Cats can catch colds from time to time and may also experience more severe respiratory problems. If your cat is having trouble breathing, you should see your vet to determine what's causing the stuffy nose and treatment. You can also benefit from understanding how to tell when your cat is having trouble breathing, learning how to ease your cat's breathing, and finding out more about common cat breathing problems.
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Method 1 of 4: Recognizing Upper Respiratory Problems
Step 1. Beware of snot
Colds are common in cats. If your cat has runny nose around her nose, it may be mucus or muco-purulent, mucus with pus. This kind of mucus is often yellow or green.
- Cats with nasal allergies may have clear mucus dripping from their nostrils, but this can be difficult to spot if your cat licks them frequently.
- If you see snot, look closely to see if it is coming from one or both nostrils. A bilateral cold (from both nostrils) is more likely to be caused by an infection or allergy, while a unilateral (one-sided) cold can be caused by a foreign body, or an infection on one side of the nose.
Step 2. Pay attention to every time your cat sneezes
When the human nose is clogged, we can clean it with a handkerchief. However, cats cannot do this and they sneeze to clear the nose.
If your cat sneezes a lot, you'll need to make an appointment with your vet to find out what's causing it. It may be an allergy or infection, but the vet should test the cat's mucus to be sure
Step 3. Identify the cause of nasal congestion
Cats often suffer from nasal congestion due to rhinitis (inflammation of the nasal passages that causes mucus), infections (including viral conditions such as cat flu) and from inhalation (such as grass pollen that clogs the nose when the cat sniffs).
- The most common cause of nasal and sinus congestion is a viral infection. These viruses include feline herpesvirus (FVR) and feline calicivirus (FCV). This infection also causes swollen, red, and watery eyes as well as thrush and drooling. You can help protect your cat from this virus by giving your cat the latest vaccinations and keeping your cat away from cats that seem sick.
- This condition causes difficulty breathing because mucus builds up in your cat's nose. Just like humans who have a severe fever, mucus blocks the nostrils and makes breathing difficult.
Method 2 of 4: Recognizing Lower Breathing Problems
Step 1. Measure your cat's respiratory rate
The number of breaths a cat takes each minute is called the respiratory rate. Normal respiratory rate ranges from 20 to 30 breaths per minute. Both the rate (number of breaths) and the way the cat is breathing can indicate whether your cat is having a problem.
- There is leeway within the normal range of breathing rates, for example a cat that inhales 32 breaths per minute, is declared healthy and is not considered abnormal.
- However, you should be concerned if your cat's breathing rate is around 35 to 40 breaths per minute, or if it is short of breath.
Step 2. Watch out for shortness of breath
The cat's normal breathing movements are difficult and subtle to hear, so there may be a problem if your cat seems to be having trouble breathing. If your cat is short of breath, his chest and stomach may move excessively when he inhales or exhales air.
- To determine if your cat is breathing normally, try to look at one spot (perhaps a clump of fur on its chest) and watch it move up and down slowly.
- The abdominal muscles should not move as the cat fills its chest with air. If his stomach expands and contracts when he breathes, this is not normal. If his chest "lifts" and his breathing in and out is easy to see and moves excessively, or his stomach moves when he breathes, this is not normal.
Step 3. Beware of the "need air" position
Cats who have difficulty breathing usually adopt a "needs air" position. Cats sit or sleep with their elbows extended away from their bodies, their heads and necks extended as if to straighten their airways.
Cats in this position also sometimes open their mouths and pant
Step 4. Identify signs of stress
Cats with breathing difficulties may feel depressed. To determine if your cat is distressed, look at his facial expressions. Your cat may look anxious as the corners of his mouth are pulled back in a grimace. Other signs of stress include:
- dilated pupils
- flat ears
- mustache pulled back
- act aggressively when approached
- the tail is close to the body
Step 5. Notice if your cat is panting
Cats may pant while cooling off after a workout, but panting at rest is not normal. If your cat is panting frequently when resting, seek veterinary advice as this may be a sign of a breathing problem.
Cats may also pant when anxious or scared, so consider your cat's environment as well
Method 3 of 4: Treating a Cat with a Congested Nose
Step 1. Talk to your veterinarian about giving your cat antibiotics. If your cat shows signs of infection (yellow or green nasal mucus) talk to your vet to ask if your cat needs a prescription for antibiotics
If your vet suspects the infection is viral, then antibiotics may not help. Likewise, if antibiotics are prescribed, it may take four to five days for the infection to improve, while you can help your cat's breathing in other ways
Step 2. Use steam therapy
The warm, moist steam helps melt mucus and makes sneezing easier. Obviously, you can't put a cat's head in a bowl of boiling water because if the cat panics and pushes the bowl, both of you will be in danger. Instead, use a steam room to help clear your cat's stuffy nose. To do this:
- Take the cat to the bathroom and close the door. Change the shower water to hot and pull the shower curtain so that there is a barrier between the cat and the hot water.
