the room and that's why he vomited, because he was constipated and it wouldn't come out that way so it had to come out in vomit. After she cleaned his poo, she give him some more little bit of pouch as he was meowing for some and when he was eating it, she still noticed that crunching sound and he kept spitting out the food in little bits and eating it over and over like the last night as if he was having difficulty swallowing or chewing and he took quite a while to eat and he left some leftovers in his bowel which is unusual as he normally cleans the bowel and licks it. He then drank more water and has been sleeping since then on and off ish. Could you please give us advice. Thank you. Sarah
March 11, 2018
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
1 Recommendations
Thank you for your email. I'm not sure what might be going on with Jack without seeing him, but he seems to be lethargic, and not eating as much, and not vomiting, all of which are concerning signs. It would be a good idea to have him seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible, as they will be able to examine him, determine what might be going on, and recommend any necessary testing or treatments for him. I hope that he is back to his normal self quickly!
March 11, 2018
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moggy
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Minxy
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12 Years
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0 found this helpful

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0 found this helpful

My pet has the following symptoms:
Not Eating Or Drinking
Not Eatin
Hi, I have taken my cat twice to the vets already and still don't know what's wrong. She's not eating or drinking and is gagging when tried to eat. Just today she brought up a cream foam sticky sick, this is the first time she has done this. The vets have given her fluids under her skin, antibiotics and pain relief aon both occasion and anti inflammatory plus the last visit she got an anti sickness and her bloods taken which came back clear. Meds she has been given so far - aqupharm no11 250ml, lexicon 5mg/'ll ink 10ml, betamox last ink, cerenia 20mg ink as well as fluids. They can't see anything in the mouth. Any idea? Thanks
March 4, 2018
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
0 Recommendations
Thank you for your email. Without examining Minxy, I'm not sure what might be going on with her, but X-rays or an ultrasound of her chest and throat may be a good idea, as she may have a growth or a problem in the back of her throat. I hope that she is okay.
March 5, 2018
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dsh
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Jerry
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15 Years
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3 found this helpful

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3 found this helpful

My pet has the following symptoms:
Swallowing
Hi, my 15 year old cat has been doing emphasized swallowing when not eating or drinking. He has recently gone off drinking and eating but will when heavily coaxed. He has recently had full bloods and a urine test which showed normal signs of health with the exception of some signs of kidney disease but within the normal parameters
Jan. 25, 2018
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
3 Recommendations
Thank you for your email. In a 15 year old cat, I might consider checking for dental disease or ulcerations in Jerry's mouth as a possible reason for his behavior. Ii would be a good idea to have a recheck with your veterinarian and have them assess his mouth and general condition to see if they can localize the source of his problems, since it is affecting his appetite. I hope that everything goes well for him.
Jan. 25, 2018
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Swallowing Difficulties Average Cost
From 584 quotes ranging from $300 - $3,000
Average Cost
$1,800
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