Pete the Vet: How to know if your pet could have asthma

Pete the Vet explains what can go wrong with pets' lungs, and the signs to look out for 

Pete the Vet: Asthma is seen in dogs and cats, caused by an allergic reaction to inhaled allergens from the surrounding environment. Pets tend to cough, rather than to have a human-type breathlessness, but treatment is similar: oral medication combined with inhaled drugs, given to the pet via an inhaler.

Jackson, a three year old ginger cat, and Pedro, an eleven year old terrier, had both started to cough every day. The two animals were suffering from lung diseases with different underlying causes. My job as a vet was to find out what was going on for each animal, so that they could be helped back towards normal health.

Animals’ bodies, just like human bodies, are remarkable. The lungs are an obvious example of seamless functionality: animals breathe in oxygen, and breathe out carbon dioxide. The body is supplied with as much oxygen as the tissues need to function, and the right amount of carbon dioxide waste is removed to stop it from accumulating in toxic levels.