Cat breathing fast during sleep

TeaMatcha

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Hi all,

I would like to check if it's normal for a young cat that's about 6 months old to breath really fast during sleep? When she's not asleep, her breathing seems normal.

I just adopted her few days back from a community feeder who brought her to sterilization. That feeder released her back into the street on the 3rd day after sterilization without any cone to prevent her from licking her incision.

When I adopted her, I put her on a donut collar. Her incision looks fine from my point of view. But she's having diarrhea yesterday and the day before yesterday. She vomitted undigested food last night.

For now she's not having any diarrhea nor vomit. She have not poop yet.

Just wanna check if the fast breathing during asleep is normal or it's not? I wanted to bring her to a vet but it's confusing as her diarrhea stopped and her breathing seems normal when she's awake.
 

di and bob

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If it's normal when she is awake, I wouldn't make a special trip to the vet, just monitor her and bring it up the next time you are in. it's most likely her dreams that are doing that, though it shouldn't be ALL the time when she is sleeping. I have a cat that has scarred lungs and he breathes VERY fast all the time, though he does everything normal and is 7 years old. I am giving him DMG to build up his immune system and LungGold to see if it helps. I just started it though so don't know yet.
 

Antonio65

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All kittens I had (both fosters and adopted ones), had a very high breathing rate during their sleep, up to 100+ per minute.
I informed the vets, but I've never been advised about.

Anyway, after having seen several of them, including my two now adult cats, breathing fast in their sleep when they were very young, and they are fine and breathing normally now that they are grown up, I think it may even be part of their young condition.

Anyway, you can make a video and send or show it to your vet.
 

vince

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Check if they're purring in their sleep, too. Kittens often breathe extremely rapidly while purring.

More than likely, your kitty's just fine.
 
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TeaMatcha

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Check if they're purring in their sleep, too. Kittens often breathe extremely rapidly while purring.

More than likely, your kitty's just fine.
There's very soft vibration sounds when she's breathing while sleeping. Doesn't sounds like any purring that adult cat produce. This kitten is eating normally and her diarrhea stopped as well. I think she might be purring softly.
 
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TeaMatcha

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All kittens I had (both fosters and adopted ones), had a very high breathing rate during their sleep, up to 100+ per minute.
I informed the vets, but I've never been advised about.

Anyway, after having seen several of them, including my two now adult cats, breathing fast in their sleep when they were very young, and they are fine and breathing normally now that they are grown up, I think it may even be part of their young condition.

Anyway, you can make a video and send or show it to your vet.
Hi all,

This is how she's breathing.

 

Antonio65

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I watched your video and saw how she's breathing.
So I looked into my phone and found two videos of two different kittens, both 3 months old, that I fostered in 2018, and both were breathing fast, maybe even faster than yours.
What I have to point out, though, is that they were both unwell. The first was sick and waiting for an enucleation, the second one had an eye infection but was fine.
 
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TeaMatcha

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I watched your video and saw how she's breathing.
So I looked into my phone and found two videos of two different kittens, both 3 months old, that I fostered in 2018, and both were breathing fast, maybe even faster than yours.
What I have to point out, though, is that they were both unwell. The first was sick and waiting for an enucleation, the second one had an eye infection but was fine.
Hi, thanks for your reply! ☺

I suspect that she's having a flu as she has gone missing for 3 days after the lady that released her back onto the street after sterilization. And that 3 days was raining heavily. Another community feeder finally found her on the 4th day and she was brought straight to me for adoption.

On the day that she came to my house, she started having diarrhea. I informed that lady that brought her to sterilization about it and that lady came over with a medication - Metoclopramide. She said that this medication is to stop diarrhea when clearly the medication label wrote it is to stop vomitting. I told that lady about it and she brushed me off firmly and told me that she's much more experience than me, who is a first time cat owner. So I trusted her and she fed my adopted cat that medication.

Not too sure if it's that medication that's causing her to feel so restless and the reason for her fast breathing.

But her diarrhea didn't get better till I went and get her probiotics that is meant for cat.

Anyway, I've scheduled an appointment for her to see a vet tomorrow and I hope that everything will be fine. 🙏 I got to test her for FelV and FIV as well. Vet fee is so expensive and my parents has been nagging about how the feeders that rescue the cat should have make sure that the cat is in good health before putting up for adoption.
 

Antonio65

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Metoclopramide is actually to stop vomiting, and this is what I used to give my cat when she had liver issues and couldn't eat or keep her food.
I wouldn't give it to the cat unless she has vomit, gastric reflux or other similar problems.

Rescuers and feeders often believe they have lots of experience in cats and how to treat their disease, but it's only because they try this and that, until they find something that works.
It doesn't happen all the times, but from my experience, a few of them have this tendency.
 
