pot-bellied ex-feral

Question
We have taken in an ex-feral and he has become a lovely cat.  He is about a year and half old and we have had him for two months, before this he was in a foster home for a few months.  Since coming to us he has been quite sniffily and developed a cough.  We have had him vaccinated and started his worming and flea treatment a week ago (he was too nervous to catch before then) and his breathing is a lot quieter, but he still gets a bit of a cough.  His coat is not in great condition and now he is looking a bit pot-bellied, but his hind is still quite skinny. He was underweight when he came to us, could it be that he is just putting on weight disproportionately?  He is an indoor cat and he likes his food.  The vet said is could be worms or a food allergy.  We want to find out if it is a food allergy but don't know how long to wait and see if the wormer has done the trick.  He has also become quite flatulent.

Answer
Nicota,

First off, I am not a vet!!!!!

Although food allergies may result in a pot belly, more likely food allergies result in overgrooming (i.e. licking off hair).  The worming should take a week or two to kick in.  I am assuming he was wormed for both round worms and tape worms!?!?

Given that this cat is ex-feral it is impossible to know what his full history is. There are a number of possible causes to the pot bellied syndrome including an enlarged liver (but the cat would, most likely, be jaundiced), fluid in the abdomen caused by feline infectious peritonitis, malnutrition to name a few.

I would keep a watchful eye and see if the cat begins to fill out along the back bone.  If this does not happen, you may want to pursue more investigation with your vet.

Please let me know how it goes.

Concerned regards... Norm.