What to do if your cat often breathes from his stomach. Respiratory system of a cat: possible disorders and their causes The cat has rapid belly breathing

In this article I will talk about heavy breathing in cats and its causes. I will explain the signs indicating a problem in the respiratory system of a pet. I will explain how to provide first aid and transport a cat to a veterinary clinic if he is breathing heavily from his stomach. I will list the moments when rapid inhalation is a variant of the norm or pathology.

The main causes of deterioration in breathing in a cat

It is difficult to notice the healthy normal breathing of a cat.

If it becomes clear that your pet is having difficulty breathing, he has to make an effort to inhale or exhale, the sound when inhaling has changed, this means that the functioning of the respiratory system is impaired.

In most cases, deterioration in breathing is associated with nasal congestion, for example, during a runny nose or foreign objects. Colds are not uncommon and can be easily treated.

Sometimes, during difficulty breathing, the pet may experience pain. Externally, this manifests itself as the following signs:

cat looks worried and scared;
the muzzle is stretched out in an unusual grimace;
pupils dilated;
tail pressed to body;
mustache pressed;
animal aggressively.

Heavy belly breathing is a sign that your cat is not feeling well. It looks as if the pet is trying to inhale air with its stomach and push it out when exhaling. This type of breathing is called abdominal.

Normally, the abdominal muscles should not be used. When healthy, there is a vacuum in the sternum around the lungs. It allows the lungs to expand when inhaling.

In case of injury or serious illness, air (pneumothorax) or liquid (hydrothorax) may enter the chest cavity, which is why the lungs cannot expand normally and take in air when inhaling.

The compensatory functions of the body are involved: the diaphragm is included in the inhalation process, so it is carried out by the “stomach”.

This condition is extremely life-threatening for the pet and requires urgent hospitalization to a veterinary clinic.

Shortness of breath in cats always indicates that the animal is unhealthy and requires increased attention from the owner.

The cause can be both chronic and acute conditions:

diseases of the respiratory system;
progressive anemia;
recent operations under anesthesia;
diseases of the cardiovascular system.

Heavy breathing with an open mouth occurs due to oxygen starvation of the body. In this state, you can notice a pose that is not typical for the cat’s normal behavior. It looks like this: the pet spreads its front legs wide, stretches its head and neck (trying to straighten the trachea), opens its mouth and breathes with shortness of breath.

This condition indicates that oxygen from the inhaled air is not delivered to the organs and tissues of the body. As a result, hypoxia occurs - a serious, life-threatening condition.

Another cause of open-mouth breathing is a cat in shock. This is a severe circulatory disorder, also leading to hypoxia. This condition can occur due to injury, allergic reaction and intoxication of the body.

Heavy breathing with your tongue hanging out also indicates oxygen starvation. Sometimes such a reaction occurs in a cat after active physical activity. In this case, a blue tongue may appear. After resting a little, the cat returns to normal and all symptoms disappear.

This condition indicates heart failure and requires consultation with a specialist.

First aid

Signs that your cat needs emergency help:

frequent difficulty breathing with an open mouth or protruding tongue, like a dog, abdominal inhalation;
sounds uncharacteristic for a pet (wheezing);
unusual unnatural pose;
the pet is lying down and cannot get up;
anxiety, fear, aggressiveness, lethargic pet;
pallor and blueness of the mucous membranes(gums, lips, tongue).

If these symptoms are detected, it is necessary to urgently take the cat to a veterinary clinic.

It is strictly forbidden to administer human medications or perform any procedures on your own. This group of products is completely unsuitable for use in animals and can cause irreparable harm to health.

The only thing a person can do to help their pet before coming to the veterinarian is to create maximum access to fresh cool air and try to calm the animal.

Transportation to the veterinary clinic and treatment

When transporting to a veterinary clinic, it is necessary to ensure as much fresh air as possible. You need to transport your pet in a carrier (if it does not cause stress). There is no need to hug or cuddle your pet.

If breathing is difficult, the process of inhalation and exhalation is difficult for the animal, and constrained movements will only aggravate the situation.

At the veterinary clinic, the pet will be placed in an oxygen chamber or allowed to breathe oxygen using a special mask. Sometimes urgent surgery and artificial ventilation are required.

If the cause of the disorder is a foreign body entering the respiratory tract, the veterinarian will be able to carefully remove it.

In other cases, after providing first aid, the veterinarian will collect an anamnesis from the cat’s owner and prescribe the necessary examination.

After a complete examination, the veterinarian will determine the true cause of the disease and prescribe treatment.

Breathing disorders are a serious pathological condition that requires a comprehensive examination and proper treatment. You won’t be able to solve the problem yourself at home without harming your pet.