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TeaMatcha

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Metoclopramide is actually to stop vomiting, and this is what I used to give my cat when she had liver issues and couldn't eat or keep her food.
I wouldn't give it to the cat unless she has vomit, gastric reflux or other similar problems.

Rescuers and feeders often believe they have lots of experience in cats and how to treat their disease, but it's only because they try this and that, until they find something that works.
It doesn't happen all the times, but from my experience, a few of them have this tendency.
Agreed with you that a few of the rescuers and feeders have the tendency of them knowing it all.

I bought the cat to a vet earlier on. No fever. As per the vet, heart rate and breathing seems normal as well. Doctor said that the fast breathing could be that she's in a deep sleep and she's dreaming.

She's having yeast ear infections hence she'll need to be on ear medication for two weeks. Nervous about cleansing her ear tomorrow despite the nurse did show me how to do it. I'll try my best.

She's FelV and FIV negative, weighting at 2.5kg and estimated to be around 6 months old.

Some bad news is that 3 of her canine teeth is chipped. Doctor mentioned that it shouldn't be much of a concern for now since she's still eating well.

Her kidney and liver came back as normal as well. White blood cell level is normal. No fever. But doctor did mentioned that the cat is having some inflammation as per the blood test results and that could be due to the fact that she just gotten spayed not long ago.

Doctor also mentioned something about her red blood cell being lower than other cat her age. She said that it could be that she isn't getting enough nutrition back then and that she might be anemia and hence she's less active compared to others. Doctor recommended to feed her good quality food for that and hope that it will improve. She will review it next month when she goes back for vaccination.

Doctor doesn't seem to be very concerns about the diarrhea as it's getting better.

I've some questions that might need your advice on it, provided that you don't mind 😭

Doctor gave her one tablet of deworm oral medication earlier on and mentioned that she will have another dose next month when she comes back. Is there any side effects that I should take note of after taking deworm medication?

Also, I noticed that she's walking a little off from usual. She seems reluctant to put pressure on one of her hind legs. I suspect that it could be she's still feeling pain/sore from the blood drawing site. Is this common? Should I be extra concern about it or is there anything I can do to help her?

Thank you for your kind attention and response. Appreciate it! ☺☺🙏
 
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TeaMatcha

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Update:

Mimi is not eating her breakfast and now she just walked to the towel and vomitted thrice. Not sure is that normal after having the deworm medication. She was fine the past few days.

Texted the vet but they're closed today.
 

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Antonio65

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I bought the cat to a vet earlier on. No fever. As per the vet, heart rate and breathing seems normal as well. Doctor said that the fast breathing could be that she's in a deep sleep and she's dreaming.
Now that you tell me, I forgot to say that my foster kittens that were breathing fast, didn't do that when they were awake. So, it seems that in kittens the fast breathing is somehow linked to the sleeping moments.

She's having yeast ear infections hence she'll need to be on ear medication for two weeks. Nervous about cleansing her ear tomorrow despite the nurse did show me how to do it. I'll try my best.
Is your cat easy to handle and medicate?
If yes, then it won't be hard for you to treat her. I guess it is drops what you have to put in her years. Lay your cat on a flat surface, like the table, floor or your lap, and put some drops in one year, fold it close and massage for a few seconds, let the cat shake it out, then repeat in the other ear, as many times a day as per vet instructions.
You might also need to cleanse the wax out with a gauze and an ear detergent.

I did this to my younger kitty when she was very young and had earmites.

Be prepared to be sprayed by all that comes out of her ears when she shakes her head :lol:

She's FelV and FIV negative, weighting at 2.5kg and estimated to be around 6 months old.
It sounds like she's going to be a big cat.

Some bad news is that 3 of her canine teeth is chipped. Doctor mentioned that it shouldn't be much of a concern for now since she's still eating well.
As long as she doesn't need to fend for herself in the wild, she might not need those teeth. It is possible she had a rough life before she came to you.

Her kidney and liver came back as normal as well. White blood cell level is normal. No fever. But doctor did mentioned that the cat is having some inflammation as per the blood test results and that could be due to the fact that she just gotten spayed not long ago.
Honestly, if the WBC is normal, I don't understand how the vet can say she is having an inflammation.
When was she spayed?

Doctor also mentioned something about her red blood cell being lower than other cat her age. She said that it could be that she isn't getting enough nutrition back then and that she might be anemia and hence she's less active compared to others. Doctor recommended to feed her good quality food for that and hope that it will improve. She will review it next month when she goes back for vaccination.
Kittens tend to have a low RBC, they're growing and not everything is settled yet.
If you can post some of the values the vet is concerned about, we can have a look.

Doctor gave her one tablet of deworm oral medication earlier on and mentioned that she will have another dose next month when she comes back. Is there any side effects that I should take note of after taking deworm medication?
As far as I know, deworm pills or paste should not give cats any side effects worth of mention, apart from the usual aching tummy, diarrhea and vomiting, both could include worms killed by the pills. This will clear up in a couple of days, or fewer.
Other than that I don't know.

