My Cat Has Been Breathing Differently, And I'm Worried

hunnyandmoo

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My and my fiancee's blue point Siamese has begun breathing funny the past week. Our vet postponed his appt until tomorrow, but I'm worried that he's uncomfortable or suffering.
He has lost interest in food and we've felt his spine and thigh bones are more pronounced. He's notably less talkative. I'm uncertain if he's using the bathroom, because we're working all the time and we can't tell our cats poops apart, though I have seen him eating.I don't think he'll die or anything before the appt, but recently hardly all physically activities make him breathe concerningly. Still mouth closed, but VERY rapidly with nostril flaring. Does anyone know what I can do to help him right now? I've posted a video of him breathing here.
 

 
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stephenq

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My and my fiancee's blue point Siamese has begun breathing funny the past week. Our vet postponed his appt until tomorrow, but I'm worried that he's uncomfortable or suffering.
He has lost interest in food and we've felt his spine and thigh bones are more pronounced. He's notably less talkative. I'm uncertain if he's using the bathroom, because we're working all the time and we can't tell our cats poops apart, though I have seen him eating.I don't think he'll die or anything before the appt, but recently hardly all physically activities make him breathe concerningly. Still mouth closed, but VERY rapidly with nostril flaring. Does anyone know what I can do to help him right now? I've posted a video of him breathing here.
 
Hi

I counted your cat's respirations as best as i could with a stop watch, and while difficult via video, i did it twice and got the exact same result which was 46/min (10 in 13 seconds), which if the cat is at rest, is MUCH TOO FAST  and could be symptomatic of congestive heart failure or other serious conditions.  I don't want to over dramatize it, but a normal respiration rate for a cat at rest (when asleep is the best way to judge) is under 20 and closer to 15/minute and so if this is what your cat is doing consistently and you can time the rate with your own watch then i would consider it a medical emergency or worth treating as one and I would get your cat to a 24/7 clinic asap.

Stephen
 

jennyr

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I agree - the breathing, not eating and weight loss all ring alarm bells. Make sure he is given a blood test and maybe an xray tomorrow - I would suspect something serious. How old is he?
 
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hunnyandmoo

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He was a stray, but he's suspected to be seven according to the vet. He's never been particularly interested in food, and is a picky eater. Our vet gave us a free emergency visit and says that he may either have heart failure or asthma and gave him a steroid shot. He's breathing at the same rate as before, minus nostril flaring that started up before the appointment, but I can't get him to talk back to me. Heclosed himself under the bathroom sink this morning and has come out to lay around but not much else.
I tried giving him some wet food but he turned up his nose at it and left the room.
 
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hunnyandmoo

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He's had lung and eye problems and allergies most of the time we've had him, but he was just getting better now that we moved to a less dusty home, and now this.
 

jennyr

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He must eat or he will get seriously ill just from that. Can you feed him from a syringe? Get plenty of fluids into hjm - cat food soup or homemade chicken broth without salt. That is crucial. Did the vet say anything about feeding?
 
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hunnyandmoo

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hunnyandmoo

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I have a syringe, and have given him water and gravy from those little Rachel Ray cat foods, but I am fairly new to this sort of thing
The Rachel Ray thing doesnt appear to have a ton of sodium, but it doesn't really specify quantity
 

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Did they take an Xray of his lungs? My cat started to lose his appetite, started breathing rapidly and his behavior changed; he was hiding and wasn't being social anymore. There was fluid in his lungs and they had to drain it out so that he could breathe easier.
 
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hunnyandmoo

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The vet tried draining his lungs and found no liquid or anything. He says he will give him an X-Ray if his condition worsens. I'm just worried its congestive heart failure and theres nothing I can do.
 
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hunnyandmoo

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I timed him, and he's at about 41 breaths per minute.
 

emilyann

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I'm no veterinarian and can only speak from my own personal experiences,  but I find it  strange that your vet attempted to drain his lungs without first taking an x-ray to verify fluid in the lungs. Considering there is a certain amount of risk that goes along with draining lung fluid as they normally have to be put under light anesthesia (which risk increases due to the issue with breathing and causing stress on the heart). Maybe it was an emergent situation and they thought they didn't have time to verify it? I think an x-ray can also be used to help verify if there is a heart condition as well. 

I know that finances can be an issue when it comes to x-rays, but personally if I could afford to do the x-rays right away I would, I wouldn't want to wait until things got worse, I'd want to stay as far ahead of it as I could to ensure I had as many treatment options as possible. 

As I'm typing this I saw your post of how many breaths per minute. That's pretty high. Normal breath rate is between 20-30 breaths per minute when the cat is resting. If your cat is purring it may not be accurate because all cats will breathe faster if they are purring, so you need to count it when they've been sitting or laying down and are not purring.
 

