Why is my senior cat wheezing, drinking lots, and has fishy breath?

She could have an infection or asthma causing the cough and wheeze so she should be examined by a vet. Your vet can take an x-ray to evaluate her heart and lungs and then prescribe medications to treat. She may need an antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, and/or a bronchodilator to help with the cough and wheeze. Your vet can also check her teeth to make sure she doesn't have a dental problem.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Bad breath could be a sign of a bad tooth. Smelling like fish could be Iayl licking his anal glands (sacs inside the rectum). If these glands get full or infected, cats will lick the area. I recommend taking Iayl to the vet for an exam of his mouth and anal glands. He may need to have a dental cleaning or have the glands expressed. Good luck!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. It is possible that dental disease is the cause of the odor you are smelling. I have also seen pieces of food become lodged in between teeth and as bacteria cling to the piece of food that is stuck in the mouth, it can cause quite the odor. I would recommend having a veterinarian assess Athena's mouth so that the most appropriate treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The most common cause for what you are describing is feline asthma. It is most prevalent in Siamese cats. Being overweight can exacerbate asthma. Other causes of asthma are parasites (specifically lung worm) and feline heart worm disease. The treatment of feline asthma is steroids, bronchodilators and antibiotics if an infection is suspected. They actually make inhalers for cats! I recommend an exam with your Vet for chest X-rays, blood work, fecal and feline heart worm test. I hope this helps and I wish Sluggo the best!

I'm sorry to hear that Midnight is doing so poorly. As Dr. Darvishian mentioned, breathing changes are a medical emergency and should be addressed by an emergency vet right away. It's possible that Midnight's breathing changes, coughing, weight loss, weakness, appetite and drinking changes, and lethargy could be due to congestive heart failure, asthma, cancer, or many other issues. She's likely experiencing restlessness and a loss of appetite because she can't breathe well enough to comfortably lay down or swallow. I strongly recommend taking Midnight to an emergency vet right away. This is not a situation that can be managed at home. I hope that everything goes well.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Snake! He is very handsome! Unfortunately whenever there is a worry about trouble breathing it is advised to go to an open emergency hospital if your local vet is no open. Trouble breathing is life threatening. Possible causes are: heart failure, asthma, fever, infection, pleural effusion (fluid around the lungs) from cancer, chyle, or heart failure. Snake needs an exam and X-rays. I wish you both the best!

Poor Gizmo! It is possible that he is suffering from a respiratory infection, cardiac disease, or even cancer if he's wheezing and seems short of breath. If this continues, I would have him seen by a vet immediately, as he could go into respiratory distress. Otherwise, I would have him seen by a vet on Monday for a physical exam, geriatric blood panel, urinalysis, and x-rays. With these tests, the vet can determine if there is a medical illness causing his symptoms and can discuss treatment options with you.