Kitten is breathing weird.

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lemoncake

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I think my 5 year old kitten may be having breathing difficulties. When we first got him he sneezed a couple of times a day and made a kind of whistling sound when he slept but there was no discharge and he was acting fine so I didn't think anything of it. The last week or so however he's been sounding worse. He's still acting fine but when he's sleeping he sounds (I'm not sure how to describe it) more like a trumpet than a whistle. His breathing is also now whistling when he's awake. Not all the time, but sometimes. I still can't see any discharge but his nose is almost always wet in the mornings.

The others think we should wait and just talk to the vet when we go there to have him neutered next month. I called the vets office and the woman on the phone also said that would be fine, but I'm worried. He's vaccinated so I feel like we shouldn't be having this problem.

What could the issue be? Should I book a check up asap instead of waiting?
 
louann jude

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You are worried so go get him checked. It still could be an uti. 
 
my2cats67

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 I agree he should go to the vet sounds like he could have a URI upper respitory infection. This can get worse.
 
ginny

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This sounds like it could be serious.  If there were nasal discharge then it would definitely be an URI.  But it sounds like something is growing up there in her sinuses since you described that the sound of her breathing has changed from a whistle to a trumpet and that it's happening all the time now.  Could be a nasal polyp?  I don't know.  Be prepared.  They may want to do a CT of the head.  And that's not cheap.  
 
di and bob

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L-Lysine may help, it builds up the immune system. I get mine as treats at Amazon. Kittens are notorious for respiratory infections, it is very common. Putting in a bathroom filled with steam helps too, just make sure you are there to supervise. NO baby of any species should be in a room with a filled tub. If you move up the neutering they could give him a antibiotic and that would protect against infection and maybe help with the lung problem, unless it is a virus. Put a liquid antibiotic in tuna juice, it is the easiest way to give it. They may not neuter if your kitten is breathing hard, that should be cleared up first before your kitten is put under. But in any case, call your vet and ask for advise. Good Luck!
 
ginny

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Did you mean she is 5 YEARS old or 5 months old?  You said years.
 
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lemoncake

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(I meant to write that he was 5 months old)

It's a bit late but I just thought I should update this thread. We went to the vet and got him an examination. He looked completely fine and the vet said that it was hard to say exactly what was wrong. She thought it could be related to him still growing and that he may grow out of it. (Incidentally he has been sounding better this past week) She also pointed out that it could be related to the shape of his head. He's a british shorthair so his nose is shorter than most cats. We didn't really come to any clear conclusions.

The visit wasn't a complete waste of time though. It turns out his baby teeth (the canines) hasn't come out yet so right now he has both his baby teeth and his adult teeth on each side. If they don't come out before his spaying we will arrange to have them removed then.

I really wish I had more answers. He'll get another look over before the spaying so maybe we'll get a second opinion then.
 
ginny

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Lemoncake said:
 
(I meant to write that he was 5 months old)

It's a bit late but I just thought I should update this thread. We went to the vet and got him an examination. He looked completely fine and the vet said that it was hard to say exactly what was wrong. She thought it could be related to him still growing and that he may grow out of it. (Incidentally he has been sounding better this past week) She also pointed out that it could be related to the shape of his head. He's a british shorthair so his nose is shorter than most cats. We didn't really come to any clear conclusions.

The visit wasn't a complete waste of time though. It turns out his baby teeth (the canines) hasn't come out yet so right now he has both his baby teeth and his adult teeth on each side. If they don't come out before his spaying we will arrange to have them removed then.

I really wish I had more answers. He'll get another look over before the spaying so maybe we'll get a second opinion then.
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I'm so glad you updated us.  Has there been any worsening over the past 2 weeks? I wonder if the teeth crowding has anything to do with his breathing noises.  I hope @StefanZ  will weigh in here as to what's going on.  
 
StefanZ

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Ginny said:
 
I'm so glad you updated us.  Has there been any worsening over the past 2 weeks? I wonder if the teeth crowding has anything to do with his breathing noises.  I hope @StefanZ  will weigh in here as to what's going on.  
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Good the vet took a look.  I thought on some sort of asthma, but if he was fine for the vet, then its wasnt asthma.

Anyways, good the vet took a look before the neutering, so he is prepared with the narcose.  I mean, narcose may be dangerous for a cat with breathing difficulties. And thus, the vet has the possibility to choose something else, perhaps something with injection - here perhaps something calming, and something local, as neutering on males isnt no big deal really. A full narcose isnt necessary.
 
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Ginny said:
 
I'm so glad you updated us.  Has there been any worsening over the past 2 weeks? I wonder if the teeth crowding has anything to do with his breathing noises.  I hope @StefanZ  will weigh in here as to what's going on.  
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The last week he's been sounding better, but it's not a dramatic improvement. Now I can only hear it when he's on his back and sleeping. I was wondering about the teeth as well. If that's the case I hope it will clear up once they're out.
 
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lemoncake

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When we woke up this morning he sounded more congested than usual. The moment he got up and stopped purring he sounded completely fine again. It was unusually loud so I decided to film it so I could get some opinions. Is it normal for purring to sound like this?

 
ginny

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I'm sorry but I can barely hear it.  I turned the volume up all the way.  
 
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