My cat is panting a lot and itching his ears. What could it be?

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Sweetiepie. Scratching can be due to external parasites (fleas, ticks, mites, etc), insect bites/stings, bacterial infection, dry skin, and some extreme cases are due to Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome, where parts of their bodies become extremely itchy. Sounds like if this persists or worsens, you will need to get her examined by your vet. They can get a history, perform an exam, and advise a diagnostic plan and/or treatment plan based on physical findings. Skin tests including a skin scrape, fungal culture, skin cytology may be needed or even some blood work to rule out an internal organ problem. Treatment would be based on the cause. Good luck with Sweetiepie.

I would be very concerned for cardiac disease or infectious disease (pneumonia) based on those radiographs. With a temperature of 35 C (95 F) that is absolutely an emergency situation. You can see panting with cardiac disease when pulmonary edema begins to develop, which is when fluid is present within the lung tissue and does not allow for adequate gas exchange to occur. I recognize that this was posted 3 days ago, but if Sasi has not been re-evaluated by her veterinarian she needs to be ASAP to determine a treatment plan and if further diagnostics are indicated (echocardiogram, airway wash, etc.).

Panting is always concerning and is usually a sign of respiratory distress in cats. She could be having respiratory problems, a heart issue, or have anemia from fleas. I'd recommend trying to find her outdoors if possible and taking her to a vet as soon as you can.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. When cats pant or breathe with their mouths open, this is abnormal and concerning. Given the information you provided about the Merlin's heart murmur, I am worries that he could have significant enough heart disease to cause heart failure, which leads to the build up of fluid in the lungs. This makes it very difficult for cats to breathe, especially after exertion, and can be life-threatening. Alternatively, cats can pant when they are severely overheated, which is also very dangerous. I would recommend keeping Merlin quiet (no running or playing) until he can be seen by a veterinarian. He/she will want to do a full physical exam and take x-rays of Merlin's chest to look for heart enlargement and/or fluid in the lungs. There is a blood test available called an NT-proBNP that can detect heart failure in cats as well. I hope this information is helpful!

Asthma is the # 1 cause for these symptoms. However, it could also be pain from the lower GI tract, underlying heart disease, pleural effusion, or any other lung disorder. If this continues for more than 3-6 hrs, or if Harley seems to have labored breathing and isn't oxygenating well (blue tongue, open mouth breathing, etc), then its best to take him in to your vet for bloodwork +/- chest x-rays to help diagnose the underlying problem and get him on the proper treatment. I hope that Harley feels better soon! Best wishes and take care.

Panting in cats can be caused by stress, so it's likely that the panting was due to Luna being anxious about the car ride. In some cases, panting can also be caused by heart disease or other respiratory problems - this is much less likely if Luna is acting normal otherwise and does not pant in any other circumstances, but you could certainly discuss your concerns with your vet to see if he/she would recommend chest x-rays or any other testing to rule out a serious problem.

Yes, this is a concern so I do recommend having Walter seen by a vet for it. While it could be the heat, I can't rule out a medical condition causing the panting without seeing him in person. Give his vet a call today to make him an appointment. Best of luck.