Feline Asthma: Diagnostic and Treatment Update.

Asthma is an important allergic lower-airway disease in cats affecting approximately 1% to 5% of the pet cat population. New diagnostics are being developed to help better differentiate asthma from other lower-airway diseases and improve monitoring. In addition, new treatments are being developed to help in refractory cases or in those cases in which traditional therapeutics are contraindicated.

Intravenous adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell therapy for the treatment of feline asthma: a pilot study.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of serially administered adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in an experimental feline asthma model.

Methods: Allergic asthma was acutely induced with Bermuda grass allergen in six purpose-bred cats. Five intravenous infusions of allogeneic MSCs (n = 4; MSC-treated) or saline (n = 2; placebo-treated) were administered over the first 130 days after asthma induction.

Update on feline asthma.

This article provides an overview of recent advances in the diagnosis and treatment of feline asthma. The authors discuss the potential pitfalls in the diagnosis of feline asthma. In addition, current literature investigating new therapies for the treatment of feline asthma is reviewed.