What are Fluid in the Lungs?
Fluid in the lungs in cats is also referred to as pulmonary edema, which means there is an excess of fluid inside the lungs. If not treated promptly, this can lead to the damage of your cat’s healthy lung tissue.
Your cat’s health depends on his entire body functioning correctly. While most cats do not develop significant medical issues, some develop problems that affect their overall health and wellness. If your cat has developed a condition that has led to an accumulation of fluid in his lungs, it can cause a myriad of symptoms and potentially damage his lungs.
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Symptoms of Fluid in the Lungs in Cats
There are certain symptoms you may notice if your cat experiences a buildup of fluid in his lungs. The following are some of the most common symptoms veterinarians see in cats with this condition:
- Breathing with an open mouth
- Dry cough
- Lethargy
- Intolerance to exercise
- Increased breathing rate
- Wheezing or crackling noises when breathing
- Bluish tint to gums and mucous membranes
- Chest pains
Causes of Fluid in the Lungs in Cats
A variety of disorders and diseases can cause your cat to develop fluid in his lungs. Here are some of the most common causes seen in domestic cats:
- Pneumonia
- Feline Infectious Peritonitis
- Parasitic infections
- Viral infections
- Heart Conditions
- Tumors
- Mediastinal lymphoma
- Feline Leukemia
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
- Obstruction of the upper airway
- Heartworms (rare in cats)
- Bronchitis
- Feline Asthma
Diagnosis of Fluid in the Lungs in Cats
Your veterinarian will need some information from you before making a diagnosis. He will ask you questions regarding your cat’s overall health including any unusual occurrences during his birth and if he has been diagnosed with any other health conditions by another doctor. You will also need to let your doctor know when you first noticed symptoms in your cat. Your veterinarian will take vital signs including weight, temperature, heart rate, and respiration rate. In addition, he will draw blood for laboratory tests that may help him make a diagnosis. In veterinary medicine, a CBC or complete blood count and a chemical profile are routinely run. A urine sample will also be taken from your cat and examined. Diagnostic X-rays or an ultrasound may also be performed to help your doctor make a diagnosis.
In addition to testing, your doctor will examine your cat thoroughly. He will listen to his heart and lungs and evaluate his neurological functions. Your doctor will also evaluate your cat’s overall behavior and mannerisms.
Treatment of Fluid in the Lungs in Cats
The treatment for fluid in the lungs in cats depends largely upon the cause of the condition. Here is an overview of treatments for some conditions that can cause fluid to accumulate in the lungs:
Asthma
If your cat is diagnosed with asthma, your veterinarian will most likely prescribe an inhaler and corticosteroids. Since asthma is worse if your cat is overweight, your doctor may place him on a diet or on prescription cat food.
Heartworms
Unlike dogs, heartworm infections are rare in cats but they can happen. If your cat has heartworms that are causing a buildup of fluid, your doctor may treat his symptoms with medications. There are currently no safe heartworm treatments for cats.
Cardiomyopathy
There is no cure for feline cardiomyopathy, but your doctor can help manage your cat’s symptoms. He may prescribe diuretics to help your cat eliminate excess fluids and ACE inhibitors to keep his blood pressure in check. Anti-clotting medications may be administered to prevent blood clots from forming.
Your doctor may also help stabilize your cat with IV fluids and place him in a chamber with oxygen to help him breathe. In most cases, veterinarians recommend restricting your cat’s activities so he can breathe better. If your cat is struggling to breathe or not stable, your doctor may admit him to the veterinary hospital for medications, treatment and supervision.
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Recovery of Fluid in the Lungs in Cats
Your doctor will give you detailed instructions on how to care for your cat during and after treatment. It is important to give your cat his medication exactly as prescribed and follow any instructions regarding diet and overall care. Your veterinarian may want to see your cat every few weeks until he is sure your cat is stable and recovering in the proper manner. Be sure to use these visits to keep your doctor informed about any changes in your cat’s behavior, diet and symptoms. If your cat appears to be recovering and suffers a relapse in symptoms, it is best to report that to your doctor at once so appropriate action can be taken.
If your cat has been diagnosed with cancer or is suffering, your doctor may recommend euthanasia as the best course of treatment. While this is never an easy decision, it may be the most humane thing to do. You may also opt to take your cat home and manage his symptoms with holistic or alternative treatments. Your cat will benefit if you work together with your doctor to discover the cause of fluid in his lungs and treat it accordingly.
Fluid in the Lungs Average Cost
From 355 quotes ranging from $500 - $4,000
Average Cost
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Fluid in the Lungs Questions and Advice from Veterinary Professionals
domestic shorthair
Two Years
5 found this helpful
5 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Rapid Breathing, Eye Infection, Listless
My cat is acting exhausted, breathing very fast and hard with stomach contracting, eye infection. Vet says test positive for Feline Leukemia and has fluid around lungs. They are recommending euthanasia. Cat was acting ok a few weeks ago. Cat is around 2 years old and was a stray we were going to adopt. Is this a correct recommendation or could the cat still have several good years left? Thank you.
Feb. 15, 2021
Answered by Dr. Sara O. DVM
5 Recommendations
Hello usually cats with leukemia do not live as long as other cats. If he has fluid in his lung and struggling to breathing it may be best to euthanize. There however be something that can be done to help her live longer. Sometimes these treatments can be very expensive with poor prognosis
Feb. 16, 2021
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Domestic Cat
Thirteen Years
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Fluid In Lungs
Trouble breathing, x-ray showed fluid in lungs and can’t even see the heart. That said it could be heart failure, cancer, or an infection.Hasn’t eaten in two days.
