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Vetdle Archive

Archive Case #24: Feline Asthma

Cat veterinary case - Easy - March 27, 2026

Clinical Clues

  1. A 7-year-old cat is presented for recurrent episodes of coughing and increased respiratory effort.
  2. The owner says the episodes seem to come and go, but have become more frequent over the past month.
  3. On examination the cat has an expiratory wheeze.
  4. Thoracic radiographs show a bronchial lung pattern with evidence of hyperinflation.
  5. No signs of heart failure are seen on imaging.
  6. Chronic inflammatory narrowing of the lower airways commonly causes episodic coughing and expiratory distress in cats.

Diagnosis

Feline Asthma

This case is most consistent with Feline Asthma because the cat has recurrent coughing, expiratory wheeze, and a bronchial pattern with hyperinflation on thoracic imaging. The most important clues are the episodic lower airway signs and radiographic changes, which make cardiac and infectious causes less likely.

Learning review

Review the case evidence

Use the paired clues to explain how the evidence in this cat case supports the provided diagnosis, Feline Asthma, then compare your reasoning with the case explanation.

Evidence checkpoints

Clues 1-2

  1. Clue 1: A 7-year-old cat is presented for recurrent episodes of coughing and increased respiratory effort.
  2. Clue 2: The owner says the episodes seem to come and go, but have become more frequent over the past month.

Clues 3-4

  1. Clue 3: On examination the cat has an expiratory wheeze.
  2. Clue 4: Thoracic radiographs show a bronchial lung pattern with evidence of hyperinflation.

Clues 5-6

  1. Clue 5: No signs of heart failure are seen on imaging.
  2. Clue 6: Chronic inflammatory narrowing of the lower airways commonly causes episodic coughing and expiratory distress in cats.

Self-review prompts

  1. After clues 1-2, what evidence from this cat case shaped your initial interpretation?
  2. When you compare clues 3-4 with clues 1-2, what changed in your reasoning about Feline Asthma?
  3. How do clues 5-6 align with the case explanation for Feline Asthma?

Educational Use

Vetdle archive cases are educational veterinary games for diagnostic reasoning practice. They do not provide veterinary advice, diagnosis, treatment, or professional medical guidance.