TL;DR: Suffocation sounds in cats are a life-threatening emergency requiring immediate veterinary attention. If your cat is gasping or has blue-tinged gums, transport them to an emergency clinic immediately.
What do suffocation sounds in cats sound like?
Sounds that resemble suffocation in cats are often described as gasping, wheezing, or heavy, wet-sounding labor. Unlike a typical hairball cough, which involves a rhythmic hacking motion, respiratory distress often involves high-pitched whistling (stridor) or raspy snoring sounds (stertor). These sounds indicate that your cat is struggling to move oxygen into their lungs, which may be caused by asthma, heart failure, choking, or pneumonia.
How urgent is it if my cat is making sounds like they are suffocating?
- Treat any respiratory distress as a life-threatening emergency; cats often hide illness until they are in a critical state.
- Check for open-mouthed breathing, blue or purple-tinged gums, or an extended neck while gasping.
- Transport your cat to an emergency veterinary clinic immediately if you observe these symptoms.
How can taking a video or photo of my cat help the vet with triage?
- Capture a quick video of the breathing episode to show the vet, as breathing patterns often change during the stress of a car ride.
- Allow the veterinarian to see the specific effort of the chest and abdomen and the cat’s posture.
- Provide the exact sound of the distress to speed up the diagnostic process.
- Help the veterinary team decide quickly if your cat needs immediate oxygen therapy or sedation upon arrival.
Clinical Context (Merck Veterinary Manual)
Complete large airway obstruction results in unconsciousness and apnea, while partial obstruction causes noisy breathing, such as stridor or stertor, audible without a stethoscope. Cyanosis and anxiety are often present, accompanied by loud referred airway sounds throughout the thorax on auscultation. Compromised breathing in cats manifests as an increased respiratory rate and effort, followed by postural changes such as sitting crouched on all four limbs with the sternum slightly elevated. Labored, open-mouth breathing and cyanosis indicate significant pulmonary dysfunction and impending pulmonary arrest. Emergency treatment for small airway obstructive disease involves oxygen administration via flow-by, hood, or nasal cannula, and sedation with a narcotic-tranquilizer combination. Epinephrine is indicated for its bronchodilatory effects in anaphylaxis and life-threatening asthma, while corticosteroids are administered for allergic bronchitis, asthma, or severe swelling of the larynx or pharyngeal tissues. Other bronchodilators, such as aminophylline or terbutaline, can be given intramuscularly, or albuterol can be administered by nebulization in critical cases.
Chapter: Emergency, Respiratory
Source: The Merck Veterinary Manual, 11th Edition (Page 1662)