The cat is breathing heavily -- is it an emergency?

🚑 Emergency? Call now: 010 739 9130 (Emergency service in Vantaa)

Cat breathing should be noiseless, calm and unobtrusive. Unlike a dog, a cat does not normally shudder to cool down (except in extreme stress or heat).

If the cat breathes heavily, pumping air with your stomach or breathing with your mouth open, it's always Life-threatening emergency.

Identify signs of danger

Do not remain to monitor the situation if you notice the following symptoms. A cat is a master at masking its symptoms until its condition is critical.

🔴 The cat breathes with its mouth open (medication)

This indicates a severe lack of oxygen or shock. The cat's lungs or heart do not function normally.

🔴 Rapid or superficial breathing

The frequency of resting breathing should be less than 30 times per minute. If a cat “pumps” air with its sides or stomach at rest, it will work a huge amount of work to get oxygen.

🔴 Bluish gums

Healthy gums are pink. A bluish or gray tint is a sign of cyanosis (lack of oxygen).

🔴 Cat avoids lying down

If a cat sits crouched in a neck ditch and cannot lay down on its side to sleep, it will try to facilitate breathing with its posture.

What can heavy breathing be caused by?

• Heart failure (HCM): Feline heart muscle disease can cause sudden pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs), making breathing difficult dramatically.
• Feline Asthma: Chronic respiratory disease that can acutate into a seizure.
• Inflammation of the lungs or trauma: For example, a fall or infection.

Act like this

1. Stay Calm: The cat will sense your panic, which will aggravate its difficulty breathing.
2. Call the emergency room: Please report your arrival so we know how to prepare with supplemental oxygen.
3. Carry carefully: Do not burden the cat. Place it in the carrier compartment calmly.

Contact us immediately Animal Hospital Sacrum in Vantaa. Patients with respiratory problems can always pass the queue for a triage assessment.

📍 Porttisuontie 13, 01200 Vantaa