My cat's breathing is fast after asthma steroid shot. Is this normal?

There are different types of steroid shots. Long term use or high doses can affect their liver or kidneys. There has been studies that some forms can bring on a form of heart failure if already underlying with it. The do make asthma inhalers for cats that may be easier to give. If she is not eating I would have her rechecked to have blood work done and see what else is going on

Hello. I am so sorry for your concerns about Coco. I will, unfortunately, say that lung problems, especially in cats, can be very serious. Your veterinarian will need to determine if this is a heart or lung problem, & if the issue is due to injury, a lung torsion, infection ( bacterial, viral, fungal ), or possibly even a congenital problem. You will need to be patient as your veterinarian conducts some testing, especially on the fluid removed from her chest. I hope Coco does well & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

If he starts to have an elevated respiratory rate, difficulty breathing, or increased cough than he may need a steroid. If he is only coughing a few times a day and otherwise seems fine than it doesn't sound like he needs a steroid, yet.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would say that occasional episodes of rapid breathing are not necessarily a cause to panic. Do take note of the timing though. Does it seem to be when the pain medication is wearing off or has it started since stopping pain medication? If so, talk to your vet. Some cats just need a few extra days of pain medication. Certain medications are also ok to give more often but ALWAYS ask your vet first as some of them are very UNSAFE to give more often. Of course, always watch attitude and appetite and if anything else seems amiss (coughing, difficulty breathing, etc), head to the vet right away. Best of luck to you and Sophie!

Rapid breathing can be caused by pain, stress, fever or overheating. If you struggled to catch and treat your cat, it is possible that you are seeing a stress response. If this is the case, your cat's breathing should start to slow down and return to normal once the stressor has been removed (i.e. You are no longer restraining your cat). If it doesn't improve or gets worse, your cat may be having an adverse reaction to the flea treatment. Some flea treatments that contain permethrins and pyrethroids are toxic to cats, so check the packaging to see what type of active ingredients were in the flea treatment. If pyrethrins, permethrins, or pyrethroids are the active ingredient in the flea treatment, contact your veterinarian or go to a 24-hour emergency clinic immediately.

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!

I am so sorry that Spectre is going through this. Albuterol 90 mcg usually just 1 puff is used in cats in times of respiratory distress. I would not wait and I would get her into see an emergency veterinarian immediately. The albuterol will wear off and when it does she needs to either be in an oxygen cage or have enough steroids on board to calm her airways. I would encourage you to discuss an Aerokat mask with your veterinarian as these can be really useful in administering the albuterol to kitties. Also an inhaled steroid may be a good idea as well. Best of luck and I hope she improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.