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Jillian Fouts | 6 years ago
I Have A Senior Cat Who Goes Into Labored Open Mouth Breathing When He Is…

I have a senior cat who goes into labored open mouth breathing when he is in a hard purr and also has wheezing and snoring but otherwise acts normal – eats, drinks, and is active for his age. The snoring is even when he’s not in a deep slumber and it can be an airy rattle if that makes sense and he has a little squeak when he swallows. I saw your video on the cat with a polyp and thought maybe this could be what he has except that he’s almost 17 so the vet suggested it probably isn’t since that’s more of a young cat thing but did suggest a scope and CT which will cost me 2500-3500 and he will have to be put under. In reading about breathing, heart disease can also cause breathing problems and since he has heart disease I would hate to spend all the money and put him through that to be told the scope didn’t show anything. I’ve also been reading about asthma, but my regular vet nor the specialist even mentioned that it could be that and from what I’ve read, it’s hard to diagnose. He’s a flame point Siamese and he has early ckd and some heart disease (stage 3/4 systolic murmur and hypertension), so I’m nervous about putting him under. Aside from these “old man” things, the specialist and my regular vet say his labs are spectacular. The specialist said when she is presented with a cat that has these conditions, they bloodwork and labs never look this good. So I certainly don’t want to put him down if he looks good but I also feel like he can’t be comfortable with these breathing episodes. One thing to note, when they did bloodwork a couple of weeks ago, his eosinophils were elevated which I have read can be linked to upper respiratory and asthma. Im putting the link to videos of the wheezing and purring to see if you’ve ever seen such a thing in a cat. I sure wish I had you closer by. Thank you so much!
Jill

Wheezing https://youtu.be/gaf7WCRzu80

Purr/breathing https://youtu.be/kqnd4YORenY

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    hello,

    i reviewed your videos, i think that it is appears as if the wheezing is in the oropharynx area. It also appears to be primarily it the inspiratory phase of the purring/breathing.
    There are internal medicine specialists who focus on this kind of clinical sign. I am not sure if there are any in your area though? I think the best place to start is at a feline specialists office. They tend to be more affordable and accessible. See if they can help start to rule out things before you jump into a scope.
    In my practice for cases like these a typical work up looks like this;
    1. exam,,, use your brain,, its your best diagnostic tool.
    2. radigraphs,, to look at the lungs.. lots of older cats have chronic lower resp disease,,, and unfortunately, we are also looking for signs of cancer.
    3. blood work,, a full cbc, chem, urine and t4.
    4. oral exam under anesthesia,, i look at the whole oral cavity, remove a polyp if i find one, flush the nares if the patient has had chronic nasal discharge, and then I also take skull rads, esp of the nose/nasal passages.
    if all of this fails to produce any helpful info endoscopy is the next step.. or CT, but endoscopy allows helpful info and you can do something (biopsy, etc) if you find something.
    I hope this helps..
    PS i agree about your theory and feelings about the corp practices..
    good luck,
    please keep me posted,, i would love to hear about how things turn out.
    PSS i do think that your kitty is a little old for a polyp.

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Pawbly | 8 years ago
My 10-yr Old Tonkinese Cat Has A Seroma On His Throat From Fighting With His…

My 10-yr old Tonkinese cat has a seroma on his throat from fighting with his brother (littermate), who bit him in the neck. This happened over a year ago. The vet did full test panel (no cancer), etc and drained it. It refilled within a week. I took him back to drain again, it refilled again. I did NOT want to repeat this cycle for fear of infection (not to mention cost). The seroma is still on his throat and I know bothers him, but does not affect his appetite. All the vet suggests is draining it again. He does eat more slowly than he used to, and doesn’t purr quite as much as he used to. I was hoping it would have shrunk by now, but it hasn’t. Any advice? I am extremely interested in holistic, alternative ideas, if possible. Thank you!

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I am not a holistic vet but if you were my client I would inquire about doing a culture and sensitivity of the fluid or cytology making sure it isn’t infection or a mucocele or salivary gland abnormality. I would be curious to see if there is more to this than a seroma. I hope this helps.

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Steve Hatchett | 8 years ago
My Father Told Once That Animals, Cats In Particular, Would Become Very Affectionate, Clingy, And…

My father told once that animals, cats in particular, would become very affectionate, clingy, and purr loudly when the were seriously ill and death was imminent. Is that true? Those thoughts have always made loosing a pet difficult for me. The one time an animal desperately needs, and is communicating that to me I can’t help them even after they have spent their lifetime showing me unconditional love.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    I do think that all animals are far more intelligent, intuitive and superior than we humans give them credit for,, especially when it comes to death (and life).

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Pawbly | 9 years ago
I Have 2 Siamese Cats, They Both Accidently Ate Raw Rancid Beef On Fri Morning…

I have 2 siamese cats, they both accidently ate raw rancid beef on Fri morning. Since then haven’t eaten, not seen them drinking, looking and feeling sorry for themselves, vomiting and runs, will sit on my knee and quietly purr when petted.

