FelinePneumonia

How to recognize it and specific concerns

What you may notice• Cough, labored breathing , tiring easily

when exercising, decreased appetiteand weight loss, lethargy, nasal discharge

What you may notice

• Hiding can be common in any cat that doesn’t feel well.

• Rapid breathing, using their stomach muscles to breathe, open mouth breathing

Big Concerns• Anorexia (not eating) – can be very

serious in cats. Cats can develop fatty liver, have immune system suppression and organ damage.

• Oxygenation – respiratory compromise can decrease the amount of oxygen the body can take in and can lead to organ damage

Big Concerns• Uncontrolled fever – damages the

blood vessels • Dehydration – can dry the airways

and lead to decreased clearance of debris.

• Sepsis- bacteria and get into the blood stream and spread throughout the body

Diagnosing• Blood work and urinalysis• Chest X-rays• Tracheal wash/sample to see what bacteria is

causing the infection and what antibiotics will work best

• Blood gas analysis to see how well the patient is carrying oxygen in the blood stream

Treatment• Oxygen supplementation• IV fluids for dehydration• Nebulization and coupage to get debris moving out of

the lungs• Activity restriction• Ensuring intake of food (tube feeding may be

necessary)

Medications• Antibiotics –preferably based on bacterial

culture and sensitivity test. If not- broad spectrum to cover all bases• **remember to always give the full course

of antibiotics to prevent creating resistant bacteria

Risk Factors – how a cat can get pneumonia

• Upper respiratory viral infections, foreign bodies, immunosuppressive therapy (steroids) or viruses (FeLV, FIV), metabolic disorders, immunization status, environment and more.

“Chester” 8 yr. old neutered male domestic

short hair feline Outdoor/indoor cat History of not eating, lethargy,

vomiting and diarrhea and a fever of unknown origin (FUO)

FUO – the sneaky fever

Chester’s clinical signs were very non-specific and took us down a long and winding path to get an official diagnosis of pneumonia.

Chester’s Critical Condition

Chester’s owner had noticed that he was having difficulty breathing and was having to use his stomach muscles to get air in. She brought him in to Iowa Veterinary Specialties to be examined

Chester’s Critical Condition

Chester’s oxygen levels measured at 80% - normal is 98% to 100%

He was placed on oxygen therapy right away.

Further diagnostics of blood work and X-rays were done

“Chester’s” X-raysNormal chest X-rays Chester’s X-rays

X-rays showed an extensive infection in the lungs

The Road to Recovery Chester had to stay in the hospital for several

daysHe was put on IV fluids and started on broad

spectrum antibioticsHe was such a friendly cat, everyone at the clinic

fell in love with him and hoped for a full recovery

The Road to Recovery3 Days Later – Lots of improvement! 2 weeks Later – Almost all better!

The Road to Recovery• Thanks to his diligent owner and the

great staff at Iowa Veterinary Specialties, Chester made a full recovery. He is back to enjoying belly rubs and giving high fives.