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The Cat That Has Difficulty Breathing
Eliot Kaplan, DVM
It is not a rare event for a veterinarian to be presented with a cat that has difficulty breathing. This can be manifested in several ways. The cat may be breathing rapidly, taking very shallow breaths. The cat may be breathing more slowly, taking very deep, and deliberate breaths. Or the cat may have difficulty catching its breath because it is having severe coughing episodes.
Whichever is the case, a cat that is doing any of the above is a medical emergency and must be treated as such if its chance of survival is to be maximized. The potential causes of dyspnea in the cat are many and luckily, many of the diseases that result in the problem are also very treatable-sometimes even curable.
Your vet may have a very strong impression of the affliction affecting the cat after taking a history and examining the patient. However, in most cases, tests will have to be done to make a definitive diagnosis. These tests may include thoracentesis (removing fluid from the chest cavity with a needle) and fluid analysis, radiographs, and echocardiography (ultrasound of the heart). Blood tests are also a good idea.
Some of these tests may have to be postponed until the patient is stabilized with oxygen therapy and other therapy modalities the vet may find necessary. Some of the causes of the dyspnea could include heart disease, asthma, pneumonia, infection of the chest cavity and cancer. Even if the cause is cancer, it is not hopeless. Some types of cancer that cause dyspnea in cats are treatable and can be put in remission for many months. But an accurate diagnosis is the first step.
Eliot Kaplan, DVM
Tri Lake Animal Hospital
Phone: (250) 766-3236
Toll Free: 1-866-766-3236
Fax: (250) 766-3237
Email:
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