Also, I noticed that she's walking a little off from usual. She seems reluctant to put pressure on one of her hind legs. I suspect that it could be she's still feeling pain/sore from the blood drawing site. Is this common? Should I be extra concern about it or is there anything I can do to help her?
Is it the leg where the vet took the blood from? Can you check the inside of her leg? The area where the vet drew the blood from should be shaved and easy to check. See if it's ok, if it's reddish, hot, swollen or else.
Some vets lack a bit of skill at drawing blood and may make a bit of a mess with the veins. Or, the cat might be particularly sensitive to the needles, or have a clotting issue (like my cat) and each time the vet draws some blood she develop a hematoma in her leg.
If the problem is this, and nothing is wrong as I listed above, it should fix on its own in a couple of days.

In the photos, I can't see any worm, but it might be something in the second. Once the foam has dried out, you could find a "casualty" :lol:
 
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TeaMatcha

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Now that you tell me, I forgot to say that my foster kittens that were breathing fast, didn't do that when they were awake. So, it seems that in kittens the fast breathing is somehow linked to the sleeping moments.



Is your cat easy to handle and medicate?
If yes, then it won't be hard for you to treat her. I guess it is drops what you have to put in her years. Lay your cat on a flat surface, like the table, floor or your lap, and put some drops in one year, fold it close and massage for a few seconds, let the cat shake it out, then repeat in the other ear, as many times a day as per vet instructions.
You might also need to cleanse the wax out with a gauze and an ear detergent.

I did this to my younger kitty when she was very young and had earmites.

Be prepared to be sprayed by all that comes out of her ears when she shakes her head :lol:



It sounds like she's going to be a big cat.



As long as she doesn't need to fend for herself in the wild, she might not need those teeth. It is possible she had a rough life before she came to you.



Honestly, if the WBC is normal, I don't understand how the vet can say she is having an inflammation.
When was she spayed?



Kittens tend to have a low RBC, they're growing and not everything is settled yet.
If you can post some of the values the vet is concerned about, we can have a look.



As far as I know, deworm pills or paste should not give cats any side effects worth of mention, apart from the usual aching tummy, diarrhea and vomiting, both could include worms killed by the pills. This will clear up in a couple of days, or fewer.
Other than that I don't know.



Is it the leg where the vet took the blood from? Can you check the inside of her leg? The area where the vet drew the blood from should be shaved and easy to check. See if it's ok, if it's reddish, hot, swollen or else.
Some vets lack a bit of skill at drawing blood and may make a bit of a mess with the veins. Or, the cat might be particularly sensitive to the needles, or have a clotting issue (like my cat) and each time the vet draws some blood she develop a hematoma in her leg.
If the problem is this, and nothing is wrong as I listed above, it should fix on its own in a couple of days.

In the photos, I can't see any worm, but it might be something in the second. Once the foam has dried out, you could find a "casualty" :lol:
Not too sure why the doctor mentioned that she's having a little inflammation. I'm not that knowledge and really hope y'all be able to guide me through the attached reports of Mimi. 🙏😭

Mimi is less active compared to other cats her age as well. She seems to sleep a lot. Not too sure if that's normal.

I'm feeding her probiotics daily. Wet food will usually be a either Aixia or Wellness. I recently bought Cherie brand and Aristocats. Kibbles I usually feed cats Hill's science diet but Mimi doesn't seems to know how to chew well yet hence I gave her Gold D (a local brand in Singapore) or Orijen kibbles.

She will be going back to the vet on 13th November for her first dose of vaccine and vet mentioned that she will need to give her second round of deworm tablet. Is that normal? I've always thought that deworm medication tablet is just a one time thing.

Also, she will need a second round of revolution to be applied on next month. I'm a little confuse on what's the difference between revolution as deworm medication.
 

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TeaMatcha

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Honestly, if the WBC is normal, I don't understand how the vet can say she is having an inflammation.
When was she spayed?
Kittens tend to have a low RBC, they're growing and not everything is settled yet.
If you can post some of the values the vet is concerned about, we can have a look.


As far as I know, deworm pills or paste should not give cats any side effects worth of mention, apart from the usual aching tummy, diarrhea and vomiting, both could include worms killed by the pills. This will clear up in a couple of days, or fewer.
Other than that I don't know.
She was just spayed on 1st October! Her legs is fine now. She's walking normally. She's just really quiet and less active compared to when she was back in the street.

Ah, so it's normal to have some diarrhea and vomitting after taking deworm medication? If that's the case, I'm glad that it's nothing serious.

Thank you!!
 

