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.
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