When fast breathing is normal

Frequency is the total number of breaths taken in 1 minute.

The normal breathing rate for a cat is 20-30 breaths per minute. In this case, slight deviations in both directions are possible. For example, a cat that inhales up to 35 times per minute, in the absence of other symptoms indicating illness, is completely healthy.

It is normal to inhale more frequently after physical activity and during hot weather. This is how the body tries to cool down.

During times of fear or stress, a cat's breathing may also become faster.

If breathing problems are not associated with these reasons and have the symptoms described above, you cannot postpone a visit to the veterinarian.

In the article I talked about respiratory dysfunction in cats. She listed its signs and possible causes. Describes cases in which changes in inhalation are normal and those in which urgent veterinary attention is needed, including signs that are similar in young kittens.

All existing causes of shortness of breath in a cat can be divided into two large groups:

extraneous, that is, physiological;
those that are provoked by the disease. With them, shortness of breath becomes one of the symptoms of the disease.

Natural reasons:

Overheating. Because of the heat, the animal opens its mouth and breathes frequently, sometimes sticking out its tongue. Since cats do not have sweat glands, they can only cool themselves in this way.
Extreme fatigue after a long period of running, playing, or other physical exertion. Heavy breathing is a sign of “turning on” the compensatory functions of the body.
A stressful condition of any origin can cause shortness of breath.
The pain syndrome can also cause rapid difficulty breathing.
Shortness of breath in an older cat is a sign of wear and tear on the entire body, a natural aging process.
When an animal is exhausted, it suffers from weakness, accompanied by shortness of breath at the slightest effort.
The same phenomenon is observed with overweight and obesity in a domestic cat.

Dyspnea may indicate the presence of:

diseases of the cardiovascular system, primarily hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This disease in cats is difficult to diagnose, since it is not accompanied by pronounced symptoms, for example, like dry heart cough in dogs;
diseases of the respiratory system. This could be a common cold with a runny nose, an allergic reaction, bronchial asthma and many other equally dangerous diseases;
consequences of anesthesia. If, after surgery, the cat breathes frequently and with difficulty with its mouth open and its tongue hanging out, this may be an indicator of the development of complications after the anesthetic drug;
poisoning, including CO. It is usually accompanied by a whole range of different symptoms;
progressive anemia. This dangerous disease occurs due to too low hemoglobin in the blood. With it, the animal weakens, constantly freezes, hides, eats poorly - it has no appetite.

If a cat begins to breathe heavily, then some kind of disease has probably begun to progress in her body. Here are examples of the most common ones:

Hypoxia.
Inhalation of food particles or toys.
Heart failure.
Joy.
Heat.
Allergy.
Injuries.
Fever.
Poisoning.
Tumor.
Hydrothorax.
Pneumothorax.

Now let's look at each of them in more detail.

Hypoxia is a lack of oxygen in organs and tissues. This disease has acute and chronic forms. Acute occurs with large blood losses. The chronic form appears as a result of diseases of the respiratory system, liver, and blood.

If heavy breathing is accompanied by wheezing, this may indicate that there is a foreign body in the nasopharynx.

Heart failure makes itself felt after the pet finishes its active games. At the same time, you can notice not only heavy breathing, but also a cyanosis of the tongue, which soon disappears.

If an animal experiences shock, its blood circulation is disrupted, resulting in a lack of oxygen.

A pet that has damage to the ribs, chest and spine will breathe from the stomach, while the ribs are practically motionless.

When a cat experiences joy, its breathing quickens, but this is a temporary phenomenon.

Hydrothorax very rarely occurs as an independent disease. As a rule, this disease appears in parallel with heart failure, anemia, or kidney and liver diseases. This disease often leads to lymph outflow, stagnation in the veins, and decreased functionality of the heart muscle. All this can lead to the death of the animal.

There are 3 types of pneumothorax: open, closed and valve.
Open pneumothorax occurs during injury when a hole is created and air enters and exits during inhalation and exhalation.
Closed pneumothorax also occurs as a result of injury, only air remains in place. The passage to it is closed by a blood clot.
And the most dangerous form is valve pneumothorax, since air enters with every breath, but cannot escape because it is closed by a valve.

The more complex the injury during pneumothorax, the less likely the animal is to survive. If the injury is not severe, then the animal will live. If a large amount of air penetrates, the organs in the chest become cold, the volume of the lungs decreases, and respiratory distress occurs. In addition, infection can enter the lungs and chest through the wound.

The animal may become frightened by this condition and begin to breathe rapidly, resulting in suffocation.

