My senior cat is on oxygen for breathing; why isn't she improving?

Question

My cat is 16 y/o, spayed female. Past hx of cystadenoma with liver lobectomy, chole, 2 years ago. 6 weeks ago, she had a mild cough, dvm was not concerned. It progressed, she was diagnosed pneumonia, no improvement with antibiotics. She's on oxygen now. RR 80 on 40% O2, slight effort. Vets can not diagnose as they are not sure it is pneumonia d/t progression of x-rays over 2 weeks, also not consistent with cancer. Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Female | spayed | 15 years and 11 months old | 11.5 lbs

Lauren Jones VMD · Accepted Answer

I'm sorry to hear that Mittens has not been doing well. I agree that Mittens' chest x-rays appear to be progressing over the past 2 weeks. At this point, either pneumonia is less likely or the bacteria causing a possible pneumonia are resistant to her current antibiotic therapy. Cancer is absolutely a suspicion due to the x-ray progression. Consider asking your vets if they have considered performing either endotracheal or transtracheal washes on Mittens, which would be able to obtain a sample of fluid or cells in the lungs. These samples could be analyzed for cytology (which may be able to diagnose cancer) or culture (to determine if bacteria is present and an appropriate antibiotic). There is a chance that Mittens may not be stable enough to undergo sedation for this procedure, but your vets will be able to examine her to determine if the risks are worth the benefits. I hope that all goes well!

My senior cat is on oxygen for breathing; why isn't she improving?

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