Why is my cat breathing heavy with open mouth and tongue out while active?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Missy. I recommend that you seek emergency veterinary care this evening. Open mouth breathing is a sign of respiratory distress in a cat. The respiratory infection could have spread to her lungs resulting in pneumonia or she could have another problem. Heart disease and fluid in the chest can also cause this breathing pattern. I hope this information helps. Good luck.

Oh dear! Open-mouth breathing in cats is a serious issue, as this is not normal behavior for them and usually indicates a breathing problem of some kind. I would recommend taking Felix to the vet right away to be seen. Your veterinarian can listen to his heart and lungs to check for any obvious abnormalities, and may recommend chest x-rays or other testing if needed to help determine what's wrong.

This presentation may be due to a respiratory or cardiac problem. Sudden onset is usually compatible either with feline asthma or a cardiac issue. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is immediately essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

No, panting in cats is never normal. I see that Tammy is quite young, but issues like asthma, heart failure, or toxin exposure could all cause signs of respiratory distress. On occasion, significant stress can trigger panting in some cats, but oftentimes there's also an underlying disease process. I strongly recommend taking Tammy to your vet or an emergency vet right away for evaluation. They'll need to perform a physical exam and will most likely recommend chest x-rays to try to get to the bottom of this situation. I hope that everything goes well for Tammy!

Your cat sounds critically ill and should be seen by a vet ASAP. Open-mouth breathing is always an emergency in cats - it is a sign of respiratory distress. It is difficult to say what the cause is without doing some testing, but possibilities include cancer, pneumonia, asthma, or heart failure.

These signs may be compatible with a chest infection or alternatively to a cardiac problem. The two differentials must be ruled out asap as this could be a medical emergency. Pleural space or thoracic cavity could have fluid building up. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Open mouth breathing can be a sign of many conditions such as pneumonia, bronchitis, heart disease, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have Bruce evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Likely diagnostics to be performed include thoracic radiographs and bloodwork. Treatment would be dependent on findings. Good luck and have a good night!