Reply To: Acute dyspnoea and small stature in a domestic shorthair cat

Upper Airway Disease

Nasopharyngeal disease: Infectious (bacterial, fungal, viral), polyps, foreign bodies, neoplasia.
Layngeal disease: Paralysis, neoplasia, polyps, foreign bodies.

Lower Airway Disease

Tracheal: Stenosis / collapse / external compression, foreign bodies, neoplasia.
Bronchial: Inflammatory airway disease, parasitic bronchitis.
Pulmonary Disease: Pneumonia / Bronchopneumonia, neoplasia (primary pulmonary carcinoma, lymphoma), pulmonary oedema, haemorrhage, abscess formation, poisoning (paracetamol, paraquat, non-anticoagulant rodenticides).

• Thoracic Cavity

Pleural Space Disease: Pneumothorax, pleural effusion (FIP, idiopathic chylothorax, haemothorax, CHF, nephrotic syndrome, lung lobe torsion), thoracic Masses, thymic masses (lymphosarcoma, lymphoma), diaphragmatic hernia, diaphragmatic rupture, pericardioperitoneal hernia.

• Cardiogenic

Congenital, cardiomyopathy (primary and secondary).

• Physiological

Fear, Pain, Shock, Anaemia, Pyrexic

What would be your next diagnostic steps and initial treatment?