Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!
Become a member today!
Members-only pricing and offers, personalized care notifications, Vital Care points back on every purchase and more!
Already a member? Sign in
Become a credit card member today!
Earn 2X Pals Rewards points at Petco
when you use Petco Pay!
APPLY NOW
Learn More About Petco Pay Benefits

My cat has breathing problems, worse at night, on meds. Is it asthma?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 1 year and 2 months old | 6 lbs

My cat has been having some issues breathing. We have him on an antibiotic from vet. He has taken three doses but seems to get really bad once evening hits. Can this be asthma?

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM

Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident

Published on July 25th, 2018

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Breathing issues can be a sign of many conditions such as pneumonia, bronchitis, heart disease, asthma, among many other possibilities. This could certainly be due to asthma which is not treated with antibiotics but rather it is treated with steroids and other medications. Since he has not improved, I recommend that you have Oscar reevaluated by your 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!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on February 11th, 2017
I would take your pet in as a walk in, even if the vets say they don't have room. This is a medical emergency whenever a pet cannot breathe normally and breathing issues require treatment at the hospital because the mainstay of treatment is to provide the pet with pure oxygen, which cannot be duplicated in the home. I hope your pet Dino can get help today and can get stabilized enough where they can do some tests on him to find out the underlying cause of his breathing issues.
Breathing problems in general can be caused by: pneumonia, foreign body obstruction in the airway, a primary lung disease, and an asthma attack just to name a few.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM
Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident
Published on July 20th, 2018
Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Labored breathing can be a sign of many conditions such as pneumonia, bronchitis, pleural effusion, heart disease, among many other possibilities. If it would be possible for him to get diagnosed sooner it would be better as some conditions that an cause labored breathing are serious such as the ones mentioned above. I recommend that you have Simba evaluated by a veterinarian sooner than Monday 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 day!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Related Questions

My cat is wheezing and has abdominal breathing. Is it asthma?

I'd be concerned that Sock may have feline asthma. It would be worth a trip to the veterinarian to have X-rays done again on Sock to look for asthmatic changes. Asthma in cats is fairly common and can be treated with both inhalant medication and oral medications. An Aerokat inhaler can be ordered to help administer inhalant medications if necessary. Your veterinarian can also ensure that Sock is not experiencing another upper respiratory infection. I'd also recommend eliminating the use of perfumed cleaners, or perfumed or dusty litter types as these things can aggravate airway disease in cats. Try to change air filters regularly and use an air purifier to cut down on allergens. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My 9-year-old cat is wheezing and struggling to breathe. What to do?

She could definitely start having asthma at her age. I would recommend having a vet listen to her heart and lungs, and take a chest x-ray. They can send the x-rays to a be read by a radiologist if you'd like a second opinion. The treatment for asthma is usually steroids and inhaled broncodilators. You would need a prescription for those things. So unfortunately, there isn't much you can do totally alone, but it does sound like she needs some help.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My cat is breathing with mouth open and struggling. Is it asthma?

Hello, sorry to hear about Aspen. It does indeed sound like he is in the right where he could be developing some feline asthma. This disease can be exacerbated by environmental irritants such as aerosolized sprays, candles, smoking, pollen, and dust. Diagnosis is typically confirmed with an x-rays and by sampling the lungs as well as making sure that Aspen does not have lung worms with a fecal exam. If Aspen is having a difficult time breathing, then he needs to be seen by her veterinarian immediately. Medications to treat this disease typically involve antibiotics and likely steroids. Other wise, practice avoiding any environmental allergen at home, and don't expose him to any strenuous exercise of high stress situations. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My cat is wheezing. Could it be asthma? What should I do now?

Yes, wheezing could indeed be a sign of asthma. But it is also possible that she has an upper respiratory infection. Either disease is relatively easy to treat once diagnosed. Your vet will want to do xrays if he suspects asthma. URIs are usually treated with antibiotics. Here is some information of feline asthma: https://www.petcoach.co/article/feline-asthma-a-cause-of-coughing-in-cats/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/what-you-need-to-know-about-feline-asthma/ I suggest you make an appointment for Leo with your vet.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My cat coughs and sneezes. Could it be asthma if allergy meds fail?

There are no specific diagnostic tests for asthma, so it's a diagnosis of exclusion. The vet can do a physical exam, blood work, x-rays, parasitic tests, and evaluation of bronchial secretions to rule out other causes of his sneezing and coughing. I would take Blaze back into the vet tomorrow because the antihistamines aren't working. The vet may prescribe a stronger drug in case he has allergies, such as steroids, or they may decide to further testing to diagnose what is causing his symptoms.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My cat stopped playing, breathing heavy, and yowling. Is he okay?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Heavy breathing is certainly abnormal in cats. It can be seen with conditions like asthma, heart disease, bronchitis, pneumonia, among other possibilities. This is usually concerning in cats and warrants a visit to a veterinarian as soon as possible for further assessment and possible treatment. They will likely going to perform thoracic radiographs, among other diagnostics dependent on the results obtained. Treatment would be dependent on the findings. Good luck and have a good night!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My cat has trouble breathing. What are the next steps for diagnosis?

If he is dyspneic, he may have both upper and lower airway disease. I find that chest x-rays can underestimate the extent of lower airway disease. In some of these cases, we have to do additional diagnostics such as a thoracic CT, bronchoscopy and in some cases biopsy. He may need to be evaluated by a veterinary internal medicine specialist. Discuss this with your veterinarian.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Share