Symptoms of Cat Pneumonia

1 Cat Pneumonia: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

I. Causes: 1. Respiratory diseases such as rhinotracheitis or tracheal infections. 2. Bacterial lung infection – Pasteurella multocida, Streptococcus, Nocardia, Actinomyces, Staphylococcus, E. coli, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, etc. 3. Fungal lung infection – Cryptococcus, Histoplasma, Aspergillus fumigatus, Candida, etc. 4. Toxoplasmosis. 5. Parasites – roundworms and hookworms migrating through the body damage lung tissue. 6. Irritation from chemical gases or smoke. 7. Medication accidentally entering the lungs. 8. Trauma – bite wounds or pellet injuries. 9. Metastasis from certain suppurative inflammations or allergic reactions.

II. Symptoms: Coughing, nasal discharge, lethargy, then fever above 40 C with excessive sleeping. Pressing the chest wall causes pain; breathing is difficult; the conjunctiva turns bluish (cyanosis). Chest examination shows shadows in the lungs and gradually weakening or absent alveolar sounds.

III. Treatment: 1. Keep the environment warm and clean; reduce inflammation and suppress cough; supplement nutrition. 2. Antibiotic therapy: IV tetracycline 5-10 mg/kg twice daily, 12 hours apart; IM cefazolin 20-40 mg/kg plus dexamethasone 0.2 mg/kg twice daily; IM gentamicin 5,000-108,000 units/kg twice daily; IM penicillin 40,000-160,000 units/kg plus streptomycin 50 mg/kg twice daily; oxygen therapy for breathing difficulty; slow IV 10% calcium gluconate 5-10 ml to prevent inflammatory exudation; for severe dehydration, daily IV 25% glucose 5-10 ml, 5% sodium bicarbonate 3-5 ml, and compound saline 30-40 ml. If you see the above symptoms, consult a vet immediately.