Why is my senior cat breathing through his mouth? Is it an emergency?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Missy. I recommend that you seek emergency veterinary care this evening. Open mouth breathing is a sign of respiratory distress in a cat. The respiratory infection could have spread to her lungs resulting in pneumonia or she could have another problem. Heart disease and fluid in the chest can also cause this breathing pattern. I hope this information helps. Good luck.

Open mouth breathing is always a concern in cats, steam therapy with Vicks or olbas oil and gentle cleaning and flushing of the nostrils with warm saline can also help. I strongly recommend you get him rechecked by your own vet as soon as possible

Your cat sounds critically ill and should be seen by a vet ASAP. Open-mouth breathing is always an emergency in cats - it is a sign of respiratory distress. It is difficult to say what the cause is without doing some testing, but possibilities include cancer, pneumonia, asthma, or heart failure.

This is an emergency situation, your local emergency clinic/veterinarian should be contacted and your cat should be seen as soon as possible. Respiratory versus heart problems are likely to be the cause. Thoracic radiograph may be needed.

No, panting in cats is never normal. I see that Tammy is quite young, but issues like asthma, heart failure, or toxin exposure could all cause signs of respiratory distress. On occasion, significant stress can trigger panting in some cats, but oftentimes there's also an underlying disease process. I strongly recommend taking Tammy to your vet or an emergency vet right away for evaluation. They'll need to perform a physical exam and will most likely recommend chest x-rays to try to get to the bottom of this situation. I hope that everything goes well for Tammy!

Hello, I’m sorry to hear about Toby. As a general rule cats should not pant after exercise. It could be a sign that Toby has underlying respiratory disease, such as underlying asthma or an infection. I would recommend having him seen by your veterinarian so that they can perform an examination and work up, they will likely recommend performing chest X-rays. Hope this helps!

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! So sorry to hear about Luna. I would advise that you get her evaluated immediately. Open mouth breathing is never normal in a kitten/cat unless they are extremely sick or very stressed. Your vet can evaluate her and advise a diagnostic and treatment plan. It is possible that she has a nasopharyngeal polyp, foreign body, fluid in her lungs, fluid in her chest around her lungs, etc. Some testing will probably be required including blood tests, chest x-rays, etc. Good luck with Luna.