Fast breathing and twitching

Hello Vets! Not an emergency but looking for some advice regarding my one year old DSH ! Thank you for all you folks do in this group, it’s really amazing you use your spare time to ensure pets are receiving proper care and support! Over the last 10 months we’ve had our cat treated for an ear infection, which turned into temporary facial paralysis and permanent head tilt. In March she was treated for a potential respiratory infection via steroids, (symptoms where resting breathing rate of 35 breaths per min) and than she was treated for round worm. She’s had a sensitive stomach since we got her often gets diarrhoea from certain foods. Steadily gaining weight, eating and drinking normally. Is VERY twitchy, and gets the zoomies often after eating. the first four months we had her she would often start panting during playtime, so we have completely stopped and instead she plays on her own or with her brother. Her resting breathing is still around 35 breaths per minute, but seems shallow and someone’s quite loud. Every few days she has brownish nasal discharge (pic attached). She also seems to itch her right ear- the one that had the infection rather often. However it looks totally clean and clear. I recently switched vets, however prior to switching the vet suggested a referral to a specialist in an attempt to get answered for her increased breathing (35 breaths per min while resting). Since All bloodwork has come back normal, my current vet does not feel we need to attend a specialist and says we should just continue to montior her breathing. She has a VERY loud pur, I do have a stethoscope and attempt to listen to her heart rate and breathing at home but she purs so loud and I’m not a vet so I really wouldn’t even know what I listen for. She essentially purrs the entire time at the vet, so this makes me wonder if they are able to hear her heart rate and listen to her lungs (I’ve never asked them this) I’ve had cats all my life, but Im hoping someone can give me some guidance, as I had a cat pass away due to heart failure in the past, which has caused alot of health anxiety for me… Is the nasal discharge normal? Do these X-rays seems normal? Do you think I can start playing with her again as long as I closely monitor and ensure she does not overexert herself? Should I ask for a referral to a specialist? thanks again for all your help

Hello!  Fast breathing one is a difficult one for vets, because most cats breathe loudly and quickly when they are stressed at the vets so it is easy to overlook it, especially when we do not know the patient.  This is different; this cat is consistently breathing fast at home and the vet has reccommended a referral to a specialist.  I am slightly surprised that you then went to another first opinion vet; was there a concern with your original clinician?  Did the second vet see the radiograph?  We are not allowed to read radiographs on this site because we are always going to do less well at it than your vet, out of context.  However, I do have concerns and would have thought that its well worth taking seriously. Good questions for your vets would be;  might an ultrasound scan be helpful?  How urgent is this?  Is there something we should be doing meanwhile? Sometimes the vets might say 'I dont know but Im going to ask someone who does,' which is actually very positive as long as it happens within a rapid time frame where breathing is concerned.  I cannot assess your cat from here but I do think that this case needs to be reviewed by a vet with ALL the information - and that if their breathing is deteriorating, this might be urgent.

Causes of rapid breathing can be down to stress or chest issues such as heart disease; they can also include pain, reduced diaphragmatic movement, parasites, reduced Oxygen carrying capacity of the blood, poor circulation, systemic diseases, pyrexia (fever), fluid building up where it shouldn't be and so on.

I know that its a bank holiday but rapid breathing is frequently an emergency and particularly if things are getting worse, your cats' welfare could be a concern.   Please speak to soneone.