Genetic diseases of the cardiovascular system and congenital heart defects (non-occlusion of the ductus botallus, pulmonary stenosis)
Acquired defects and arterial hypertension.
Infections, poisoning or inflammatory diseases of the heart or lungs.
Malfunctions of the endocrine system - hyperthyroidism and diabetes.
Arrhythmias.
Cardiomyopathies.

The most common cause is cardiomyopathy - a dysfunction of the heart muscle, which can be either dystrophic or hypertrophic in nature.

In dystrophic or dilated heart failure, heart failure develops due to excessively dilated cavities that prevent normal ejection volume.

With myocardial hypertrophy, the volume of blood ejected decreases due to a decrease in the cavities of the excessively enlarged heart muscle.

In addition to the direct causes leading to the development of deficiency, there are a number of predisposing factors: obesity, adynamia, poor nutrition, frequent infections and weakened immunity.

This is what rapid breathing is called. In medical language, pathology sounds like tachypnea. Very often, with this diagnosis, the animal takes a position in which the front legs are extended and the back is arched.

Tachypnea in cats can be pathological and physiological. The second type is the norm. Observed after birth, when the cat is hot. In this natural way, the pet’s body returns to normal. Sometimes physiological shortness of breath in animals can be observed after castration or sterilization. In this case, the cat also recovers from the effects of anesthesia and comes to its senses.

Symptoms of shortness of breath

Tachypnea in cats manifests itself in specific behavior. The animal tries to lie down and take a semi-recumbent position to facilitate breathing. His mouth may be half open. At the same time, appetite decreases sharply. The cat's condition is apathetic. Breathing becomes noisy, fast, hoarse, or shallow. It may seem to the owner that the cat is constantly sleeping.

He also tends to hide in far corners and hide; he is irritated by light. Sometimes he may cough. The animal's gums become blue or burgundy. This is a sign that there is not enough hemoglobin in the blood, all tissues are poorly supplied with oxygen. If the course of tachypnea is mild, then there may not be such symptoms.

If tachypnea is observed in an old cat (more than 10 years), then most likely it is due to chronic heart failure. It always causes shortness of breath. But if we are talking about tachypnea in representatives of brachycephalic breeds, for example, Persians, then this phenomenon is considered the norm among them. After all, such violations are provoked by the flattening of the animal’s muzzle. Yes, in this case, tachypnea can hardly be called physiological.

Upper respiratory tract problems

Damage to the nostrils and sinuses (infections, narrowing, inflammation, tumors)
Damage to the soft palate
Diseases of the larynx (tumor, collapse, paralysis, spasm)
Tracheal diseases (tumors, collapse, foreign bodies)
Damage (compression) of the upper respiratory tract (tumors, lymph nodes)

Problems related to the lower respiratory tract

Lower respiratory tract disorders include obstructive diseases and restrictive diseases:

In most cases, tachypnea is not dangerous, but it can also cause serious illnesses that can even be life-threatening. Therefore, tachypnea should not be ignored and should be contacted by a veterinarian.

Congenital defects (especially obstructive cardiomyopathy - narrowing of the aortic lumen).

Congenital diseases of the heart valves.

Excessive and incorrect treatment, incompatibility of drugs used.

Hyperthyroidism (excessive production of thyroid hormones).

Oncological pathologies.

Tachycardia is often provoked by pancreatitis.

Types of heart failure

According to the characteristics of the process, this disease can be divided into acute and chronic. Typically, cats are characterized by chronic insufficiency.

Acute heart failure

Occurs in people with a sudden disruption of the blood supply to the myocardium (infarction). Cats do not have the main factor that leads to blockage of coronary vessels - atherosclerosis. This feature of the cat family lies in their diet, which does not clog its blood vessels with cholesterol plaques. Heart attacks occur due to a sharp imbalance in the functioning of the nervous and endocrine systems during severe stressful situations. The stress response can be so severe that it causes the heart to stop completely.

The most stressful (and deadly) veterinary procedure is the operation of pulling out claws, which leads to disability of the pet due to the removal of the first phalanges of the fingers.

Chronic heart failure

It often affects our pets, regardless of breed and age. The disease can develop even in a young animal from 1 year old. The main characteristic of this form is the slow progression of the disease; the animal may not show any signs of failure due to the powerful compensatory properties of the cardiovascular system. Unfortunately, this uniqueness forces cat owners to seek veterinary help even in severe stages of the disease.

Symptoms of shortness of breath

Conventionally, shortness of breath is divided into physiological and pathological. The first occurs in a cat as a reaction to stress or overheating, as well as after injury. The second accompanies diseases of the internal organs.

