My cat is breathing hard, stomach moving up and down. Should I worry?

Coco is adorable and I'm sorry to hear that she has been having so many changes to her breathing. Heavy breathing with abdominal effort/movement is a sign for concern and can be related to congenital heart defects causing congestive heart failure, pneumonia, pain, infectious conditions, among others. Any breathing changes are an emergent cause for concern and should be addressed by a vet immediately to assure that Coco seems to be stable. I hope that all goes well!

Poor Cecelia. It sounds like she may be abdominal breathing which means she is having difficulty breathing and this could potential be an emergency. I would take her to your vet ASAP to be examined. They will be able to listen to her heart and lungs and watch her breathe. If needed they may want to take chest x-rays to see what her heart and lungs look like. I hope this helps and she feels better soon!

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. Based on on your description, there could be many possibilities of these symptoms. I would want to rule out any chest or abdominal disease as the cause by taking x-rays to start with. I would also recommend having his blood tested to check for evidence of systemic disease or infection. I am glad to see that you have an appointment tomorrow with the veterinarian so that these tests can be done. I would be concerned about an intestinal foreign body causing an obstruction or something abnormal in the lungs or chest cavity. I saw a case similar to this a couple of weeks ago that ended up being feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), which is caused from a virus and can be fatal and lead to fluid accumulation in the chest or abdomen. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I’m sorry to hear about Lerdi! I too am somewhat concerned but have a few ideas. Least scary is just that he is painful or developing a fever. A fractured rib that is difficult to see on X-ray is also possible- this makes deep breathing quite painful so animals tend to take shallow, frequent breaths. A more scary idea is that he could have a slow leak of air or buildup of fluid into the chest cavity which is compressing the lungs. Keep a close eye on the color of his gums (pale pink in most cats) and that respiration rate. If those guns become white, grey, blue-tinged or that respiration rate keeps climbing, you head to the emergency vet immediately. Otherwise, Call the first vet back and see what they recommend- a repeat X-ray or chest ultrasound might be indicated. Best of luck to you and Lerdi!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Kida. I recommend that she sees a veterinarian. Respiratory issues can be very serious. If she is breathing with her mouth open at all, then you need to seek emergency care right away as this indicates respiratory distress. I hope this information helps!

Poor Simba! There is a chance he has damaged something when he fell. For example he could have broken a rib or caused a rupture in a lung or diaphragm. It may just be that he's in a bit of pain from being bruised. However I would go to the vet to have an exam just because it could be something serious.

This could be a normal respiratory rate for Bella, but I’m concerned that she seems to have labored breathing. I would recommend having her examined by an emergency vet as soon as possible - respiratory disease in cats can quickly get worse and a prompt exam and treatment is important.