Page 77 - Problem-Based Feline Medicine

5 – THE DYSPNEIC OR TACHYPNEIC CAT 69

Clinical signs Tracheobronchoscopy is valuable in both diagnosing
and grading the severity of the collapse.
Cardiac tumors are extremely rare in cats.
Dyspnea may occur from obstruction of blood flow to PULMONARY FIBROSIS
or from the heart (i.e., aortic body chemodectomas), or
because the tumor acts as a space-occupying mass com-
Classical signs
pressing the mainstem airways at the hilus.
● Dyspnea.
Malignant pleural or pericardial effusion may occur,
● Rare in cats.
creating dyspnea and weakness or lethargy.
Clinical signs
Diagnosis
Chronic progressive dyspnea associated with restrictive
Diagnosis is based or finding a mass lesion on the heart
pulmonary disease and tachypnea.
base when imaged with radiography or ultrasonography.
Occasionally cats will cough, especially if a secondary
bacterial infection occurs.
TRACHEOBRONCHIAL COLLAPSE
Very rare in cats, and may be associated with chronic
small airway disease (feline asthma/bronchitis com-
Classical signs
plex) or chemotherapy.
● Harsh, honking cough.
A recent paper cited an emerging syndrome of sponta-
● Stridor on inspiration if cervical segment
neous feline idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. In this
involved.
study, chronic respiratory disease with pathology
● Very rare in cats.
consistent with usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP)
spontaneously developed in domestic short- and long-
See main reference on page 44 for details (The Cat
hair cats and Persians.
With Stridor).
● Duration of respiratory signs ranged from years
(6/22 cats) to acute death (3/22 cats). Cough
Clinical signs (12/16), dyspnea (16/19) and increased respiratory
rate (19/19 cats) were present. Crackles, wheezes,
Tracheobronchial collapse is very rare in cats and gen-
and harsh or loud lung sounds were auscultated in
erally occurs secondary to trauma or to compression
some cats.
caused by an extraluminal mass. It has been reported
associated with proximal tracheal obstructions from a
trachael granuloma or polyp. Diagnosis
The cough is often harsh, non-productive and parox-
Marked interstitial pattern is visible on radiographs.
ysmal, ending in a gagging episode which may appear
to be productive. Bronchioalveolar fluid may contain a predominance of
lymphocytes or non-lytic neutrophils, eosinophils and
Cervical trachea collapse produces inspiratory dyspnea,
macrophages. Culture sample to rule out secondary
while intrathoracic tracheal or bronchial collapse will
bacterial infection.
lead to mostly expiratory dyspnea. Stridor is occasion-
ally reported. Diffuse interstitial fibrosis is evident on histopathology
of a lung biopsy.
Diagnosis
Treatment
Radiographs may show attenuation of the tracheal or
bronchial lumina. Fluoroscopy may be more sensitive Bronchdilators orally such as sustained release theo-
for dynamic collapse. phylline (TheoDur or Slo-bid Gyrocaps 25 mg/kg q