Cat wheezing

Question
I have taken my cat to the vet almost weekly since we brought her home from a rescue center on Christmas.  She has had ear mites, Giardia and now an unexplained wheezing noise in her nose.  She acts great.  Eats, drinks, and plays like a healthy kitty.  She is approx. 9 months old. The vet xrayed her lungs and said that there is a gray area on the front over lungs that should not be there. She said that she would suspect lymphoma, but the cat is acting normal so she "thinks" that it may be scar tissue from previous uri infections from living with 30+ cats in her previous location. (She is an only cat here). When we got her she seemed healthy though.  We have changed her food to grain free thinking it may be an allergy, but that would not account for the gray fibrous area on her lung xray.  The vet ruled out asthma. Our cat wheezes through her nose and coughs/gags when she purrs. Seems like she has something stuck, but nothing ever comes up.  Sounds like a smokers cough.

Answer
Cindy -  

Unfortunately, I cannot give you a diagnosis because I have not given your cat a physical exam or had the benefit of viewing the radiographs.  However, it sounds as though the constant wheezing may be the result of a chronic upper respiratory infection.  It is not uncommon for a cat to have scar tissue in the nares after several bouts of upper respiratory infection.  

Regarding the "gray areas" on the radiograph of her chest, continue to monitor  her closely for any indications of a decline in her health which would be the result of the lymphoma.  However, I agree with your veterinarian that she may have developed scar tissue after
a bout with lower respiratory disease such as pneumonia.  Such diseases are common for animals that live in a cattery.  

Best of Luck -

Charlotte Sherrell, DVM