In addition, it is customary to classify shortness of breath:

Depending on the change in the frequency of respiratory movements into bradypnea (sparse and shallow breathing) and tachypnea (shallow, rapid breathing). The first develops due to damage to the brain structures and membranes of the brain, perhaps with ascites and endocrine diseases (diabetes). The latter is called “the breath of a hunted animal” and develops with anemia, heat and severe stress.
Depending on which part of the respiratory movement is difficult, inspiratory and expiratory shortness of breath are distinguished. In the first case, breathing occurs with difficulty inhaling (in case of trauma to the trachea by a tumor or some object). In the second case, the animal has difficulty exhaling. This happens with bronchial asthma. There may also be a mixed form of pathology. Mixed forms can develop after a car injury or a fall from a great height.

Shortness of breath is a symptom of a large number of pathological conditions. Sometimes very serious, for example, cerebral dyspnea, which develops when a tumor or hematoma puts pressure on the respiratory center in the pet’s brain.

Signs of pathology

Signs of breathing problems in an animal are not only breathing with an open mouth. The owner may notice:

unusual pose of the pet;
wheezing sounds when breathing;
bluish coloration of visible mucous membranes (oral mucosa, gums);
it is difficult for the cat to inhale or exhale; she breathes too quickly.

If these signs did not appear as a result of visible physical efforts of the pet, it must be shown to a veterinarian. Because shortness of breath can be a sign of a serious illness.

Symptoms

If your cat has shortness of breath, it may be accompanied by the following additional signs:

When overheated, tired, severely stressed, or in pain, the animal tries to hide, lies, sometimes on a wet and cold surface, breathes with an open mouth with its tongue hanging out, making the same movements as a dog.
A cat can drink a lot.
Her pupils are dilated, she is scared and nervous.
If dyspnea is caused by a disease, the cat may have nausea, vomiting, severe weakness, lethargy, apathy, refusal to eat, or an increase or decrease in body temperature.
An animal may sleep a lot if it has circulatory problems or heart problems.
In diseases of the respiratory organs, shortness of breath may be accompanied by sneezing, noise in the lungs, mucus from the nose, inflammation and the appearance of mucous or purulent discharge.

Only an experienced veterinarian with extensive experience who has modern equipment in the clinic can recognize which disease or physiological disorder caused the development of dyspnea. This is especially true for hard-to-diagnose heart diseases, so if owners want to help their pet, the best thing they can do is take him to a veterinary clinic.

Cough
Labored breathing
Blue gums
Fatigue
Weight loss
Poor appetite
Excessive thirst or frequent urination
Vomit
Diarrhea

When your cat is breathing rapidly and you, not knowing what to do, are looking for advice on this topic on the Internet on forums, we recommend not to self-medicate or experiment on your beloved cat. The fact is that there are many reasons for tachypnea in an animal, and the consequences of your experiment may disappoint you and your family.

With the development of acute pathology, external symptoms appear within several hours. The chronic course of the underlying disease causes shortness of breath as the hemodynamic, gas exchange and perfusion characteristics of the lungs change.

Changes usually begin with an increase in breathing rate (over 35 breaths per minute). A characteristic symptom of cats is “dog breathing,” when the animal breathes with its mouth open. Excitement occurs, contractions of the abdominal muscles to assist the act of breathing, and panic increases over time.

If the cause of the pathological condition is fluid accumulation or bronchial asthma, wheezing becomes audible, sometimes at a distance (remote). The cyanotic color of the visible mucous membranes and skin quickly increases, and certain areas of the oral cavity turn pale.

Diagnosis of shortness of breath in cats

It is very important to identify the disease in the initial stages of development. This can be done by an experienced doctor in a well-equipped clinic, since in this case a banal phonendoscope will not do.

It is necessary to carefully collect all the information you know - what infectious and chronic diseases your pet suffers from, how long ago the symptoms of the disease began, the presence of vaccinations and changes in the animal’s behavior.

General examination – will help with preventive examinations. It helps to identify the disease in the absence of external manifestations, based on listening to murmurs, rhythm disturbances and visualizing the cardiac impulse (a sign of myocardial hypertrophy).

It is definitely worth measuring blood pressure to rule out hypertension and identify disorders in one of the blood circulation. With reduced values, dilated heart failure can be suspected.

General blood tests and biochemistry are performed. It is also worth taking blood samples for thyroid hormones to rule out hyperthyroidism. And check for increased sugar levels.

ECG is the main way to detect abnormalities in the heart. Allows you to identify functional changes in the myocardium and the presence of arrhythmias. A more clear picture of heart failure can be seen with an ultrasound scan.

It is also necessary to take an x-ray, on which you can see the expansion of the borders of the heart, its displacement from its normal position, fluid in the heart sac and pleural cavity, as well as ascites.

