Congested, but no discharge.

Question
Hi there.

I have a female cat, about 2 1/2 years old. She's spayed, but her vaccines aren't up to date. She had her first vaccine about a year ago, but I didn't have the money at the time to get her booster.

I've noticed that she always sounds congested. She's acting normally, eating well, playing, affectionate.

I will admit she is a little over weight, I've put her on a food to help her lose weight (Royal Canin spayed/neutered formula and extreme beauty wet).

I have not noticed any signs of a URI, no discharge, sneezing, lethargy or loss of appetite.

I'm just wondering what kind of tests to ask for on her next vet visit? The only thing I've thought to ask for is x-rays, but I don't want to put her under if I don't have to, she tends to be lethargic for days afterwards.

Thanks so much for your time! Look forward to hearing from you :)

Answer
If she is congested and/or wheezy sounding she could possibly have feline asthma.

Helping her to lose weight will benefit her greatly but both of the foods you are feeding are still very high in calories and fat.

If you want her to lose weight safely, then get her some R/D from your vets or some Science Diet Adult Light formula for cats. It has the lowest fat ratio of almost every food you can find in a pet store/Petsmart etc.

I did some research on it years ago and found it have over 300+ calories LESS then the leading "weight loss diets" for cats.

R/d is a prescription diet that will most definitely get weight off of your cat. Having extra weight puts pressure on their lungs which makes it hard to breathe and having asthma compounds that.

You need to have your vet listen to her lungs and determine if this is the problem. They can give you medication to help her breathe better.

There is no need to giver her any anesthetic for an xray. Most cats will cooperate for a few of them.

I hope this helps!