A cat meows while looking toward the top-left corner of the frame.

Everything You Need to Know about Cat Laryngitis

Has your cat lost her meow? She’s probably not invoking a vow of silence to protest the lack of wet food in her life; there might be something very wrong with your silent kitty. A cat losing her meow is one of the most obvious signs of Cat Laryngitis. Just like with humans, Cat Laryngitis can make it painful for your kitty to communicate using her voice. Read on to learn everything you need to know about this troubling kitty disease.

What Is Cat Laryngitis?

First off, Cat Laryngitis is actually a laryngeal disease that affects your cat’s voice box or larynx; thus the name, Cat Laryngitis. Cat Laryngitis usually affects older cats, but it is not unheard of for a younger feline to contract the disease. The average age for a kitty to get Cat Laryngitis is 11.

Your cat’s voice box and larynx function the same way that a human’s does, with the passage of air your cat is able to create her vocalizations. Some cats are more chatty, such as Maine Coons, while others may rarely speak. If your cat is already on the quieter side, it may be hard to detect her Laryngitis right away.

Cat Laryngitis, as mentioned earlier, is a disease that affects your cat’s respiratory system. The respiratory system is a series of tracts and organs in a cat that is responsible for respiration, without which life would not be possible. Respiration is the term used to describe breathing. It involves the inhalation of air and the intake of oxygen, as well as the exhalation of waste gases such as carbon dioxide from the lungs.

Besides breathing, the respiratory tract serves other important roles, such as the humidification and warming of air before it enters the body, the trapping and expelling of foreign substances, facilitation of the sense of smell, and the production of vocal sounds (e.g., meowing, purring). The respiratory system consists of the nasal passages, the back of the mouth (nasopharynx), the voice box (larynx), the windpipe (trachea), the lower airway passages, and the lungs.

Symptoms Of Cat Laryngitis

Depending on the severity of your cat’s illness, the symptoms below can vary in degree. The most common symptoms of Cat Laryngitis include:

What Causes Cat Laryngitis?

Sadly, the cause for Cat Laryngitis is not always known. There can be a number of illnesses and events that could cause your cat’s Laryngitis including:

Diagnosing Cat Laryngitis

There are several ways in which your vet can diagnose Laryngitis. Typically, a blood profile and chemical blood profile will be conducted. When your vet runs this test, they’ll be looking to see if your cat is suffering from thyroid problems. Sometimes it can be necessary to run a set of x-rays, fluoroscopy, or a bronchoscopy as well, in order to rule out other more serious diseases such as pneumonia. Your vet could use an ultrasound to try to rule out laryngeal masse, or some vets opt to perform a laryngoscopy to look for mass lesions in your cat’s larynx.

Cat Laryngitis Treatments

When it comes to Cat Laryngitis, there are several different levels of medical intervention that can help your cat overcome its Cat Laryngitis. If your cat requires surgery, then you may find yourself waiting at home with a sick kitty before her procedure date. During this time, you’ll want to keep your kitty in cooled areas to keep her temperature steady; you’ll also want to avoid putting any pressure on her throat area, this means taking off collars and bandanas.

A “normal” case of Cat Laryngitis should clear up within a few days to a week. Your vet may prescribe antibiotics to help speed the healing process. During this healing period, you may want to consider switching to a wet food so that your cat’s throat won’t be irritated by her dry food. Also, make sure that your pet has access to plenty of cold water to soothe her sore throat. You may want to remove her collar during this time so that her throat can rest.

Keep Your Cat Healthy With PetPlace

We know that it can be scary when you kitty suddenly falls silent of starts wheezing and coughing. The best course of action that we can recommend is taking your cat to see a vet to get the care she needs to recover. Each cat is different. So predicting the treatment or cause of your cat’s laryngitis can be tricky. Most cats experience a full recovery from Cat Laryngitis with the aid of some extra TLC.