Before starting tests, factors that may cause tachypnea (overheating, stress, excessive physical exertion) should be considered and eliminated. If tachypnea continues or progresses despite removal of possible causes, then it is important not to ignore the problem and contact your veterinarian immediately. Your doctor may order the following tests:

A complete blood count, blood chemistry panel, and urinalysis are important basic tests. They will help identify anemia, infections and diabetes.
Test for the presence of helminths
Measuring eye pressure blood
Test for hyperadrenocorticism (Cushing's syndrome)
X-ray to identify a foreign body or tumor in the upper respiratory tract
Ultrasound of the heart and chest cavity
Cytology or thoracentesis (taking fluid, air, or tissue from the chest for analysis)
Computed tomography, rhinoscopy or trachiobronchoscopy are prescribed in more severe cases

First of all, it is necessary to exclude factors that can provoke the development of tachypnea in a cat (heat, stress, physical activity). If tachypnea persists and/or symptoms worsen or are present for a long time, you should contact your veterinarian.

Standard examination includes general and biochemical blood tests and urine analysis. They will help identify diseases that cause rapid breathing, such as anemia, infection and diabetes.

Also held:

analysis of thyroid hormone (T4) levels in all cats over six years of age;
analysis for leukemia and immunodeficiency virus;
arterial blood gas analysis to assess the patient’s acid-base balance;
chest radiographs. Sometimes an X-ray of the neck is needed to identify foreign bodies or tumors in the upper airway;
ultrasonography heart and chest cavity;
thoracentesis (taking fluid, air, or tissue from the chest cavity), fluid analysis, or cytology.

More detailed diagnostics may include rhinoscopy, bronchoscopy, and computed tomography.

Not only anamnesis and a general physical examination, but also an in-depth examination, including:

Careful auscultation to detect changes in the functioning of the heart and lungs.
Tonometry.
X-ray of the chest, neck, abdomen.
Cardiological examination with ECG and EchoCG according to indications.
Laboratory blood test.
When performing a puncture, pathological fluid from the pleural cavity is also transferred to the laboratory.
Severe cases requiring in-depth differential diagnosis are an indication for bronchoscopy and esophagoscopy.

It is important to remember that shortness of breath in cats is not an independent disease, but a symptom indicating the progression of the underlying disease or the development of complications. Therefore, a thorough diagnosis will help to begin timely, effective therapy.

Animal treatment

At the hospital, the animal will be examined and a number of examinations and tests will be performed. Only by accurately establishing the cause of the condition will the veterinarian know what to do in a particular situation. Treatment is always aimed primarily at eliminating the cause of shortness of breath, that is, the underlying disease, so it is never the same for all cats. Only by coping with it can you count on the disappearance of shortness of breath.

If this condition is associated with natural causes, then it is important for the animal owner to eliminate the source of shortness of breath. If the cat is overheated, it needs to be given water and placed in a cool place. If weakness is severe, you will have to wet her head and limbs with water. If the cat gets worse, it is necessary to take him to the clinic.

When stressed, you need to talk to the cat as softly and quietly as possible, without trying to forcefully pick it up or stroke it if it avoids. In this state, she can even bite the owner. We need to protect her from unnecessary attention and allow her to calmly come to her senses by eliminating the source of stress.

An exhausted animal is shown to a veterinarian and a diet enriched with vitamins and nutrients is developed for it. For an obese cat, everything is done exactly the opposite, that is, they cut back on calories and portion sizes, gradually introducing more active movement and weight loss games into his life.

Once you are sure that the owners have done everything for their pet, you can be confident about its future. You should always remember that in domestic cats, symptoms of heart disease can be mistaken for laziness and personality traits of the animal. If your cat is fat, inactive, and short of breath, take him to the vet before it's too late.

Since the causes of the disease are different, the methods of treating your pet are completely different. Breathing on your own can return to normal only after experiencing emotions of joy and shock. In other cases, only a veterinarian can help.

Hypoxia in a cat can be cured with the help of pharmacological drugs that reduce oxygen consumption by tissues.

If pieces of food or particles of a toy get into the animal’s nasopharynx, then you should not try to pull them out yourself. Only a doctor can do this.

In the case when heavy breathing is accompanied by fever and cough, this may indicate that the animal has bronchitis or laryngeal edema.

Wheezing breathing can be characteristic not only of diseases such as hydrothorax and pneumothorax, but also with edema, pneumonia and heart disease.

It is imperative to examine the cat's body; if scratches and bruises are visible on it, it may have injuries. An animal with serious bruises loses its appetite and is constantly thirsty. It needs to be shown to a specialist, possibly an ultrasound or x-ray.