Antonio65

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The chemistry is fine, I don't see any sign of problems.
The second paper shows that white and red blood cells are fine, I wouldn't say there's an inflammation or infection, by reading this, but I could tell you that she has a possible infection from the high level of PCT, and I don't think it's because of the spaying, unless the surgery wen tbad and the incision is infected, or the inner incision is in bad conditions. Does Mimi have fever?
You say she's a bit more subdued, quiet and less active that before. This could be a sign that something might have gone wrong with the surgery. Are you able to read her temperature? Do you have a thermometer for babies or humans? Do you know how to use it to read a cat's temperature?
Can you take a photo of the incision?
Is your cat showing the third eyelid? The third eyelid is that whitish triangle that can be seen in a cat's eyes in the inner corner, towards their nose. It shows up when a cat is unwell.

The HCT is a bit low, along with a low volume (size) of the red cells. This could be due to the poor diet she was on, as you mentioned, namely lack of Vit B12, which you could supplement, both orally, and with sub-Q injections (which sting like hell!).
The high RDW is also a sign of a possible lack of Vit B12.

My strong advice is, if possible, to see another vet and get a second opinion.
 

Antonio65

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As for the worm treatment, I don't know, but I wouldn't give Mimi both the oral meds AND the spot on treatment.

Keep in mind that the vaccine can be given only if the cat if perfectly healthy. Any bad sign, like the unusual quietness you are seeing, is a no-go for the vaccine.
 

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Not too sure why the doctor mentioned that she's having a little inflammation. I'm not that knowledge and really hope y'all be able to guide me through the attached reports of Mimi. 🙏😭

Mimi is less active compared to other cats her age as well. She seems to sleep a lot. Not too sure if that's normal.

I'm feeding her probiotics daily. Wet food will usually be a either Aixia or Wellness. I recently bought Cherie brand and Aristocats. Kibbles I usually feed cats Hill's science diet but Mimi doesn't seems to know how to chew well yet hence I gave her Gold D (a local brand in Singapore) or Orijen kibbles.

She will be going back to the vet on 13th November for her first dose of vaccine and vet mentioned that she will need to give her second round of deworm tablet. Is that normal? I've always thought that deworm medication tablet is just a one time thing.

Also, she will need a second round of revolution to be applied on next month. I'm a little confuse on what's the difference between revolution as deworm medication.
Revolution treats various types of worms as well as fleas and ear mites.
 
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TeaMatcha

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The chemistry is fine, I don't see any sign of problems.
The second paper shows that white and red blood cells are fine, I wouldn't say there's an inflammation or infection, by reading this, but I could tell you that she has a possible infection from the high level of PCT, and I don't think it's because of the spaying, unless the surgery wen tbad and the incision is infected, or the inner incision is in bad conditions. Does Mimi have fever?
You say she's a bit more subdued, quiet and less active that before. This could be a sign that something might have gone wrong with the surgery. Are you able to read her temperature? Do you have a thermometer for babies or humans? Do you know how to use it to read a cat's temperature?
Can you take a photo of the incision?
Is your cat showing the third eyelid? The third eyelid is that whitish triangle that can be seen in a cat's eyes in the inner corner, towards their nose. It shows up when a cat is unwell.

The HCT is a bit low, along with a low volume (size) of the red cells. This could be due to the poor diet she was on, as you mentioned, namely lack of Vit B12, which you could supplement, both orally, and with sub-Q injections (which sting like hell!).
The high RDW is also a sign of a possible lack of Vit B12.

My strong advice is, if possible, to see another vet and get a second opinion.
The vet took her temperature yesterday and it was at 38.2, which she said that it's normal for a cat. Her incision looks fine to me and the vet as well. It has already heal up.

She's showing her third eyelid the past few days but not today. Her breathing rate is getting better as well. It's no longer that fast anymore.

It's strange how all her liver and kidney is normal and yet the her PCT is high. Vet mentioned her breathing and heart rate is normal from her point of view as well.

I'm not too sure how active she was when she was back in the street, as I have only came across her once, it was one of her rescuers who claims that she's usually much more active before I adopted her. To me, the way she put it, it seems like she's putting the blames on me when clearly I took her in, feed her better quality food and bring her to a vet for a blood test and test for FelV and FIV. When clearly they should have done all these first before putting her up for adoption.

Don't get me wrong, I care about Mimi alot. I'm just mad at the fact that how irresponsible those rescuers are in my area.

She just woke up and ate some food, walked around and now she's back to sleep.

Not too sure if the reason of her high PCT could be because of her constant diarrhea (which had already stop) on the first few days. She went missing for 3 days straight after the rescuer released her back into the street. It was raining heavily for those 3 days as well.
 
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TeaMatcha

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Is there any recommendations for supplement of Vitamins B12 that I could give her? :) I'm currently feeding her Salmon Oil meant for pets in the morning and probiotics meant for pets in the evening.
 
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