If you have noticed that your cat is having difficulty in breathing and when sleeping he pants suspiciously, do not hesitate to take him to the vet’s. There are several reasons why the cat can have difficulty in breathing or preventing him from doing it in a normal way, here are some of them and how look after your cat.
Main reasons of cat’s gasping breath
1. HAIRBALLS
Cats are attentive to their hygiene and are constantly licking themselves with the risk that part of the hair is ingested, thus causing an accumulation of hairballs in the stomach. The cat will most likely begin to have a wheezing breath for prolonged periods of time and then vomiting and coughing symptoms in an attempt to eliminate the ingested hair by licking himself.
2. ALLERGIES
In certain times of the year the cat may experience particular allergies (pollens, parasitic bites, etc.), or the inhalation of smoke or chemicals causes nasal congestion and breathing difficulties. In this case, the right therapy will just be to deal with the cause.
3. HEAT SHOT
When it is hot and the cat has been in the sun and high temperatures for many hours he could get a heat stroke. Symptoms include convulsions, apathy and precisely wheezing. To make the cat feel better, give him some compresses and make sure he doesn’t stay out during the hottest hours.
4. ASTHMA
Asthma can cause heavy breathing in the cat and this can occur after intense exercise and play sessions or can be due to stress. You can see the feline on alert, with dilated pupils and exaggerated salivation. Leave him alone and let him rest, put a bowl of water next to him.
5. HEART DISEASE OR INFECTION
In the most serious cases, laboured breathing may be due to the presence of an infection in the respiratory tract or heart problems. If he has been infected by a virus or a bacterium he could particularly gasp, both when he sleeps and during the day, but the special antibiotics prescribed by the veterinarian are enough to make him recover.
What to do if the cat is breathing badly
Bringing the cat to the vet is the first important thing to do, he will diagnose the presence of any infections or not. Try to stay calm and not get upset, the cat perceives your anxiety and risks suffering more. In any case it is a good habit to try to keep the nose of the feline always clean, just use a wet cotton pad to gently remove the traces of mucus and secretions.