To cure hydrothorax, you first need to determine the cause of the disease. Treatment is carried out with a course of antibiotics and vitamins, as well as cardiac and diuretics. You should also limit your pet's intake of water and liquid food. The cat is punctured and the fluid is partially removed, no more than 300 ml.

Treatment of hydrothorax is ineffective, therefore they mainly treat expensive purebred animals.

In any case, no matter how severe the animal’s condition, there is no need to abandon it to its fate. Let a specialist examine the cat and decide its fate himself. If there is even a small chance of salvation, you must seize it.

If you notice signs of heart failure in your pet, be sure and urgently contact the clinic. Acute oxygen starvation can lead to asphyxia and death of the animal!

Treatment should begin with a salt-free diet for your pet and reducing the total amount of liquid he drinks. It is necessary to give moderate physical activity; you can include walks in the fresh air for these purposes. During exercise, carefully monitor the animal's condition to avoid shortness of breath and increased cyanosis.

Drug therapy should be carried out taking into account the severity of the disease and changes in the heart muscle. The main effect of the drugs should be aimed at normalizing blood supply, restoring the functioning of the myocardium and blood flow.

To remove fluid from the cavities, diuretics are prescribed. The drug of choice is hydrochlorothiazide, which has minimal side effects when taken in low dosages. Should be taken in the morning.

For severe symptoms of CHF, furosemide is used; it begins to act within 15 minutes after administration.

The main drugs used to treat heart failure are ACE inhibitors. These include enalapril and captopril. The dosage is selected strictly individually. During therapy, the animal’s condition must be monitored and blood pressure measured.

Cardiac glycosides are aimed at improving myocardial trophism. Digoxin is used for treatment, but its use is contraindicated in the presence of arrhythmias. Prescribed in minimal doses, gradually increasing to the optimal amount over the course of a week.

To improve pumping function, beta-blockers are used - bisoprolol, metaprolol. The starting dose should be an eighth of the expected dose, and increased every 2 weeks.

Standard drug therapy regimens:

Only ACE inhibitors are used in the treatment of the initial stages of the disease.
ACE inhibitor and diuretic - with the development of insufficiency of 2 or 3 degrees.
ACE inhibitor, diuretic, cardiac glycoside and beta-blocker are the most common and “gold standard” therapy in veterinary medicine.

If possible, the underlying causes (heat, stress, strain) should be identified and eliminated.
Symptomatic therapy
Oxygen therapy if the pet is in serious condition
Antibiotics or anti-inflammatory medications for infectious or inflammatory diseases
Fluid therapy is indicated for dehydration or systemic disease (eg, uremia)

It is not the shortness of breath itself that needs to be treated, but the cause that caused it. If the animal overheats, it needs to be moved to a cooler room. Experienced breeders recommend cutting long-haired pets for the summer.

If the animal reacts violently to not too serious stimuli, for example, it is afraid of trips to the clinic, you can ask the veterinarian to recommend sedatives (Cat Bayun or VetSpokoin).

If your pet is too well-fed, gets tired quickly and breathes heavily, it’s time to think about a proper diet for him. There are special dietary foods for this, which your veterinarian will help you choose.

If the shortness of breath is caused by something more serious, then special treatment, drug or surgical, will be needed.

The underlying cause of tachypnea must be identified and addressed.

Symptomatic therapy should be carried out while searching for the root cause. This includes oxygen therapy, antibiotics or anti-inflammatory drugs for animals with infectious or inflammatory diseases, and fluid therapy for dehydration or underlying systemic diseases.

Therapeutic measures depend on the cause that caused shortness of breath. Increasing respiratory failure requires urgent initiation of therapy before an accurate diagnosis is made in order to stabilize the patient's condition. The animal is placed in an oxygen chamber to improve oxygenation. According to indications, thoracentesis is performed (removal of fluid or air accumulation from the pleural cavity).

Drugs are prescribed to relieve swelling and remove excess fluid from the body. Cardiac glycosides and bronchodilators are administered. If the cause of shortness of breath is a bacterial infection, then broad-spectrum antibiotics are used.

If the measures taken do not eliminate respiratory failure, tracheal intubation with further connection to a ventilator is indicated.

When the cat returns home, you need to carefully follow the veterinarian’s recommendations, avoid stress, and control appetite and activity. This will help prevent relapses of the disease, and will also increase the quality and life expectancy of the animal.

Therapy

In many cases of mild tachycardia, treatment consists of prescribing medications that help restore normal electrolyte balance. If the cat is unstable (severe weakness, fainting, or arrhythmic episodes), hospitalization and treatment in a clinical setting with continuous intravenous drug infusion may be required.

