Why is my cat hacking and breathing heavy after spay surgery?

Some animals can have increased respiratory noise after anesthesia from the endotracheal tube. However if the noise does not go away, she seems to have difficulty breathing, has an increased breathing rate or effort or seems lifeless/lethargic then your cat needs to be seen by veterinarian as soon as possible because this could indicate serious complications such as pneumonia.

IT could still be due to the intubation, some damage might have been caused and what you see might be the complications. as long as she does not seem to be breathing abnormally fast i would probably not worry as long as you do talk to your vet tomorrow of course.

It may be unrelated to her surgery, but this sounds like her respiratory function is compromised. This could be due to feline asthma, bacterial pneumonia or something similar. Respiratory distress in cats can be dangerous so I would bring her in to a veterinarian ASAP. They will likely do some chest x-rays and possibly some blood work to look for signs of infection. Good luck!

These may be signs of a upper respiratory infection or tracheal irritation if she was intubated for her surgery. Either can cause inflammation in their throat and affect their sinuses. IF this pattern is still occurring, then i would have your vet rechecked. SHe is likely already on an antibiotics since she had an infection prior to the c section, but they can add medication to help with the sneezing and coughing/retching to help her comfort and recover.

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!

It sounds like possible side effects due to the anesthesia, the raspy voice and the fact she is eating pureed food might be because of the intubation done during anesthesia. the sleepiness might be because of the pain killers if she is taking any. if she is the same on Monday you should take her back to your vet just to make sure everything is fine.

More then likely she is having a flare up of an upper respiratory virus with the stress of surgery. Most cats are exposed to these viruses, such as cat herpes, and stress can elicit a flare up. Sneezing, runny eyes/nose, congestion, etc. are common. If there is any discoloration to any discharge, cough, or she is not eating well a recheck with your vet is indicated. For most cats however the signs will run their course in 5 to 10 days. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!