Cat Heavy Breathing

Like humans, cats have the tendency to suffer from a number of respiratory problems, not least caused by the increasing pollution present in the air we breathe in on a regular basis.



There are a number of conditions causing the condition, with some being more serious than others. One should also keep in mind the fact that some breeds of cats, such as Persian cats, have substantially shorter muzzles than most other varieties of cats, causing a restriction of the nasal passage during exercise of physically demanding situation as well as environmental conditions like hot and humid weather.



The cat breathing problems could also stem from a number of medical concerns such as bronchitis, heartworm disease or even simply an allergic reaction. Some of the more noticeable symptoms that will occur when a cat suffers from some kind of respiratory problems include a nasal discharge, panting, wheezing, coughing, vomiting and sometimes, even depression.





In the event the cat's breathing problem is the result of genetic defects, such as in the case of Persian cat, there is not much that can be done to cure the problem. Despite all the many likely problems to cause cat heavy breathing, probably the most common problem is cat asthma. Asthma is simply the constriction of the airways because of the excessive formation of mucus which causes the airway walls to swell and develop ulcers. The final stage of asthma takes place when the airway muscles start to go into spasm and suffer from constriction. As a result of the constricted airways, the amount of air that the cat is able to breathe in is significantly much less than its normal volumes. As a result, you are also likely to see you cat attempt to breathe with its mouth open in order to compensate for the lower amounts of air that it breathes in. ince asthma is usually a condition that develops very early in the animals life, in the even it is a new development, you may want to look for a trigger that has only recently become a part of the animals lifestyle. Any recent changes may be the primary cause and the most common culprits include some kind of new laundry detergent, household cleaner or even new furniture, pillows or linen. Any kind of air freshener could also be a trigger for cat asthma. Either ways, it is important that you visit your local veterinarian to correctly diagnose the root cause of the condition.