Cat with Collapsing Trachea?

[wvcatguy]

One of my cats started sounding congested a few days ago. It just gradually got worse until it sounds terrible sometimes. Just a rattling noise when breathing. I took it to the vet & they noticed the trachea was possibly collapsing. Not something they’d seen much of. My cat is around 22 lbs so i wonder if the weight is contributing to the problem. At times, she’s fine and breathing quietly. The vets are going to discuss it with me tomorrow.

Does anyone have any experience with this? This is former stray that my mom adored. She had other cats so couldn’t bring her inside but she cared tremendously for her. I’ve posted this story elsewhere but when my mom passed away, I gathered all the cats & took them home with he. I was determined to care for them because they meant so much to mom. I’d hate to lose one after only a year.

 

[di and bob]

This is VERY common in small-breed dogs, so I imagine it could happen to cats. There is not much to be done except to feed soft food that easily passes through the throat. You could try some bronchial spasm prevention supplements, such as Respi-Gold and many others. i have a cat right now that weighs about the same as yours and has a real difficult time breathing. He has scarred lungs from having distemper when a kitten. I feel so sorry for him, he is fat because he can't exercise without having breathing difficulties, I know losing weight would help, but he would have to be cut down to almost nothing, he really doesn't eat much. I have him on weight reduction food and am trying to find some less caloric treats like shaved turkey so he doesn't feel deprived. But it is a real struggle since he can't move aroudn much.

 

[FeebysOwner]

As mentioned above, I know that in very small dogs a collapsing trachea can be common, much less so with cats apparently. My sister had a Yorkie with this condition, and it appeared to be related to a heart condition. He was underweight his whole life, so for him weight was not a factor, but I have read that it can be.

I searched this site and found nothing that was not related to dogs. I would suggest looking into heart issues in case it is related to that. An internal med specialist might be a good place to start.

Let us know what you find out with your discussions with the vet.
Collapse of the Windpipe in Cats - Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, Recovery, Management, Cost (wagwalking.com)
Collapse of the Wind Pipe in Cats | PetMD