Difficulty Breathing In Cats: What To Do?
Cats are among the most common animals in every household. However, unlike other species, the breathing difficulty in cats may pose a high risk to your health. Here are some of the causes and how we can handle this situation quickly.
How do cats breathe?
Before investigating the causes and remedies of difficulty breathing in cats, it is important to know how cats breathe. That way, if we detect any abnormal behavior, we will be able to identify it and act quickly.
Unlike other mammals such as dogs or humans, cats only breathe through their nose. The respiratory tract of cats is divided into two parts: upper and lower. This means that the mouth is never part of the feline respiratory mechanism.
Therefore, it is important to learn to identify any of the following symptoms in cats:
- Try to breathe with your mouth open.
- Breathing too fast or too fast.
- Symptoms of continuous coughing or sneezing.
- Malaise, fever and nasal secretions.
If we notice that any of these symptoms occur relatively frequently, we should act quickly. The best solution is to see a veterinarian right away.
Causes of Breathing Difficulty in Cats
There are numerous causes that can affect cats’ breathing. One of the main and most common is the feline respiratory complex.
This term is what was coined to refer to a set of diseases that attack the respiratory system. It is usually caused by two viruses: herpes virus and feline calicivirus or FVC.
The target of attack by these viruses is the upper respiratory tract, which includes the eyes, nose, mouth, tongue and throat. This causes, in addition to difficulty breathing, irritation.
The irritation will cause the animal to secrete more saliva, mucus or tears to try to relieve itself. Unfortunately, these are the perfect transport systems for infecting other animals.
This type of transmission makes young cats that live in groups especially vulnerable. If not treated in time, the feline respiratory complex can be deadly.
Feline asthma is another of the most frequent causes of feline respiratory distress. It is usually caused by an inflammation of the bronchi as a result of a harmful or irritating product.
Feline asthma is characterized by breathing difficulties, severe coughing and breathing noise.
As we mentioned above, there are many other causes behind breathing difficulties. Here we will show a short summary:
- Allergies in cats can alter the normal breathing of these animals.
- There are some parasites, like lung worms, that attack the respiratory system.
- If the cat accidentally swallows a foreign body, its breathing may be affected.
What to do if my cat is breathing badly?
The best solution for any of these conditions is to take the animal to your trusted veterinarian center immediately. Many of these conditions can be very serious, so the sooner he is evaluated, the more likely he is to recover.
Once at the veterinarian, depending on the type of condition, the specialist team will take the necessary medical measures. In some cases, you will need antibiotics or other special medications, such as inhalers for feline asthma.
From the owners’ point of view, there is not much to do, except to apply some preventive measures that strengthen the cat’s immune system : adequate food, updated vaccination card and daily care and attention to the cat.
