Page 125 - Problem-Based Feline Medicine

8 – THE CYANOTIC CAT 117

Clinical signs See main reference on page 65 for detail. (The Dyspneic
or Tachypneic Cat (Foreign bodies)) and page 92 (The
Cats are usually inappetent, dull, febrile and lethar-
Coughing Cat (Feline asthma/bronchitis complex)).
gic and may have a productive cough or fetid halitosis
with bacterial pneumonia. Clinical signs
Tachypnea and dyspnea may be evident, and open-
Acute-onset inspiratory dyspnea and stridor occur
mouth breathing may occur with stress.
shortly after inhalation of a foreign body. Tracheal
Aspiration pneumonia after oral dosing with liquid foreign bodies are more common in cats than dogs.
paraffin or mineral oil, or associated with megaesopha-
Coughing is likely with bronchial foreign bodies and
gus may also result in coughing.
the right middle lobe most likely to be involved.
Viral pneumonia with feline calicivirus causes a non-
Tracheobronchial compression caused by space-
productive cough.
occupying lesions (most often lymphoma or thy-
moma) usually lead to coughing and dyspnea.
Diagnosis
Airway obstruction caused by bronchoconstriction
Crackles and wheezes may be heard on pulmonary associated with feline asthma or bronchitis complex
auscultation especially in the ventral lung fields. leads to severe dyspnea, wheezing and coughing.
Thoracic radiographs show a patchy interstitial or Diagnosis
alveolar pattern, and possibly lung lobe consolida-
tion in the cranioventral lung fields. There may be Thoracic radiography may reveal foreign bodies, tumors
evidence of megaesophagus present. or other structures compressing or obstructing the airways.
Tracheal and bronchoalveolar lavage cytology may Bronchoscopy may reveal structures compressing the
reveal a neutrophilic inflammatory response with many airway or a foreign body or other material in the airways.
degenerate neutrophils. Alternately, the presence of
eosinophils may indicate an allergic, parasitic or neo- DRUG OVERDOSAGE
plastic etiology.
Classical signs
Microbial culture of cytospun lavage fluid deposit
may reveal a primary pathogen (bacterial, fungal, para- ● Decreased respiratory effort.
sitic or myoplasma). ● Absence of voluntary respiration.
● Loss of consciousness.
Bronchoscopy may show inflammatory exudate in the
● Cyanosis.
airways.
● Reduced bleeding from surgical site.
Routine hematologic examination may reveal a left
shift in bacterial pneumonia.
Clinical signs
Check FeLV and FIV status in cats with chronic
pneumonia as they may be immunosuppressed. Respiratory depression or even failure can result from
excessive administration of barbiturates, narcotics,
opiates, tranquillizers or anesthetic agents.
AIRWAY OBSTRUCTION
This leads to loss of consciousness and cyanosis due
Classical signs to hypoxemia.
● Inspiratory dyspnea. If it occurs during a surgical procedure, there may be
● Cough. reduced bleeding from the surgical site and the color
● Stridor. of the blood darkens. Loss of blink reflex indicates
● Cyanosis. a deep plane of anesthesia and is associated with
increased respiratory depression.