TL;DR: Agonal gasping is a life-threatening emergency indicating your cat's brain is not receiving enough oxygen. Transport your cat to an emergency veterinarian immediately if you observe labored, gasping sounds or open-mouthed breathing.
What is agonal gasping in cats and why does it happen?
Agonal gasping, or agonal breaths, is not actual breathing but a brainstem reflex. It typically appears as labored, gasping sounds or open-mouthed fish-out-of-water movements. It occurs when a cat's brain is no longer receiving the oxygen it needs to function, often during the final stages of a life-threatening event.
Is agonal gasping a medical emergency for my cat?
- Recognize that this is a high-level medical emergency indicating the heart has stopped or respiratory failure is imminent.
- Transport your cat to the nearest emergency veterinary hospital immediately.
- Do not wait for an appointment or attempt to provide any form of home care.
How can a photo or video help the veterinary team during triage?
- Safely record a 5-to-10-second video of your cat's breathing while someone else prepares the car for transport.
- Show the video to the veterinarian upon arrival to help them instantly distinguish agonal gasping from severe asthma or choking.
- Provide this visual evidence to allow the team to initiate life-saving resuscitation protocols without delay.
Clinical Context (Merck Veterinary Manual)
Rapid detection of cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA) in an unconscious animal can be difficult; lack of response to external stimuli or presence of limp body tone are unreliable indicators of CPA. Instead of feeling for a pulse, owners can be instructed to watch for chest excursions and to touch the cornea or eyelids to elicit a corneal or palpebral reflex in an unconscious pet; absence of one or both is indicative of CPA.
Chapter: Emergency, Respiratory
Source: The Merck Veterinary Manual, 11th Edition (Page 1663)