My elderly cat has breathing problems. How can I make her comfortable?

Poor Spice! These breathing problems could be caused by heart disease, respiratory disease, or cancer among others. This is quite a serious symptom in senior cats, as there are a number of severe diseases that can cause this, and I would have Spice seen today for a physical exam, a geriatric blood panel, urinalysis, and x-rays. Once the cause of her breathing difficulties are found, the vet can discuss treatment options.

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.

Poor Ora! She needs to be examined by a vet as soon as possible to determine the cause and treat. She could have an infection, asthma, heart disease, etc. and your vet can take an x-ray, if needed, to help diagnose and then determine the best treatment plan. IF she is having trouble breathing then you should take her to an emergency clinic tonight so treatment can be started. Hope she feels better soon!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If Mecia is having trouble breathing, she should be seen by a vet immediately as she may require stabilization such as fluids or supplemental oxygen to make her more comfortable. A vet may recommend euthanasia, but no vet will euthanize Mecia without your consent.

Unfortunately there is no over the counter product to help with this issue. We don't know the cause of her respiratory distress and it could include anything ranging from infection, spread of cancer to lungs, or heart disease. If she is in respiratory distress I would recommend taking her the the emergency vet closest to your area. It looks like there is one near you according to your zip code http://www.wvrc.com/about/locations/racine-wi-pet-hospital/

Seek out a veterinarian who does acupuncture. Many cats actually tolerate it very well and it can be extremely helpful for chronic upper respiratory issues such as snoring. If she has a bacterial upper respiratory infection, antibiotics may be needed, but it sounds like she probably has some underlying respiratory issues as well. That's where I think the acupuncture could benefit. Also, keep a humidifier going in your home; increased moisture in the air may help as well. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

It is such a hard decision to make! I work for a home euthanasia service, so I face this question with my clients all the time. I recommend looking at Pete's quality of life in order to make this decision. When a cat stops eating, is very lethargic, has trouble breathing, or just wants to sleep all the time, that is a sign their quality of life has decreased to a point where letting them go should be considered. I'm sorry you are facing this, but I hope this helps.