Why is my senior cat's belly bloated and breathing hard when purring?

Hi there, sorry to hear this about Bussia! I would definitely get her checked out by a vet asap as I am concerned that their could be something serious going on. For example if she has a heart condition this could effect her breathing and cause fluid accumulation in her belly. Unfortunately she could also have tumours effecting her lungs and belly. It could also be something really simple such as a chest infection and maybe another condition going on concurrently. I'm afraid that I can't give you a more specific diagnosis without examining her as there are so many possibilities. I would stress to you that it is really important to have her examined soon.

I understand your concerns for Scuff! Fortunately, from the signs that you describe, a foreign body obstruction from plastic is unlikely, as significant vomiting and anorexia would be expected. Wheezy breathing and changes in purring can be caused by asthma, heart disease, hyperthyroidism, among others. While I understand Scuff's fear of the vet, in this case, that is the only way that he's going to be diagnosed and treated appropriately. Consider looking into mobile vets in your area to see if they can make house calls and also have a portable x-ray machine. It sounds as though Scuff will likely need to have chest x-rays to get to the bottom of his problem. I hope that all goes well!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! From the X-rays, I can see that Mara's abdomen appears to be filled with fluid. It is obscuring his liver and intestines from being seen and there may even be a small amount in his lungs. Unfortunately it is impossible to tell what the fluid is from the x-ray alone. His blood work shows some abnormalities with his electrolytes, which may be if he is not eating or from fluid in the abdomen. Mara also has a high white blood cell count, these are the cells that are responsible for fighting off infections and increase if there is one present. Your vet can run some additional diagnostics, and perform a tap and remove the fluid as well as a blood test to determine if Mara is infected with FIP, a mutated form of a common virus that cats are exposed to. I hope this helps!

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. Based on on your description, there could be many possibilities of these symptoms. I would want to rule out any chest or abdominal disease as the cause by taking x-rays to start with. I would also recommend having his blood tested to check for evidence of systemic disease or infection. I am glad to see that you have an appointment tomorrow with the veterinarian so that these tests can be done. I would be concerned about an intestinal foreign body causing an obstruction or something abnormal in the lungs or chest cavity. I saw a case similar to this a couple of weeks ago that ended up being feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), which is caused from a virus and can be fatal and lead to fluid accumulation in the chest or abdomen. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I’m sorry to hear about Lerdi! I too am somewhat concerned but have a few ideas. Least scary is just that he is painful or developing a fever. A fractured rib that is difficult to see on X-ray is also possible- this makes deep breathing quite painful so animals tend to take shallow, frequent breaths. A more scary idea is that he could have a slow leak of air or buildup of fluid into the chest cavity which is compressing the lungs. Keep a close eye on the color of his gums (pale pink in most cats) and that respiration rate. If those guns become white, grey, blue-tinged or that respiration rate keeps climbing, you head to the emergency vet immediately. Otherwise, Call the first vet back and see what they recommend- a repeat X-ray or chest ultrasound might be indicated. Best of luck to you and Lerdi!

Increased respiratory rate can have several causes, including anemia, pain, heart disease, or lung disease. If you can see the abdomen moving when she breathes, I would be very worried. I would recommend that you have Kiku examined by a vet. They may need to diagnostics such as blood work or x-rays, depending on what the exam reveals.

Hi there. It's possible that she's simply gaining weight as she gets older, especially if she's not as active now as she used to be or if she's getting more food than in the past. But, an enlarged abdomen could also be caused by heart disease, liver disease, FIP (feline infectious peritonitis), or an abdominal tumor of some kind. These things are less likely if she is acting completely normal, but to be on the safe side, it would be a good idea to have her seen by a vet when you are able to. He/she can palpate her abdomen to check for any abnormalities, and may recommend x-rays or other testing if there are any concerns.