Vetnews November 2020: Approach to the Dyspnoeic Cat

Introduction

Dyspnoea (defined as laboured or difficult breathing) is a fairly common reason for presentation of feline patients. Early clinical signs may be missed by owners and cats are often presented as an emergency. Some cases are presented for seemingly other clinical signs and the clinician may note tachypnoea and/or hyperpnoea. The author examined the records of 58 cats that were presented to Hillcrest Veterinary Hospital (HVH) with dyspnoea and reviews the initial approach to these cases.