The cat's respiratory system is made up of the nasal passages,throat,voice box, windpipe,bronchial tubes and lungs. The bronchial tubes branch and become progressively smaller until they open into the air sacs. It is here that air exchanges with the blood.
The lungs are composed of the breathing tubes, air sacs and blood vessels. The ribs and muscles of the chest, along with the diaphragm, function as a bellows moving air into and out of the lungs.
A cat at rest takes about 25 to 30 breaths per minute,about twice as many as a resting human. It takes about twice as long for a cat to exhale as it does to inhale. His respiratory motion should be smooth, even, unrestrained.
In evaluating a cat's ease of breathing, you should count the rate and also see if he has any difficulty breathing in or out- in which case his breathing usually will be noisy and perhaps accompanied by forced effort. The presence of wheezing,rasping, coughing, and bubbing in the chest, indicates an abnormal state.
Rapid Breathing can be caused by pain,emotional stress, fever, and overheating. Other conditions to consider are shock, lung and heart disease and acid build up. Dehydration and various toxic states will cause the cat to breathe rapidly.
Slow Breathing A very slow rate of breathing is found in narcotic poisoning, encephalitis, a blood clot pressing on the brain, and in the late stages of chock or collapse--in which case it usually signifies a terminal condition.
Panting is a normal process after exercise. It is one of the chief means by which a cat lowers his body temperature. This is accomplished by the evaporation of water from the mouth, tongue and lungs, and by the exhange of cooler air for the warm air in his lungs. Cats also cool themselves by licking their fur, and by perspiring throught the pads of their feet. When panting is rapid, labored, and accompanied by an anxious look, heat stroke should be considered.
Noisy Breathing indicates obstructed breathing and is a cardianl sign of upper respiratory disease.
Croupy Breathing This refers to the high harsh sound caused by air passing through a narrowed voice box. When the onset is sudden, the most likely diagnosis is a foreign body in the voice box or swelling in the throat.
Wheezing A wheeze is a whisling sound which occurs during inspiration or expiration. It indicates narrowing or spasm in the windpipe or bronchial tubes. Thight deep seated wheezes are best heard with a stethoscope. Sauses of wheezing are asthma, lung worms, congestive heart failure, and tumor or growths in the airways
Shallow Breathing is seen with conditions which restrict the motion of hte rib cage. In most cases shallow breathing is associated with splinting. To avoid the pain of a deep breath, a cat breathes rapidley but less deeply. Pain of pleurisy and rib fracture causes splinting. Fluid in the chest(blood, pus, serum) produces restricted breathing- but withour pain.
