What to do if a cat has difficulty breathing due to foreign body pneumonia

Cat Foreign Body Pneumonia

Cat foreign body pneumonia is bronchopulmonary inflammation caused by inhaling foreign objects into the lungs. To alleviate difficulty breathing, oxygen inhalation should be administered, and when removing the foreign object, raise the cat's hind legs to facilitate coughing out the object. To prevent secondary infection, antibiotics can be used for treatment.

Causes of Foreign Body Pneumonia

Foreign body pneumonia is caused by inhaling any foreign object or a large amount of a small substance. Common causes include:

• Reflux of food: Vomiting, especially when the cat is unconscious or under anesthesia, can cause aspiration pneumonia by inhaling the vomit.
• Congenital abnormalities of the throat: Easily choking on water during consumption.
• Periodontal disease, dental calculus causing oral secretions, abscesses, and fallen calculus debris.
• Unintentionally inhaling smoke, dust, etc.
• Force-feeding or administering medication leading to the entry of food and drugs into the trachea.

Symptoms of Foreign Body Pneumonia

• Difficulty breathing: Due to reduced effective alveoli, cats with inhaled pneumonia have difficulty breathing, manifesting as accelerated breathing and panting.
• Cough: Cats cough to expel foreign objects due to excessive secretions in the trachea and stimulation of inhaled substances.
• Fever: Inflammation in the body causes pyrexia as heat-producing substances enter the bloodstream.

Cure Rate of Pneumonia

The cure rate of pneumonia is closely related to the pet's age, severity of the illness, and environmental factors. If the cat is still young with incomplete physiological development, the cure rate is lower. Adult cats have a higher cure rate compared to young cats. Inhaled pneumonia has a higher cure rate than tubercular pneumonia, and bacterial pneumonia has a higher cure rate than viral pneumonia. Owners can prevent disease by supplementing vitamins, increasing nutritional content, preventing colds, and enhancing resistance.