Once the animal's condition has stabilized, oral medications may be prescribed. It should be remembered that all medications prescribed by the veterinarian must be given to the animal in strict accordance with his instructions. This is due to the possibility of relapses of the disease. Finally, older and weaker cats often require lifelong treatment, as the worn-out heart requires constant support.

Prevention

if you choose a kitten with a pedigree, study its relatives for the presence of chronic and genetic diseases, as well as congenital malformations.
Avoid developing obesity.
Give rational exercise to the cat in order to prevent adynamia.
Regularly conduct preventive examinations with a veterinarian to identify the disease in the initial stages.
Try to minimize stressful situations for your four-legged friend.

If hot weather is the cause of your pet's heavy, rapid breathing, you should place him near a fan. Spraying from a spray bottle is allowed. Some owners wash their cats. But this procedure can cause stress. It is advisable to trim long-haired pets for the summer.

If the root cause was stress, you can give the animal sedative medications such as Kot Bayun and Stop Stress.

More often it is caused physiologically, less often it occurs due to health problems. It is important for the owner to be able to distinguish the first from the second in order, if necessary, to promptly seek help from a veterinarian. Persistent and progressive respiratory failure can lead to the death of the pet.

You can guess that a cat has health problems if, while breathing:

wheezing or whistling is heard;
air is captured and released with difficulty;
the animal sits in an unusual position, is worried, tries to lie down, but is suffocating, so it gets up again and again;
the animal breathes with its mouth slightly open and it is clear that the mucous membranes of the gums and lips are pale pink or bluish in color;
the frequency of inhalations and exhalations is noticeably higher or lower than normal.

Breathing with your mouth slightly open is a sure sign of shortness of breath

On a note! The body of animals living on land is designed in such a way that it does not accumulate precious oxygen, but receives it in the current mode from the air, through respiratory movements. If the process is disrupted for some reason, the animal’s life is endangered.

Types of shortness of breath

Breathing difficulties in cats caused by diseases are classified into:

bradypnea - rare breathing that occurs due to insufficient functioning of the corresponding center of the brain;
tachypnea - frequent, shallow breathing - one of the signs of fever, and possibly blood pathologies.

Depending on the phase that is affected, shortness of breath is defined as:

inspiratory, when breathing is difficult;
expiratory, if there are problems with exhalation;
mixed, when both phases suffer.

Physiologically caused shortness of breath

It is characterized by the fact that:

is caused by natural processes of the body’s vital functions and does not require treatment;
essentially represents a reaction to the influence of stress factors or unfavorable conditions, after which the respiratory process in the animal returns to normal.

Causes

A physiological respiratory disorder develops in an animal when:

Psycho-emotional stress. It is accompanied by the release of a large amount of adrenaline into the blood, which stimulates the heart. The body's need for oxygen increases sharply. To compensate for its deficiency, the cat begins to breathe more often and deeper.
Physical stress. When an animal runs a lot and quickly, the heart contracts more often, oxygen is consumed faster, so the cat breathes more actively than at rest. The same thing happens if the animal overheats.
Stress due to chest injury. The injured pet, in addition to being frightened, experiences pain, which, if the ribs are broken, intensifies with breathing. Inhalations and exhalations become careful, superficial, and the animal’s mouth is open. The situation is critical and requires emergency measures.

Symptoms

We are talking about the behavior of a cat when shortness of breath can be explained by physiological reasons:

the animal is worried about thirst and drinks a lot after active games and running;
the pet becomes lethargic, looks for shade to hide and rest, and if it finds a wet surface, it lies down on it. This happens after a long stay in the heat. After a couple of hours, the cat comes to his senses, eats with pleasure and continues to lead an active lifestyle;
the animal is restless and shows obvious signs of fright, one of which is dilated pupils. Perhaps you had to run away from the dog.

Attention! Such manifestations are considered a physiological norm when they are caused by appropriate circumstances.

How to help a cat

She needs to be left alone, offered a bowl of fresh, cool water, and then given the opportunity to rest and sleep.

Pathological shortness of breath

It, in itself, is not considered a separate pathology, but is always one of the symptoms of a health problem. If breathing difficulties occur regularly, but are in no way related to the influence of unfavorable factors, this is a reason to contact a veterinary clinic to examine your pet and get medical advice.

Symptoms

They are common to shortness of breath in general and are described in detail above, in the subsection “Features of breathing disorders.”

Causes

Breathing problems can be caused by diseases:

Shortness of breath in cats can be a consequence of obesity. Remembering that the constitution of an animal largely depends on the breed, you should know by what external parameters you can suspect that your pet is overweight.