Sept. 24, 2020
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
0 Recommendations
Thank you for your question. I apologize for the delay, this venue is not set up for urgent emails.
I hope that your pet is feeling better. If they are still having problems, It would be best to have your pet seen by a veterinarian, as they can examine them, see what might be going on, and get any testing or treatment taken care of that might be needed.
Oct. 25, 2020
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tabby
Mia
13 Years
10 found this helpful
10 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Not Eating
Rapid Breathing
My cat had a tumor on her belly removed. She was put on Clavamox. While taking the meds she stopped eating and then towards the end of the meds she was having trouble breathing. We rushed her to the vet. We thought she was going to die, she was very weak in the car and clearly in distress. The vet put her on oxygen and by the next morning she was eating on her own and her breathing was much better. After about 24 hrs on oxygen they took her off to see how she was on her own and her breathing remained ok. I went to visit her about 24 hrs after she was taken off the oxygen and she was happy but was getting excited and her breathing was getting bad again. They did try to do an X-ray the day we brought her in but it didn’t turn out because she was getting to upset and her breathing was getting very bad again. So we took her on a Thursday morning and the vet says I will probably be able to take her home on Monday. My question is IF the breathing issues were due to an allergic reaction the the antibiotic can just oxygen alone help her to recover from that? If it was fluid in her lungs can she be better and then get worse when all she’s had is oxygen?
Aug. 19, 2018
10 Recommendations
The oxygen is given to help keep the blood oxygenated in times of breathing difficulty, however it should be established what exactly caused the breathing difficulty; however if it was due to a reaction to the antibiotic we would expect to continue to see difficulties if the antibiotic is still being administered. If there were fluid on the lungs, other treatment would generally be required to manage the condition including diuretics; however, your Veterinarian should give you discharge instructions when you take her home. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
Aug. 19, 2018
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Domestic shorthair
Vivi
4 Years
2 found this helpful
2 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Rapid Breathing
Acting Normal
Open Mouth Breathing,
Breathing Shallow
My cat, Vivi, is about to turn 4 next month. She is an outdoor/indoor cat, and has had all of her vaccines. I'm the past few weeks, I have noticed when she exerts herself she will start panting. When she is laying down, she breathes shallow and fast. She is acting completely normal, and seems to be in no pain. I've never paid attention to her breathing like this before, so I'm not sure if I'm just being paranoid, but I'm very worried about her. It has been hot out recently, so maybe it could be due to heat exhaustion or something related? I am planning to take her to the vet at the end of the week, but I'm not sure how serious this is since she seems fine in every other way, and has no preexisting conditions. Any ideas?
July 15, 2018
2 Recommendations
There are many different causes for respiratory changes which may include heat exhaustion, without examining Vivi I cannot determine if the changes are something to be concerned about or not; there are many causes apart from heat exhaustion which may cause these symptoms including infections, cancer, lung tumours, liver disease among many other causes. Keep an eye on Vivi and visit your Veterinarian when you can for an examination to be on the safe side. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
July 16, 2018
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Mongrel
Tom
13 Years
9 found this helpful
9 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Fluid Buildup On Lungs
Hello, my cat is currently in the vets suffering from fluid on the lungs which the vet suspects is from heart disease, but they cannot do a scan of his heart to confirm this until Monday which is a great worry. The only medication he is on is 'furosemide' and something for his thyroid. Should he not also be on medication to keep his blood pressure down (like benazepril), or digoxin, or anti-clotting medication, or even beta blockers? I have heard spironolactone or enalapril works well with the furosemide that he's on so why hasn't he been given that? He is eating and is fine in himself so I am really not comfortable with the prospect of putting him down. I've read that 'Corticosteroids' could really help him too. The vets he is with seem to be treating the fluid buildup but not the cause, and couldn't the cause be pneumonia/heartworm/bronchitis seeing as he doesn't have other symptoms of heart failure like blue/grey gums, extreme tiredness etc...it's purely just the fluid buildup. They don't seem willing to give him medication to help his heart pump until the fluid stops building up which I just cannot get my head around because surely trying that is better than not trying it. Thank you so much in advance.
July 14, 2018
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
9 Recommendations
Different conditions do require different medications, and heart failure is one cause of fluid in the lungs. Furosemide is an emergency medication to clear fluid from the lungs, and is typically quite effective. Since they don't know the cause of the buildup, they are probably hesitant to start treating Tom for all of the possible causes, and getting the fluid out of his lungs will allow him to breathe and survive. I can't comment on what other medications he may need without knowing more about his situation, but it seems that your veterinarian is providing care until they can get further diagnostics and narrow down the cause.
July 14, 2018
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Mixed breed
Honey
6 Years
1 found this helpful
1 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Rapid Shallow Breaths, Salivation,
My six-year-old cat suddenly started battling to breath - short quick breaths, and it sounded like she was 'drowning'. We rushed her to our vet and then to an animal ICU where she was put on oxygen and given medication for what they believed was pulmonary edema (?). She stayed in this condition until she passed away of what they say was a heart attack. What I cant understand is how this condition suddenly appeared - overnight, and I cant come to terms with her sudden death. The previous day, she was off her food, but otherwise absolutely normal, following me everywhere, purring and cuddling as normal. Could she have been poisoned by something in our garden?
Fluid in the Lungs Average Cost
From 355 quotes ranging from $500 - $4,000
Average Cost
$1,000
Get a free pet insurance quote in less than 60 seconds!
Easily compare quotes from the most trusted pet insurance companies in the United States.