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My cat has an enlarged heart and his lungs fill up with fluid at times. He did more coughing, than breathing fast, though he does do that too. He is on lasix now, which I wrap the tiny half pill in cheese or a soft treat and he is doing much better. I would think a xray is in order to see about his heart and lungs. X-rays are much cheaper than CT scans, our vet charged us 50.00. I'll pray for your sweet boy, all the luck!
 
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hunnyandmoo

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He hasn't purred in two days as far as I know. The vet did attempt draining his lungs, and recommends we hold off on the XRay for a few days. While I don't have the money for such a thing, I have no qualms about bouncing a check or overdrafting my account for him.
 

stephenq

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He hasn't purred in two days as far as I know. The vet did attempt draining his lungs, and recommends we hold off on the XRay for a few days. While I don't have the money for such a thing, I have no qualms about bouncing a check or overdrafting my account for him.
The best way to get fluid out of the lungs is by giving a diuretic, typically Lasix, and by injection in serious cases and he will pee any fluids out.  This is the "go to" treatment for fluid in the lungs, the presence of which is essentially the definition of and most common symptom of congestive heart failure (CHF).

If he is in CHF, then the next question is why, and an echo cardiogram will usually provide the answer, advanced hypertrophic cardiomyopathy being one of the most common causes in cats,basically a thickening of a portio of the heart muscle which causes CHF when its advanced.  It can go undetected for years, by cat being an example.

If the vet suspects CHF, i would be asking them about Lasix, by sub Q injection it can work very fast.  Also hospitalizing him on oxygen until his breath rate comes down may be needed.

Stephen
 

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Ok I'm going to share my entire situation because it seems quite similar to mine and like @StephenQ  I didn't want to over dramatize it, but I I want to ensure your vet is taking all the right steps. In the situation with my cat  Buddy, his appetite decreased in the beginning of July, it started with him not eating his food and his behavior changing. He looked like he was breathing fast when he was just lying down. The vet tapped his chest and he had to be in an oxygen tank for a day. They had suspected CHF, but the cells in the fluid were examined and the fluid was caused caused by an aggressive respiratory neoplasia. He was put on Lasix at first once daily, then it was increased to twice daily along with an appetite stimulant and a daily steroid. Over the next week his chest was tapped again and a week after his original diagnosis he passed away.

Now your vet said he didn't find fluid in the lungs so there must be something else causing the breathing issue, but a high respiratory rate shouldn't be taken lightly. I mean he said he wants to hold off on additional testing to wait and see if it gets worse, but especially if the treatment he received today hasn't alleviated any of his symptoms that's something you really don't want to wait until it gets worse. With emergency situations some vets do offer payment plans. And if you feel that your vet isn't doing everything they can be doing don't hesitate to call someone else. Buddy had other health issues years ago and I didn't agree with what my vet at the time was recommending so I shopped around using online reviews to find my current vet who has provided me with much better treatment options. Just go with your gut feeling.
 

jennyr

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Another thought based on my recent experience. Open his mouth and check if it is pink and healthy looking. If his gums or the roof of his mouth and tongue are white or very pale it indicates anaemia. In this case, his red blood cells will not be sufficient in number or active enough to carry oxygen to his lungs and he will breathe fast to try and get more. A blood test would confirm the ratio of red cells.
 
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hunnyandmoo

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The vet tried draining his other lung today. His lung capacity is diminished by a jelly like substance that has hardened in one of his lungs, which is why the initial draining was unsuccessful. He doesn't have long to live, and nothing can be done about it. It is called FIP.
 

jennyr

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I am so sorry - that went through my mind too, though FIP is very difficult to diagnose as it mimics other diseases. It is always fatal, there is nothing that can be done once the vet is sure. I have lost two cats to it in the past and it is horrible to watch them suffer. My heart goes out to you.
 

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@HunnyAndMoo  I am so, SO sorry to hear that. I'm sitting in my cubicle at work and teared up as soon as I read that. I know the feeling of that devastating blow you just took so I'll tell you what other members of this community told me when I had made a post on here about Buddy's health prior to his passing.

Give him all his favorite foods; anything he will eat, spoil him, spend as much time with him as you can, shower him with all your love and make him as comfortable as possible. Know what your options are regarding what to do when the time comes. I don't know how far you are from your vet, but I live nearly an hour away from my mine  so they gave me the name of a vet who does home calls for this specific reason. I didn't even know that was a thing, but I'm glad they told me about it because Buddy wouldn't have survived the hour long drive. This may be something worth looking into.

I also read a post on here called "When The Moment Comes" and found some comfort when I was having a hard time dealing with the knowledge of what I would have to do. I hope you find some too.

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/237066/when-the-moment-comes

We will keep you and Hunny in our thoughts and prayers. Please reach out if you need anything.
 
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