Have you ever noticed that your cat breathes strangely when it sleeps? Or that your breathing is much more hectic than usual? What should we do in these cases? It is important to note that the fact that a cat breathes too quickly is always a cause for concern. That’s why, in this Animal Expert article, we’ll examine the causes of this situation and how you should act.
- Before talking about pathological causes.
- It is necessary to differentiate between a situation that occurs during the cat’s sleep.
- During this sleep several phases alternate.
- And it is in the REM phase that rapid muscle movements.
- Meows and restless breathing occur in the cat.
- When awake.
- A cat that gasps or breathes quickly can occur after a strong or high temperature.
- As long as it lasts only a few minutes.
- This breathing is not a problem.
In other situations, it can be said that it is not normal for the cat to breathe quickly. Any indication that the cat has abdominal breathing, open mouth or abnormal breathing is a veterinary concern and may be an emergency.
These cases may indicate that the cat has suffered trauma. A major fall, a car, or a dog attack can cause internal injuries that affect lung capacity and therefore breathing. Internal bleeding, severe pain, fractures, or pneumothorax, which causes air loss in the lungs, can lead to rapid, shallow abdominal breathing.
Sometimes, with internal bleeding, the cat breathes very fast and vomits blood. A cat that does not receive enough oxygen will have a bluish tint on its mucous membranes, a phenomenon known as cyanosis.
The cat may die quickly if it does not receive veterinary assistance, but the prognosis is bad. It requires hospitalization to first stabilize the cat and then perform the tests necessary to diagnose and treat the cause.
In this peritoAnimal video, we discuss other disturbing signs of a healthy cat:
Another life-threatening situation occurs after poisoning. Symptoms include rapid breathing, sialorrhea, gasping, suffocation and neurological symptoms. A typical example is the poisoning that the cat suffers when it receives a pipette intended for dogs, with active ingredients that are toxic to it.
If your cat has symptoms similar to those described, you should go immediately to the veterinarian, if possible with the product that caused the damage. Treatment involves the administration of fluid therapy and medications suitable for symptoms of poisoning.
The prognosis will be reserved and will depend on the type of toxic substance, the route of poisoning and the damage caused.
In addition to physical causes, stress can also cause the cat to speed up its breathing and run out of breath. You may notice that you are alert, with dilated pupils, salivating, swallowing several times and passing your tongue through your lips.
First of all, you must reassure him. You should only be able to calm down when the activation situation is resolved. For example, this reaction can be observed when the cat finds an unknown yeast, but also during a visit to the veterinary clinic.
If the stimulus persists and the cat has no escape, it can attack. You should always look for the trigger to prevent this from happening. If the cat needs to get used to it, it should begin a gradual adaptation. A veterinarian or behavioral ethologist may set guidelines to help the cat accept the new situation.
Tachypnea, which is rapid breathing, can occur in many other situations. Indicates shortness of breath that may be accompanied by coughing, hypersalivation, vomiting, nausea, shortness of breath, cyanosis, etc. The cat can adopt a characteristic posture with the neck stretched. In addition to the aforementioned causes, we can highlight others, such as:
All require veterinary treatment. In the clinic, after stabilizing the cat, if necessary, diagnostic tests will be performed, such as blood and urine tests, x-rays, ultrasounds, etc., since it is necessary to find the cause that explains that the cat has breathing difficulties. to prescribe the most appropriate treatment.
Finally, although a cat may have rapid breathing and even gasp during childbirth, once delivery is over, her breathing should return to normal. You should be aware of one of the common problems when giving birth to cats. If you notice that you are breathing fast, that you are restless and anxious, that you walk uncoordinated, that you fall, that you have sialorrhea, that you have a fever and that your mucous membranes are pale, the cat may develop eclampsia. .
Eclampsia disorder is caused by hypocalcaemia, i.e. low calcium levels in the blood. It occurs during the lactation period after delivery. Fortunately, it’s not a very common disorder in cats, but it’s an emergency that requires the veterinarian to administer intravenous medications.
Puppies should be artificially fed or weaned if they are old enough. When the cat recovers, the family should meet, which will likely provide calcium supplements if you continue to breastfeed.
This article is for informational purposes only, in Animal Expert.com.br we cannot prescribe veterinary treatments or make any kind of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case of any type of condition or discomfort.
If you would like to read articles similar to, we recommend that you visit our Other Health Problems section.