Dog ate chocolate?

 ask a vet

Trouble breathing and died.

Species: Cat
Breed: dsh
Age: 2-5 years
my beloved cat mr whippy died recently and i am breaking my heart thinking i could have saved him.about 2/3 wks ago he had a short episode of panting and fast breathing but he recovered quickly and i thought he had got hot or something and he was relatively overweight.the day he died he was panting for short bursts occasionaly but otherwise was normal self eating etc.by the evening/night he got worse and lay on bed on his side gasping for breath if i tried to pick him up he cried i had phoned vet but when i got back upstairs he had gone under the bed and had died.i am devastated i should have got him to vet sooner he may still be alive please please help tell me why he might have died i miss him so very much my heart aches and aches he was my beautiful baby he was only 4 how could he just die like that? I will never forgive myself i sometimes think i cant carry on. i let him down when he needed me .he definately hadnt been knocked by a car


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Oh, I am sorry to hear about Mr. Whippy. (What a cool name, by the way.)

When a cat has significant difficulties with breathing there is always a very serious medical problem going on. The vast majority of the time this problem is something untreatable.

The most common reason for a young cat to die after having breathing problems is a heart condition called HCM (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy). This is a condition that cats can be born with. They will often have no symptoms throughout their life and then just suddenly the heart will fail.

If this was HCM then there is nothing you could have done.

There are other possible reasons for fluid in the chest such as trauma (but you said that was unlikely), or cancer (which is not common in a 4 year old cat.)

It is very unlikely that things would have been different even if you got to the vet's sooner.

I'm so sorry for your loss.

Dr. Marie.


Do you have a pet website? Interested in learning more about SEO for Wix?

Check out our dog age calculator and cat age calculator.

Want to receive pet coupons, vet advice and info on new pet products in your inbox?

* indicates required

We'll only send you great stuff, never spam. Unsubscribe any time.

Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

Search for similar questions:

ask a vet

Popular questions...

Dog can't move hind legs. What happens if your dog can't move her hind legs without them sliding out from... (14779 views)

Sore black lab? Hi, I have a 6 1/2 year old extremely active Black Lab named Miller. He loves to... (21860 views)

Best cloth bedding for guinea pigs. I wanted to make a new bed for my guinea pig's house (her "nest"). Are there any... (8381 views)

Possible cherry eye? My dog has red bags coming up from under his lower eye lids and covering half his... (7326 views)

Should I get an ultrasound? Dear Dr. Marie, My dog has a grade 3-4 heart murmur that she’s had her whole... (9848 views)

Frontline and capstar but still has fleas. My cat has fleas. We have treated him with capstar and frontline, given him a flea... (19500 views)

Swollen eyelid. My dog had one lower eyelid swollen inside. I discover this after she had... (17892 views)

Cat with asthma. Dr. Marie, Misto is a 9-year-old, 15-pound domestic shorthair, house-only cat who... (8637 views)

Senior food for 7 year old dog? I have 2 black pugs. One (Mr. P) is 11 years old, and the other (Samson) is 7 years... (5064 views)

Positive leishmaniasis test. my dog has just had a blood test result for leishmans the result is 0.1 and requires... (8436 views)

See all questions...

Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.