My senior cat is breathing hard, snotty, losing weight. What to do?

I am afraid this is an emergency. Your cat could have a pulmonary blood clot, a foreign body in her airway or other airway-obstructing problem. Please take her to an out of hours vet now. If you do not know where to take her, ring your vet and his answering service will refer you to the best place.

Thanks for using Boop by Petco! Difficult breathing can be a sign of many conditions such as pneumonia, bronchitis, heart disease, among many other possibilities. This could also be the result of an upper respiratory infection. I do not recommend continuing antibiotics at home without further veterinary care as her symptoms are unlikely to improve without knowing what is going on. Inappetence in cats can be very concerning as it can be detrimental to their health, more so than in dogs. I recommend that you have Oliver evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Likely diagnostics to be performed include thoracic radiographs and bloodwork. Treatment would be dependent on findings. Good luck and have a good day!

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.

Thank you for using Boop by Petco! Your cat sounds very sick. You should take him to a veterinarian as soon as possible. Being out of breath could mean a problem with the heart, lungs, or even blood issues such as anemia or other problems. Unfortunately, there isn't anything I can recommend on the the internet. He needs to be assessed by a veterinarian in person.

With any cat showing potential signs of respiratory distress this is an immediate emergency. I strongly recommend going to the ER clinic now. I cardiac disease in cats often goes undetected until the point that they have difficulty breathing. Hopefully it's not that serious but it is worth erring on the side of caution and getting her checked as soon as possible. Best of luck to Maud and thank you for using Boop by Petco

Thank you for using Boop by Petco! An elevated respiratory rate can be caused by heart disease or lung disease and can be an indication of difficulty breathing. High blood pressure can be secondary to heart disease and occasionally thyroid issues, both of which can be controlled with medications. I recommend having Molly seen by her vet as soon as possible, as this can progress quickly to pulmonary edema and even heart failure. She may need to be seen by a veterinary cardiologist for a second opinion and titration of medications.

It is such a hard decision to make! I work for a home euthanasia service, so I face this question with my clients all the time. I recommend looking at Pete's quality of life in order to make this decision. When a cat stops eating, is very lethargic, has trouble breathing, or just wants to sleep all the time, that is a sign their quality of life has decreased to a point where letting them go should be considered. I'm sorry you are facing this, but I hope this helps.

Thanks for using Boop by Petco! Heavy breathing can be a sign of many conditions such as pneumonia, asthma, bronchitis, heart disease, among many other possibilities. While this could be due to some extent to his weight, I think that it is also possible that he has something going on. I recommend that you have Max evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Likely diagnostics to be performed include thoracic radiographs and bloodwork. Treatment would be dependent on findings. Good luck and have a good day!

Thanks for using Boop by Petco! Labored breathing can be a sign of many conditions such as pneumonia, bronchitis, pleural effusion, heart disease, among many other possibilities. If it would be possible for him to get diagnosed sooner it would be better as some conditions that an cause labored breathing are serious such as the ones mentioned above. I recommend that you have Simba evaluated by a veterinarian sooner than Monday for further assessment and treatment. Likely diagnostics to be performed include thoracic radiographs and bloodwork. Treatment would be dependent on findings. Good luck and have a good day!

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