Cat Exhaling Out of His Mouth

by Jennifer
(Pittsburgh, PA)

Hello.

I have a 13 year old male cat who is overweight. In spite of his weight, he has a good energy level, is very curious, and has a normal appetite & thirst level. We feed him Blue Buffalo dry food and some wet canned food for every meal. We have not seen any problems with him before this.

Yesterday, he started making puffing noises out of his mouth. He does not do this when he sleeps or is resting but when he is awake, whether standing or sitting, or having just walked somewhere, when he exhales, his breath comes out his mouth, causing his cheeks to puff out. He does not seem in pain or to have any disorientation or sluggishness. He has no discharge from mouth, nose, or other areas and seems to have the same appetite.

He has also sneezed a few times in the last few days while awake. And he licks his lips a lot like he has just eaten peanut butter, especially after eating. This is new and doesn't seem to be a satisfied-just-ate-a-good-meal kind of lip smacking. But again, he doesn't seem in pain.

With what little I have to go on, what do you think this might be and what do you recommend we do to help our little buddy?

Thank you,

Jennifer

Vet Suggestion on Signs of a Cat Respiratory Problem

Hello Jennifer,

Changes in a cat’s respiratory rate, pattern, or effort can be a sign of a very serious problem like a respiratory infection, cardiovascular disease, or asthma. I’m afraid I can’t give you much information about what is most likely in your cat’s situation without first examining him, but I strongly recommend you get him in to see a veterinarian as soon as possible.

It is, of course, a good sign that he seems normal otherwise, but his overall condition might rapidly deteriorate without a timely diagnosis and treatment.

Best of luck,

Jennifer Coates, DVM