| Respiratory distress in cats can be a frightening | | | | that may show early signs that your cat is have |
| experience for both you and your cat, but in the | | | | trouble breathing, is if they pant. Cats should never |
| vast majority of cases, you may not even know | | | | pant unless they have had an extremely frightening |
| that your pet has this condition until it becomes very | | | | experience; or, if they have a stressful experience. If |
| serious. With any type of trouble in breathing, your | | | | they pant from stress, it is almost always due to a |
| cat will experience a shortness of breath at any time | | | | difficulty in breathing properly and you now know |
| during their normal breathing process rather it be | | | | what is causing the stress. |
| breathing in or breathing out. | | | | Causes: |
| When this condition starts to become severe, your | | | | Respiratory distress in cats can literally have over a |
| cat may not be getting enough oxygen from the | | | | hundred potential causes, but there are some that |
| lungs into their tissues which may become a life | | | | are far and away the most common. The first is |
| threatening situation. | | | | from a heart disease or an actual failure of the heart |
| Respiratory distress in cats, also referred to as | | | | and this breathing problem may be your best chance |
| Dyspnea, has a litany of potential causes ranging | | | | at doing something before it becomes too late. Heart |
| from fluid on the lungs, called Edema, to the beginning | | | | failure in cats is a situation where your pets heart is |
| stages of heart failure. What makes this condition | | | | not pumping enough blood to their muscles and other |
| especially challenging to owners, is that it is a | | | | tissues. Without this blood supply, oxygen can not be |
| developing situation that is experienced by your cat | | | | delivered and the result is respiratory distress. |
| and may show you only limited symptoms that will | | | | The next potential cause is from fluid in the lungs of |
| warn you that something is wrong. | | | | your pet which is a very common condition is all |
| If your cat could talk, they would tell you that | | | | breeds of cats and is referred to as Pleural effusion. |
| something is not right and they have one of the five | | | | With this condition, your cat develops an abnormal |
| stages of this frightening condition. You may not see | | | | accumulation of fluid in their pleural space, which is |
| it, but they are living it. | | | | the cavity that lies between their lungs and thoracic |
| Stage one is where your cat has absolutely no | | | | wall. |
| problems breathing unless there has been some type | | | | There is always a small amount of fluid present in this |
| of a very strenuous experience or exercise. Stage | | | | cavity that acts as a lubricant in preventing friction |
| two is when they start to have trouble breathing | | | | and as such allows your cats lungs to expand and |
| when walking for long distances or have exerted | | | | contract normally. However, when something goes |
| more energy than normal. Stage three is where your | | | | wrong in either the production of this fluid or the |
| cat starts to have trouble breathing during any type | | | | removal of the fluid, it allows for a very large amount |
| of a normal walking or routine activity and they have | | | | of other fluids to enter this space. Once this occurs, |
| to stop in order to catch their breath. | | | | the lungs do not operate properly and the lobes may |
| Stage four is where they have to completely stop | | | | actually collapse, which is life threatening. |
| after only a few minutes and now are having a much | | | | Lung diseases as well as tumors or a cancer growth |
| more difficult time in getting breath into their lungs. | | | | which places pressure on your cats airways are also |
| Stage five is when they have reached a point where | | | | potential causes of respiratory distress in cats. Some |
| they are having a difficult time in breathing in just | | | | type of a traumatic incident that has caused your cat |
| getting up or down. | | | | to bleed internally affecting their lungs may also be |
| But there is one major problem; your cat can not talk | | | | the cause. |
| and communicate with you how this potentially life | | | | However, perhaps the fastest growing concern for |
| threatening condition is actually affecting them, but it | | | | cat owners with respiratory distress is from viral, |
| is affecting them. Although it might not be as visible | | | | bacterial, or fungal infections, as well as lung worms. |
| to you as several other types of condition that will | | | | Viral pneumonia as well as chronic bronchitis is |
| have symptoms that are easy to detect and react | | | | potential causes. Chronic bronchitis is more common in |
| to, there are still some symptoms that you can | | | | younger cats and viral pneumonia as well as cancer is |
| watch for. | | | | more common in older cats. |
| Symptoms: | | | | But there is one other common cause that seems to |
| The first symptom that may indicate your cat has a | | | | be a growing concern in both North America as well |
| difficulty in breathing will be a sudden inclination to | | | | several European countries, especially is heavily |
| become stressed very easily. This symptom will be | | | | wooded landscapes or by lakes, and that is Lung |
| even more apparent to you than the actual difficulty | | | | worms. If your cat spends a lot of time outdoors, |
| in breathing. Your cat is experiencing something and | | | | they are especially at risk and can become infected |
| the sensation they are going through will begin to | | | | by eating snails or slugs that are infected by lung |
| stress even the calmest of cats. | | | | worms. |
| The next obvious symptom will be coughing. It is | | | | The major cause of a cat starting to cough is from |
| extremely abnormal for a cat to cough and any time | | | | this infection, which very rapidly affects your pets |
| they do it should send you all kinds of warning signals | | | | lungs and their ability to breathe properly. |
| and this is no exception. Once they start to cough, | | | | Summary: |
| pay very close attention to their breathing habits. | | | | Respiratory distress in cats is very difficult for you to |
| Knowing and understanding the normal breathing rate | | | | detect, but not difficult at all for your pet as they |
| in your cat is extremely important even under normal | | | | know something is wrong. If you learn your cats |
| circumstances. The best time to test your cats | | | | breathing patterns and listen to them very closely, |
| number of breaths is when they are sleeping. Normal | | | | you can hear them talking to you with their breathing. |
| respiratory rates in a healthy cat should be | | | | If it becomes anything other than the smooth and |
| somewhere between 20 and 30 breaths per minute. | | | | rhythmic 20 to 30 breaths per minute, you than |
| However, the most telling as well as chilling symptom | | | | know all you need to know to begin to help them. |