- Sit in the steamy atmosphere for 10 minutes at a time. If you can do this two to three times a day, your cat can breathe a little easier.
Step 3. Keep your cat's nose clean
This may sound obvious, but if your cat's nose is stuffy or dirty, clean it. Wet a cotton ball under the faucet, then use the wet cotton ball to wash your cat's nose. Clean any snot that may be stuck in your cat's nose.
If your cat has a severe cold, regularly wiping her nose will help your cat feel more comfortable
Step 4. Have your vet prescribe a mucolytic medication
Snot can be so thick and sticky that it forms like glue inside the nostrils, making it impossible for the cat to breathe through the nose. In cases like these, your vet may prescribe a mucolytic.
- Like Bisolvin, this drug smoothens and helps to dilute the mucus. The active ingredient in Bisolvin is Bromhexine. When the mucus is reduced, your cat will sneeze more easily.
- One bag of Bisolvin weighs 5 grams and can be mixed into the diet once or twice a day. The dose for cats is 0.5 g per 5 kg of body weight. The medicine bag will say "big pinch", once or twice a day on the food.
Method 4 of 4: Understanding Common Breathing Problems in Cats
Step 1. Take your cat to the vet for diagnosis and treatment
Chest problems include: infection, pneumonia, heart disease, lung disease, tumors, and fluid around the lungs (pleural effusion). Cats with these conditions need to be treated by a veterinarian.
If you think your cat's chest is clogged, don't try any home remedies. Delaying a visit to the vet will only make the cat's condition worse
Step 2. Recognize that breathing difficulties may be caused by pneumonia
Pneumonia is a serious lung infection. Toxins from bacteria and viruses cause inflammation in the lungs and can also cause mucus to collect in the lungs. When this happens, oxygen exchange in the cat's lungs slows down, forcing your cat to work harder to breathe.
Intense antibiotics are commonly prescribed to treat pneumonia. If your cat is seriously ill, it may need supportive care, such as intravenous fluids or oxygen tents
Step 3. Know that heart disease can be a possibility
A diseased heart is not efficient at pumping blood throughout the body. Shifts in blood pressure in the lungs cause blood vessels to leak fluid and enter the lung tissue. Much like pneumonia, it reduces the lungs' ability to exchange oxygen, which can cause your cat to become short of breath.
If the cause of your cat's difficulty breathing is heart disease, the vet will determine the type of heart disease and prescribe the appropriate medication. Cats often need oxygen therapy to help stabilize before any type of medication or other treatment is given
Step 4. Know that lung disease can cause breathing difficulties
Lung diseases include conditions such as asthma, when the airways narrow and prevent air from moving in and out of the lungs. This condition is similar to bronchitis, another lung disease, the airways become very stiff, the walls become thicker, and oxygen exchange is impeded. Asthma can make it difficult for cats with allergies to breathe.
- For asthma, many cats are prescribed corticosteroids, either in the form of injections or oral capsules. Steroids are strong anti-inflammatory drugs that work to reduce inflammation in a cat's airways. However, salbutamol inhalers are also available for cats with asthma, if the cat tolerates a face mask.
- Bronchitis can also be treated with steroids, or bronchodilators, drugs that stimulate the opening of stiff airways.
Step 5. Find out if lungworms are causing your cat's breathing problems
Lungworms are parasites that can interfere with your cat's breathing which can go undetected for long periods of time. Severe lungworm infections can cause a runny nose, cough, weight loss, and pneumonia.
Lung flukes can be treated with anti-parasitic drugs such as ivermectin or fenbendazole
Step 6. Know that tumors can also cause breathing difficulties
Lung tumors or tumors in the chest that press on the lungs can reduce the work of lung tissue. When the capacity of lung tissue decreases, your cat will have difficulty breathing or shortness of breath.
The tumor took up space in the cat's chest and put pressure on the lungs or its main blood vessels. Solitary tumors can be surgically removed, but overall, the survival prospects for cats with lung tumors are very small. Talk to your vet about the options available
Step 7. Be aware that a pleural effusion can cause difficulty breathing
Pleural effusion is a collection of fluid around the lungs. This can happen if your cat has kidney disease, an infection, or fluid leaks from the tumor in his chest.
- This fluid can put pressure on your cat's lungs, eventually causing them to collapse. Because of this, the lungs cannot expand completely, leaving your cat feeling short of breath.
- If your cat is having a very hard time breathing, the vet can drain the fluid using a special thoracic needle. Removing the fluid allows the lungs to re-expand and provides temporary relief. However, the fluid will return again, unless the problem is treated.