Table 1. Signs that allow you to assess the situation with the animal’s body weight

Weight	Image	Description
		The body is proportional. The ribs and pelvic bones do not protrude, but can be felt without difficulty. The waist (the difference between the width of the chest and pelvis) is visible. The abdomen and chest are covered with a small layer of fatty tissue
		The spinal column and ribs are not immediately palpable. The waist is barely noticeable. There is a noticeable layer of subcutaneous fat on the chest, back and abdomen. After active games, the cat gets tired faster
		The ribs and spine are almost impossible to feel under a thick layer of fatty tissue. The back, chest and large belly are covered with an impressive layer of fat. The cat moves little, suffers from shortness of breath from minor exertion

Attention! The only way to determine the exact cause of respiratory disorders is by contacting a veterinary clinic and submitting your pet for a full examination.

Diagnostics

After a conversation with the owner of the animal, the doctor examines the cat, listens to its breathing and heart rate, and then prescribes:

X-ray examination of the chest organs;
echocardiography;
MRI or CT scan of the head (if there is a suspicion of a tumor);
blood analysis.

Based on the diagnostic results, therapy is prescribed.

Video - Shortness of breath in a cat

Treatment

The main task is to eliminate the underlying pathology that caused respiratory disorders. At the same time, measures are taken to improve and stabilize the animal’s general condition, for example, they allow it to breathe oxygen in an oxygen chamber or through a mask, and if the situation is critical, artificial ventilation is performed.

For pathologies of the respiratory system, bronchodilator, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial medications are prescribed according to indications. In severe cases, the animal is hospitalized.
If a foreign body is detected in the trachea, an operation is performed to remove it, and the swelling is relieved with anti-inflammatory drugs. The process may require intubation of the trachea (insertion of a tube into it through the mouth), or installation of a tracheostomy (the same, but through an incision on the surface of the neck). All this is performed under anesthesia.
An asthma attack is relieved with glucocorticosteroids, as well as bronchodilator drugs.
For cardiovascular pathologies such as cardiomyopathy, beta blockers are indicated, as well as calcium channel blockers and drugs that promote the outflow of urine (diuretics).
With pathologies of the central nervous system, everything depends on the diagnosis. Thus, if a brain tumor is detected, surgery and appropriate therapeutic support are indicated.
For anemia, iron supplements and a complex of vitamins are prescribed. In especially severe cases, we may talk about blood transfusions.

In case of injuries (for example, from a fall from a height), a puncture of the patient’s chest is performed, which is necessary to remove air trapped in the chest. Sometimes drainage is installed for these purposes. Everything is done in a veterinary hospital, where furry patients are under the supervision of veterinarians around the clock.

Considering that there can be many causes of respiratory disorders in cats, prevention comes down to maintaining the normal health of the pet. When it is at the proper level, the animal is hardy and gets sick less often. In this regard, it is recommended:

Feed the cat regularly and in a balanced manner so that it receives the required amount of proteins, vitamins and minerals. The optimal diet will be premium and super premium ready-made food;
make sure that in the summer the animal has somewhere to hide from the heat and heat, and also drink plenty of fresh water;
do not overfeed your pet and do not force it to run or play after eating;
Monitor your cat's health.

Attention! If he begins to breathe heavily, you should not expect that “everything will go away on its own.” If you suspect a pathology, you should show the animal to a veterinarian, and then follow all his recommendations with precision.

Conclusion

Shortness of breath in a cat is an extraordinary phenomenon. The beast will not deliberately push itself periodically to such an extent that it is difficult to breathe. If a cat often sits with his mouth open, he feels very bad. This means that the animal must be saved.

In most cases, we do not even notice our breathing at all, and you can feel the breath of your beloved cat if only he decided to come and sleep in the morning... right under your ear, on a clean pillow. But what to do if a cat’s rapid breathing is noticeable, so to speak, “with the naked eye”? In this case, it is necessary to show your animal to a veterinarian, since this pathology may well be due to some serious reasons.

In general, rapid breathing (as in humans) is called tachypnea. In severe cases, the animal often assumes a position as if it were stretching: the front legs are extended, the back is arched. There are two types: pathological and physiological. Physiological – rapid breathing in a cat after birth. In this case, the body simply returns to normal. What if a cat has rapid breathing after sterilization?

In this case, it is difficult to say anything for sure. Most likely, your pet is recovering from the drugs that were administered to her for anesthesia. But there is also a chance that she developed side effects, which may include heart damage and pulmonary edema. If the cat otherwise feels normal, and the frequency of inhalations and exhalations gradually decreases, then there is no reason to panic. But when the symptoms become worse, and the nose and all visible mucous membranes gradually turn blue, you should urgently call the veterinarian.