TL;DR: Respiratory distress in cats is a life-threatening emergency characterized by open-mouth breathing or gasping. If your cat is struggling to breathe, seek immediate veterinary care at the nearest emergency clinic.
What is respiratory distress in cats and what does it look like?
- Respiratory distress, or dyspnea, occurs when a cat struggles for air and often exhibits a panicked expression.
- Unlike dogs, cats rarely pant for fun; open-mouth breathing or gasping indicates their body is not receiving enough oxygen.
What are the signs of a respiratory emergency and what should I do?
- Recognize critical signs such as gasping, using the abdomen to pull in air, or a blue-tinged tongue and gums.
- Transport your cat to the nearest emergency veterinary clinic immediately.
- Because cats mask illness, visible distress means their condition has reached a dangerous tipping point.
How can a photo or video help the vet triage my cat?
- A quick 5-second video of your cat's breathing can provide life-saving information for the triage team.
- It allows veterinarians to see the exact distress pattern and prepare oxygen therapy or stabilization equipment before you arrive.
- Only take a video if it does not delay your transport to the emergency clinic.
Clinical Context (Merck Veterinary Manual)
Compromised breathing in cats manifests as an increased respiratory rate and effort, followed by a change in respiratory pattern. Cats may sit crouched on all four limbs with the sternum slightly elevated. Labored, open-mouth breathing and changes in mucous membrane color (gray or blue/cyanosis) indicate significant loss of pulmonary function and impending pulmonary arrest. Pleural space disease causes asynchronous breathing, where the chest expands on inspiration as the abdomen is pulled inward, then the chest moves inward on expiration as the abdomen expands, and thoracic auscultation reveals muffled lung sounds over the affected regions. Lung parenchymal disease causes quiet, smooth breathing, with the chest and abdominal wall moving in the same direction. Stabilization should precede radiographs or stressful diagnostics to prevent decompensation. Oxygen should be provided by flow-by, hood, or nasal cannula, with sedation using a narcotic-tranquilizer combination. Epinephrine (0.02 mg/kg, IM) can be given for life-threatening asthma, and corticosteroids (prednisone sodium succinate, 15 mg/kg, IV, or dexamethasone, 2-4 mg/kg, IM or IV) are indicated for allergic bronchitis, asthma, or severe swelling of the larynx or pharyngeal tissues. Albuterol can be given by nebulization in crisis.
Chapter: Emergency, Respiratory
Source: The Merck Veterinary Manual, 11th Edition (Page 1663)