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Pawbly | 9 years ago
So, We Have A Kitten About 4 To 5 Months. We Noticed That For The…

So, we have a kitten about 4 to 5 months. We noticed that for the past couple of weeks, his stomach grows bigger and bigger. Now, his rear legs and tail are paralyzed. So, he walks with his two front legs and drags his rear legs. Also, he would always eat whenever we give him food. However, we noticed that he haven’t urinated or discharged. We would put him inside a box, so he could sleep. As he tries to sleep, his hands would shake every now and then. We also noticed that his heart beats fast sometimes, even when he’s sleepin’. And, he doesn’t have any voice when he speaks. I don’t know if it’s odd that he kneads and purrs, especially with his condition. So, today’s his 3rd day and nothing have changed. I tried lookin’ for any reasons behind his condition or what it’s called, but I couldn’t find any. We couldn’t bring him to the vet, especially because of the weather right now here. And, my Dad thinks it’s expensive and it would cost a lot of money if we bring him to the vet.

4 Responses

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  1. julie brader

    Hello Alya

    This cat needs a Vet URGENTLY right now!!! hes in critical condition and you cannot leave him suffering like this.

    His stomach is probably full of urine if he hasn’t urinated….leave him much longer and his bladder will burst.

    Take him to a Vet now…emergency.I’m sorry but you should not have pets if you are not prepared to give them the correct care. Its cruel to leave your cat in pain. VET NOW. 

  2. Aleia Samonte

    Alright, thank you so much.

  3. Aleia Samonte

    Well, his stomach becomes a bit smaller now. And, he had urinated and defecated yesterday. Also, we saw his legs moved one time.

  4. julie brader

    And you still haven’t taken him to the Vet?? Whether hes urinated or not this kitten is in pain! Hes paralysed!! How long are you going to leave him suffering? I’m sorry but when you get a pet it’s your responsibility to mske sure its in good health and has medical care when needed. Please! Take this cat to the Vet!!!!

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Pawbly | 9 years ago
The Skin On Her Muzzle Under The Fur Seems Pinker Than Normal, Too. Also, Her…

The skin on her muzzle under the fur seems pinker than normal, too. Also, her nose seems to itch (she rubs her nose area vigorously against my fingers, not just normal face rubbing) and gets a little dark crust around the edges. I noticed her nose running with a little clear discharge while I was petting her, but I read that it’s common for a cat’s nose to run when it purrs, so I didn’t think that was part of this. Her ears itch, as well. They don’t have an odor and I don’t see anything in them. Sometimes the fur on her chin will be discolored with a reddish/orangish tint and I noticed an area of dried liquid with a light tinge of brown around the border where she’d been sleeping this morning. Is this an allergy? I have more pictures I can post that show the crustiness on her nose and her upper lip from below.

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  1. Kelly Furgason

    Hello,
    I’m not sure if it’s the angle of the photo or not, but your kitty looks like it’s upper mouth  and general face area is  swollen and  really distorted and does not look typical.

    The brown/reddish color you describe reminds me of exactly how dried flea dirt (blood) looks. So make sure that you examine her carefully with a flea comb to see if that is an issue for her.

    If she was an outside “feral” cat, be sure to get her tested for Felv/Fiv as well as a vet checkup to rule out upper respiratory infections, a rabies vaccine and distemper vaccine and spay would be good too–if you haven’t already done that. I’d take a trip to the vet to have her mouth/face examined.
    Good luck!
    ~kelly

  2. Beth Burchard

    Thank you, Kelly! It’s the angle of the picture. I had a normal looking one to post, but this one shows her mouth better. She does have fleas. I gave her an Rx oral med from the vet a month ago and it didn’t work. So I gave her a combo of Capstar and Program last night and have a spray to spray what I can’t wash to get any remaining eggs & larva. Maybe she has a flea allergy and this will be what she needs.

    I’ve done TNR with 8 feral cats over the past year. She was about 5 months old when I took her, but has been very much untamed and fearful of the sight of me until about 3 months ago when I discovered the power of fish. In that time she has begun sleeping and spending much of her days in the house (I put in a cat door and she still insists on using the big “litter box” outside instead of the one I got her. Just this week she started climbing up on me when I’m lying down and using me for her bed. =) I can pet her just about any way I want to without getting injured now, but I can’t pick her up or do anything that seems threatening to her without her running and hiding (i.e. walking fast, carrying the mail, any attempt to use anything on her except my hand). So catching her to take to the vet has had me in a quandary. The humane trap is too traumatic for her AND me. I stopped by the vet’s office today and they said they could give me a sedative to give her so she would be sleeping and I could bring her in. She had a rabies shot when she was spayed, but she’ll need another one in November. And she hasn’t been tested for FeLV/Fiv.

    That’s TMI, I know. I tend to get wordy, but thank you so much for your response! I will definitely take your advice now that I know there’s a way to get her to the vet without trauma, and hopefully we’ll get this taken care of quickly.

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Pawbly | 9 years ago
Hi There!

My Cat, Stella, Is Seeming To Have A Hard Time Passing A Hairball…

Hi there!

My cat, Stella, is seeming to have a hard time passing a hairball. She will have a coughing fit and then lay down and moan and breathe loudly for about 10-45 minutes after her fit, purr and then go to sleep.

I’ve tried giving her hairball assistance treats but it hasn’t seemed to work. She just can’t seem to get the hairball out. Is there anything I can do to help her?

Thanks.

1 Response

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  1. Diedra Cardamone

    Hello Briar,

    I am sorry your cat is having such difficulties.  Because she is having breathing problems (and for such a long time) it is probably best to go to the vet and get some additional help.  I hope she feels better soon!

    Diedra