Staff of BAH Blog

Blog Series: Medical Emergencies for Pets

PT 6: Breathing Difficulty/Respiratory Distress

Euraysia Duhaime: BA, Veterinary Assistant BAH

“Be honest and be kind.”

Pets are prone to a wide variety of illnesses, and it can be difficult to sort out which symptoms are emergencies. I’ve written a series of short blogs to help you determine when your fur-baby needs immediate medical attention. Today, we’re discussing breathing difficulty/respiratory distress.

Respiratory distress and laboured breathing can be a very serious emergency. Contact your vet immediately. Be very careful when handling an animal in respiratory distress. They can be panicked and even the most gentle dog may be prone to bite. Please remember to NEVER put your fingers in the mouth of an animal that is choking unless you can easily grab the object. Blindly fishing for an object in the throat risks driving the object deeper.

Signs and symptoms of respiratory distress include:

Choking dog.

Published under CC BY-NC-ND license by unknown author.

  • rapid breathing or continuous panting,

  • long drawn out breathing (even a grunt may be heard),

  • being unable to settle, and distress,

  • standing with elbows pointed outward and neck extended,

  • exaggerated or abnormal movement of the chest/abdomen while breathing,

  • blue gums (or variations on blue: purple, purple-grey, blue-grey),

  • collapse,

  • open mouth breathing (in cats)

    • Note: cats will become VERY quiet. They will not move around or eat. You may not notice the respiratory issue until they are asked to move.

Causes of respiratory distress could include:

  • Choking: typically caused by a foreign object getting stuck in the throat, or by objects getting wrapped tightly around the neck. Choking can be life-threatening so it’s vital that you contact your vet or, out of hours, your nearest ER immediately.

  • Pneumonia: which refers to an infection of the lungs that can be caused by contagious diseases or from breathing in food/liquid, usually after vomiting or regurgitation has occurred.

  • Congestive Heart Failure: is when the heart is not working properly, leading to the build-up of fluid in and around the lungs or in the abdomen which puts pressure on the chest.

  • Asthma: which causes the airways to become inflamed and spasm, making them narrower, causing severe breathing difficulties.

  • Pyothorax: which refers to the presence of an infection in the chest between the body wall and the lungs. This causes a build-up of fluid around the lungs, compressing them and restricting an animal’s ability to breathe.

  • Laryngeal Paralysis: where the muscles in the throat do not function correctly, meaning that it does not open to allow enough air in, particularly during heavy breathing. This is typically a condition of older dogs. It often starts slowly and results in noticeable signs like a change in bark or loud reverberations while panting. More recently, laryngeal paralysis has been identified within a larger syndrome that causes hind end weakness.

 

If you have any questions, or would like to book an appointment, fill out the form below and we’ll get back to you within 48 hours. If you have a possible emergency during our hours of operation, please call the clinic at 519-648-9738. If you have an after hours emergency, please contact Campus Estates Animal Hospital at 519-837-1212.