Q&A: My cat has breathing problems! (Please read)?
Question by : My cat has breathing problems! (Please read)?
2 weeks ago we started noticing that our 17 year old cat has some breathing problems. We took him to the vet who looked at him and said that something might be stuck in the nose or it might be something worst, eg. tumour, so he gave us some pills to be taken twice a day. We used them but nothing happened and he got worse to the point where he was snoring, breathing heavily and making noises every time he breathes. after 2 weeks there was no change so we took him to the same vet again. We told him that the pills aren’t showing any improvement. He told us that because of his age it will most probably be something serious. He told us that we can have an X-ray picture of the cats nose taken for £250 or go to a special clinic and have a scope test and X-ray for £600 but then if we want to take it out we had to pay another £2000. He told us that they might find something that can’t be fixed and that he may not wake up after the surgery. We asked him what he would do if it was his cat and he said he would put it to sleep but we can’t do that. He gave him a steroid injection which would keep him healthy for 2 weeks. He has been getting a bit better but I still have doubts. I love him and he has been a big part of my life, he is a part of the family. Please answer these questions:
Q1) What do you think is bothering him (eg. serious condition or not)
Q2) What would you do (eg. put him to sleep, surgery)
Q3) Do you think the steroid injection can help him
Q4) Anything else you want to say
Best answer:
Answer by 7frog7frog7
My dog had a serious problem too, but with his stomach. They said that if they operated, he would most likely die. If they left him without treatment, he’d die anyway, or we could put him down. I personally wanted him put down, but my parents decided to operate anyway, paying well over £2000 for it.
That was two years ago, and my 15-year-old dog is alive and well today. I’m so pleased I didn’t put him to sleep, as even if he’d only had a couple of weeks more of life, it would’ve been worth it. I don’t know what’s wrong with your poor cat, and nobody should make the decision over his life over than you and your family, but I can give advice. And based on my experience, I would operate.
I compleatly understand how you feel. I had a dog and I was compleatly attached to him but I had to let him go for a serious reason. You case is also serious. first of all, he is really old and cats don’t live this long usually their average life span is between 12 and 15, I think you really took great care of him. The seond thing is you never check with the same vet again and again, if what he gave you did not work, then check somebody else, but in the case when the cat is this old, then it must be either something serious like said above tumor or just asthma(Wheezing), ask the vet to examine the mucous, or my idea is since you love this cat so much just spend 250 whatever is that currency and take the x ray and if the thing is really serious then just put him to sleep. He already lived longer than expected, but don’t do that unless you are sure that what’s wrong with him is uncurable otherwise you will feel bad for the rest of your life.
I compleatly understand how you feel. I had a dog and I was compleatly attached to him but I had to let him go for a serious reason. You case is also serious. first of all, he is really old and cats don’t live this long usually their average life span is between 12 and 15, I think you really took great care of him. The seond thing is you never check with the same vet again and again, if what he gave you did not work, then check somebody else, but in the case when the cat is this old, then it must be either something serious like said above tumor or just asthma(Wheezing), ask the vet to examine the mucous, or my idea is since you love this cat so much just spend 250 whatever is that currency and take the x ray and if the thing is really serious then just put him to sleep. He already lived longer than expected, but don’t do that unless you are sure that what’s wrong with him is uncurable otherwise you will feel bad for the rest of your life.
Breathing difficulties in cats can be caused by a variety of things, some more serious than others. Cats with a shorter muzzle, such as Persians, often have restricted nasal passages and this can cause breathing problems during exercise or in hot, humid weather. Infectious diseases, such as Feline Infectious Respiratory Complex, can cause breathing problems, as can pneumonia, bronchitis, asthma, heartworm disease, and allergies. Heart problems and cancer can also cause breathing difficulties and certain fungal infections can also cause nasal problems.
Symptoms
Symptoms of breathing problems can include:
Sneezing
Nasal discharge
Wheezing
Labored breathing
Panting
Coughing
Depression
Vomiting
Decreased physical activity
In addition, cats who don’t feel good tend to hide; you may find that your cat isn’t in his usual day time resting spot but may be in the back of the closet instead.
Robert Goldstein, VMD, author of The Goldstein’s Wellness & Longevity Program says, “The feline respiratory virus is very common in kittens and can consist of sneezing, coughing, and a thick discharge from the nose and eyes.” He adds there is also generally a decrease in appetite as cats often will not eat if they cannot smell their food. Many viruses contribute to feline respiratory diseases, including feline herpes virus, feline calicivirus, feline chlamydia, and feline mycoplasma.
Pneumonia is usually caused by a bacterial infection, but can also be caused by fungal organisms. Asthma and bronchitis are fairly common and heartworm disease in the cat has recently been found to cause significant disease of the lungs. Cardiomyopathies (diseases affecting the heart muscle), congenital abnormalities (problems the cat is born with), and cancer can also cause problems breathing because of fluid accumulation around the lungs.