How many breaths per minute is normal for a cat?

How many breaths per minute is normal for a cat?

In recent years, with the popularization of knowledge about heart disease in cats, shit shoveling officials gradually understand the harm caused by heart disease, and also realize that heart disease can make cats short of breath. But does shortness of breath necessarily mean heart disease??How to judge whether a cat has abnormal breathing? Today we are going to talk about those things about cats breathing.

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Normal cat breathing:

1.Breathing action

The normal breathing pattern of cats is thoracic and abdominal breathing.After careful observation, it can be found that:

* When the cat inhales, the chest first bulges, and then the stomach bulges;

* As you exhale, the stomach collapses, followed by the chest cavity.

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2.Breath rate

However, under normal circumstances, the rise and fall of the chest is small and difficult to observe.?Therefore, the cat's breathing rate is generally calculated by observing the ups and downs of the abdomen.

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The normal breathing rate of cats is 20-40 breaths/min, and the breathing rate of young animals will be faster, about twice that of adult animals.

* The belly is counted one by one;

* You can count the number of breaths in 1 minute, or count the number of 30s X2;

*It is best to count multiple times and take the average.

The breathing rate in the calm state?is about 25-40min/time

Possible symptoms of abnormal breathing in cats

So how can you tell if a cat has abnormal breathing? It can be judged from the following aspects:

? Shortness of breath: In a state of complete calm, the average number of breaths exceeds 50 breaths/min.

? It should be noted that 50 times is an approximate number, not an exact value. Some cats may breathe a little faster under normal circumstances, so there is no need to be nervous for more than a little bit.

▌It can be compared with the daily breathing frequency of the cat, and observe whether there are any of the following abnormal manifestations:

? Mouth Breathing: Breathe with your mouth open, panting like a puppy.

? Changes in breathing pattern: The chest expands and the stomach collapses when inhaling.

? Difficulty exhaling: The stomach will rise and fall more vigorously, which is often referred to as abdominal breathing.

? Difficulty breathing: The non-respiratory muscles are mobilized to coordinate breathing, and an abnormal stridor may be heard.

Due to the small size of the cat and the lack of obvious muscle movement, these symptoms of dyspnea may occur at the same time or only one.

*?After strenuous exercise, environmental warming, childbirth, pain, etc., sometimes the cat's breathing rate will increase physiologically, mouth breathing, but after improving the incentive, the breathing will gradually improve.

* However, some severe stress (especially with sub-healthy heart) can sometimes be very dangerous and cause cat death in a very short period of time.?so...

▌ When it is found that the cat is suspected of having difficulty breathing, it is recommended to seek medical attention immediately.

▌ On the way to the hospital for emergency treatment, you can also:

* Call the hospital to make an appointment to reduce the waiting time for arrival at the hospital, and the hospital and doctors can also prepare emergency equipment and medicines in advance;

* If conditions permit, oxygen bags and other equipment can be used to let cats inhale oxygen;

* Try to keep it as stable as possible during transportation to reduce the cat's secondary stress.

First Aid and Treatment

1.?First aid

▌ Rescue principle:

*Stabilize the cat first;

*Reduce first aid measures that may exacerbate dyspnea (usually after stabilization, other tests are performed to avoid irritation).

▌ The main measures to be taken according to different situations are:

* Give flowing oxygen, oxygen mask, oxygen nasal tube, oxygen cabin for oxygen, emergency tracheal puncture or incision may be required in special circumstances;

* Appropriate rescue medication, such as bronchodilators, sedatives, diuretics, etc.

▌ Rescue is only the first step. In some cases, it is necessary to understand the cause before treatment can be done.

2.Further examination and treatment

After the cat's overall condition is stable, blood routine, biochemical, X-ray, echocardiography, puncture fluid analysis, CT and other tests may be performed according to the different conditions of the cat to determine the cause and take corresponding follow-up treatment.

In clinical practice, common factors that cause dyspnea in cats include: heart disease, pleural effusion, pneumonia, etc. The most common of which is heart disease.

Since heart disease may not show obvious abnormalities at ordinary times, when you come to the emergency room, you often have heart failure...

Therefore, it is recommended to give cats regular physical examinations to detect problems in time and intervene as soon as possible to avoid serious consequences.

At the same time, if the cat has abnormalities such as exercise intolerance and puppy panting every day, it is necessary to be vigilant!

In addition, some cats may breathe faster in daily life, and the shovel officer does not need to be overly nervous.

You can count the breathing rate of your cat at ordinary times and use it as a reference in the future.