My kitten is breathing fast and wheezing. Is it a medical emergency?

Any animal, particularly this young and presumably not fully vaccinated, with respiratory signs, should be seen my a veterinarian. If your Kitkat appears to be in true respiratory distress, this should be considered and emergency and should be seen right away. Signs of true respiratory distress in a cat would be open mouth breathing, pale white to blue mucous membranes (open mouth and look at gums), fainting episodes, or resting respiration of more than 30-40.

Hi there, and thank you for posting this question. I am concerned as you are about that high respiratory rate. I would also be concerned about other lung problems and would recommend an x-ray. Kittens can develop an infection called FIP that causes fluid to build up in the chest and/or belly. I would want to make sure this isn’t what is happening. Best of luck and I hope she improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Worms cause GI upset more than they likely affect breathing, unless the pet is also anemia (which is less likely if the gums are pink). More likely would be upper respiratory infection, heat, stress, pneumonia, or other heart or lung disease. A dewormer won't hurt anything, but it may not help, either. The best thing to do would be to have the kitten evaluated by a vet.

This is abnormal and concerning. A normal respiration rate for a cat is 24-42 breaths per minute and maybe slightly higher in a kitten, but not that high. Please have him seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible.

Hello. In a very young kitten, this would typically indicate a respiratory tract infection. This may be viral, bacterial , a combination, or fungal. Very young kittens can deteriorate quickly if they are sick so it would be highly recommended to have your veterinarian examine the kitten ASAP to determine what treatment is needed. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach

Open mouth breathing is a sign of respiratory distress in cats, and is a medical emergency. Kenway needs to see a vet now. If paying for a vet is an issue, you can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/ http://www.dogheirs.com/resources-affordable-veterinary-care/ Have your friend check out these resources, and have him take the kitten into a vet now.

It could be that Serenity has a respiratory infection, but what really concerns me is that she is having a hard time breathing. That could easily lead to respiratory distress and potentially death. Because of this, I think she needs to see a vet now to be safe. Please take her into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website. Best of luck.