Tachypnra in Cats
There are several potential causes of this labored breathing



Tachypnra in cats occurs most commonly in a cat that has type of a heart disease, although it can also occur in cats that have asthma.

With asthmatic cats it will be more episodic in nature and not continuous.

However, if your cat has no history of any type of a heart disease and this condition suddenly develops, there is a very good chance that they have heart worms.

Heart worm disease in cats is a very serious and hard to diagnosis; and can be fatal.

There are also three other potential causes of Tachypnra in cats: Upper respiratory, Lower respiratory and Non-respiratory causes.

It is very easy to ignore simply because it appears to be causing no harm or distress to your cat.

But if it persists and becomes worse, it can lead to dyspnea, which can be fatal as it is also referred to as air hunger.

Tachypnra is a condition in which your cat will have very rapid respiration that can best be described as fast but with a very shallow depth.

It can be a very difficult condition for owners to originally identify as it does not really seem to bother your cat.

Most cats will show both stress and fear with a breathing problem, but this one is different.

You may have to listen very closely in order to pick it up early before it becomes severe.

THE SYMPTOMS MAY BE HARD TO IDENTIFY

The symptoms of Tachypnra in cats will be the same as in many other diseases in that they will initially lose their appetite and as a result start to lose weight.

They will next become fatigued very easily as it becomes more difficult for them to breath.

All these symptoms could be virtually any type of infection, but there is one symptom that will set it apart; your cat’s gums will turn blue as they are losing oxygen.

THE MOST COMMON CAUSES OF TACHYPNRA IN CATS

Upper Respiratory Causes

There are several potential causes that your veterinarian will have to check for other than heart disease or heart worms.

Your cat may have an infection or inflammation of the nostrils in which case your cat will suddenly start to touch their nose.

It could also be caused by a soft palate disorder which is congenital defects at the back of the throat.

In rare cases, it could some type of windpipe tumor or it could be a mass or lymph node that is obstructing the airway structure.

Lower Respiratory Causes

Deep blue eyes in catsTachypnra in cats can easily be treated if caught early

Tachypnra in cats may also be a lower respiratory condition such as a lung disease caused by parasites or fungi, or pneumonia and fluid in the lungs.

However, it may also be caused by either fluid or air in the chest cavity.

But in the vast majority of cases, Tachypnra is actually caused by a non-respiratory condition.

Non-Respiratory Causes

Heart disease, especially congestive heart failure, or a condition known as arrhythmias, are the most common causes.

Congestive heart failure is a heart condition that affects any breed of cat at any age.

It is a situation where your cat’s heart cannot pump a sufficient supply of blood through the body and as a result it can cause fluid to accumulate in the lungs, the chest, and the abdominal cavity.

Although congestive heart condition is not curable, if it is caught very early in your cat it can very easily be treated.

Identifying that your cat has Tachypnra may also help to identify the real underlying cause.

Congestive heart failure can be heredity, a birth defect, weak heart muscles or valves, or simply from aging.

However, the two largest causes of congestive heart failure in cats are obesity and heart worms.

Arrhythmias may also be the cause of Tachypnra in cats and this is much more serious than congestive heart failure.

This condition can cause your cats heart to beat very slowly, a condition known as bradycardia.

Or it can beat very rapidly, which is Tachypnra.

It can also develop into a fibrillation in your pet’s heart which is extremely dangerous.

The reason is simple; it can cause cardiac arrest and kill your pet.

Heart worms at one time were believed to be only a major threat to dogs, but in the last twenty years it has become as much of a threat in cats as in dogs.

But there is one major difference with this disease in cats: it is extremely difficult to diagnosis.

It is also now believed by most of the veterinary community that heart worm disease in cats is more of a treat than Feline Leukemia Virus or Feline Immunodeficiency, both very serious diseases.

If your cat is infected with heart worms one of the first symptoms will be a very sudden and rapid heartbeat.

Heart worms in cats are also different than in dogs in that dogs may be infected with hundreds of worms in their heart and other vessels.

However cats will only have between one and four heart worms. That is way it is so difficult to diagnosis.

However, the damage that they can cause is just as bad, but again unlike dogs, heart worms in cats affect the respiratory system more than the actual heart.

In fact, heart worm disease in cats is now referred to as HARD, or heart worm associated respiratory disease.

TREATMENTS WILL DEPEND ON THE ACTUAL CAUSE

Treatments for Tachypnra in cats will of course depend on the actual underlying cause.

Oxygen therapy will be used for cats in distress, and antibiotics or anti-inflammatory drugs will be used if it is an infection.

Protecting and treating your cat properly for heart worms will be extremely important and there are several very effective treatments available.

If the cause of Tachypnra is congestive heart failure, the herb supplement Hawthorne is a very well respected herb that contains both a cardio-tonic as well as anti-oxidant properties.

Because of this it will support and maintain your cats artery health and strength. Calcium fluoride also supports blood pressure, especially important with Tachypnra.

Summary

Tachypnra in cats is a condition that is very hard to detect, but if you watch for the symptoms and listen close to your cats breathing, you could help to detect it very early.

There is no one that understands your cats breathing better than the owner.

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