Have you ever noticed that your cat breathes quickly when it is dozing off? If your cat is breathing rapidly, it could be a sign of anything, including stress or a cardiac condition.
Cats are often reserved when it comes to communicating sickness to their caretakers, therefore cat carers must be extremely vigilant to recognize indications like rapid breathing.
What Is the Normal Breathing Rate for a Cat?
It is crucial to know that a relaxed or sleeping cat should breathe between 16 and 40 times per minute to maintain a healthy respiratory rate. Good breathing is indicated by small chest movements; if your cat’s sides move a lot, it can be strenuous breathing. Be concerned if your cat is not breathing normally. The cat is moving particularly slowly, swiftly, or noisily, or it appears to be having respiratory difficulties (with a loud, harsh, or whistling sound).
You may figure out your cat’s resting respiratory rate by counting the breaths it takes while nodding out. One breath causes your cat’s chest to rise when inhaling and sink when exhaling (exhaling). Time 30 seconds with a watch or your phone, then count how many breaths you take during that period. Multiply the number of breaths you counted by two to get the number of breaths in a minute.
What Does a Cat Breathing Rapidly Mean?
Tachypnea, often known as rapid breathing, is a serious and occasionally fatal condition in which the cat breathes rapidly due to a malfunctioning respiratory system and/or insufficient oxygen levels. Although cats can suffer from a wide range of respiratory disorders, this article will focus on rapid breathing. When determining your cat’s respiratory rate, anything above the average 16 to 40 breaths per minute would be regarded as fast breathing. A cat’s rapid breathing should slow down after a few minutes if it is overheated, stressed out, or active. If the breathing issue continues or worsens, a veterinarian should be contacted right once because it could be an indication of a hazardous ailment.
Cats’ Rapid Breathing: Symptoms and Signs
You can tell if your cat is breathing quickly by counting her breaths, but there are other signs that might appear suddenly or gradually over time. Any difficulty breathing is a medical emergency that requires prompt veterinary attention.
Symptoms of Cats’ Rapid Breathing
- Bwiftly rising and falling abdomen or chest
- Breathing through the mouth (panting)
- Coughing
- Raising your elbows above your body while gaggling your breath
- Lethargy/fatigue
- Blue gums can be seen.
- Breathing difficulties
- Moving resistance or intolerance to exercise
Cats’ Rapid Breathing Causes
If your cat exhibits rapid breathing, which can be a sign of several diseases and injuries, you should call your vet as soon as you can.
The following are some possible causes:
- Allergies
- Anemia
- Asthma
- Tensed feelings cardiac disease due to exertion
- Pleura was inflamed by heat (abnormal accumulation of fluid within the chest cavity)
- Swelling of the lungs (lungs filling with fluid)
- Obstruction of the airway caused by something foreign or another source
- Pneumonia infections
- Injury, exposure to toxins, or trauma
- Chest or throat tumors
Diagnosed: Cats’ Rapid Sucking
Consider any potential causes of your cat’s rapid breathing and remove them from the area where your cat is. Heat and discomfort on an emotional level are two of the factors. If your cat is panting because it is too hot, for instance, get them as far away from the heat as you can and make sure they have access to water. If rapid breathing continues even after the potential cause has been ruled out, speak with a veterinarian.
The vet will check your cat’s breathing, listen to their chest to check for any abnormalities like a heart murmur or fluid in the lungs, look at the color of their gums to determine whether oxygen is getting to their organs adequately, and conduct a thorough examination of their entire body.
In addition to performing blood tests to check for underlying diseases, your veterinarian may also perform X-rays, ultrasounds, and/or other imaging procedures to assess the heart and lungs.
Treatment for cats with rapid breathing
The underlying medical condition that is causing the rapid breathing is actually what it is a symptom of, and the severity of the illness determines the appropriate course of treatment. If the veterinarian or veterinary technician observes that your cat is having difficulty breathing, they may take it to the treatment area as soon as they arrive. Examples of what can be done include administering oxygen and inserting an IV catheter to administer emergency medications and fluids intravenously.
Draining pleural effusions from the chest helps the animal breathe and provides the veterinarian with a fluid sample for testing. This procedure is known as a thoracentesis. If heart disease is a concern, after your cat’s condition has stabilized, x-rays and an echocardiography will be performed to evaluate the size and functionality of the heart. Antibiotics and anti-inflammatories will undoubtedly be prescribed in cases of inflammatory or infectious diseases.
If your cat is having respiratory problems, it’s important to keep your cool. If your cat finds travel stressful, your veterinarian can give you the best moving advice.
Remember that there is usually a serious issue if you think your cat is breathing rapidly. It is typically wise to have your pet examined as soon as they exhibit rapid breathing. If your cat exhibits rapid breathing that disappears after a few minutes, keep a log of the specifics, such as how long it lasted, what was happening before and after, and the date, to give to your veterinarian. Your veterinarian will be able to narrow down a list of potential causes and identify potential triggers.
READ NEXT: Chartreux: Cat Breed Profile
