Why is my 20-year-old senior cat suddenly having breathing issues?

It is impossible to answer this accurately without an indication as to what is causing her breathing problems - heart/lung disease, pain, infection, inflammation and swellings in the nose or throat could all be contributing and options for treatment would depend on exactly what is causing her issues. Please seek a full health check for her as soon as possible in order to identify the source of her problem and discuss management options

This can be a sign of a respiratory infection, but in a senior cat, it can also be a sign of heart disease. If possible, I'd take Heidi into a vet now. Otherwise, rest her, keep her indoors if she's allowed outside, keep her comfortable, and get her into a vet tomorrow. I hope this helps.

Hello, sorry to hear about Jezzie. If she is having a hard time breathing then I would definitely take her to your veterinarian immediately. You should be monitoring for a rapid respiratory rate, open mouth breathing, increased respiratory effort (using her belly to breathe), and collapse. These are all signs that Jezzie may not be obtaining enough oxygen and may need emergency medical attention. One big concern in cats that have respiratory disease such as feline asthma is that they can develop respiratory crisis which could be life threatening. Therefore, any sings of respiratory disease warrants prompt veterinary evaluation. Please have Jezzie evaluated by your veterinarian if she continues to sneeze or an emergency veterinarian if she is having a hard time breathing or is showing any of the signs listed above. Best wishes for Jezzie and hope this helps.

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.

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.

If he is breathing heavy then he should be examined by a vet for a work-up. Your vet can take an x-ray to evaluate his heart and lungs to look for abnormalities that would cause him to breathe heavy. He could have an infection, heart disease, asthma, trauma from being outside, etc.

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.