# Kiki throwing up foam, breathing hard...



## Sabala (Mar 11, 2009)

Hello all, my cat awoke me tonight with the sound of her throwing up. It was very foamy - about 3 times she did this. She lied down on her side and is panting even occasionally making the saddest sounding cries. It's 2am here now - if it was normal time I would take her to the vet but...she's been this way for about 30 minutes, any ideas please?? Don't know what to do -


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## Xanti (Nov 4, 2008)

This could well be poisoning or a blockage, please get her to a vet asap..you must have an emergency vet somewhere near?


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## Sabala (Mar 11, 2009)

Yes, I just got back from a 24 hr vet I found online. Kiki did not make it. The vet told me she had a collapsed lung - pneumothorax or something?? not sure how to spell, will look that up.
This was so sudden, still in a bit of shock.


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## Xanti (Nov 4, 2008)

Oh no, I'm sorry  Poor kitty and poor you, it must have been a shock.


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## Sabala (Mar 11, 2009)

Thanks


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## Sabala (Mar 11, 2009)

Could throwing up trigger a pneumothorax? I'm not sure how the foam vomiting and lung collapse are linked?


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## Comadreja144 (Dec 23, 2010)

so sorry for your loss <3


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## Leni (Sep 21, 2010)

I know in humans they can get spontanoues pneumothorax which really has no cause. Perhaps the foam was from pulmonary edema, maybe there was fluid in the lung from swelling. Either way, I am so very sorry for your loss, that was very fast and unexpected it seems like.


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## Sinatra-Butters (Aug 9, 2010)

So very sorry for your loss .


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## OctoberinMaine (Sep 12, 2006)

I'm so sorry. We all know how hard it is to lose a kitty.


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## Julie Carvill (Jun 30, 2010)

I am so sorry.


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## Sabala (Mar 11, 2009)

Thanks, I appreciate the thoughts.

It was fast, maybe an hour and a half at most from the time she first woke me up with an odd sounding meow (she was still curled up on my bed) to the vet bringing me to the table where she lie to say a final goodbye. I'm still a bit stunned and I've been up since 1:30am still so really out of it, as I look at the empty patch of sunlight on the floor where she would be.

She was so healthy the last couple years after I changed her to a healthy diet. Even the vet commented how healthy she was. I expected her to make up to 10 more years, (she was 11 but looked/acted like 3 or 4 yrs).

It was so unexpected and out of the blue.This lung collapse thing really confuses me - I don't understand how/why - and I'm not ready for her to be just a memory anymore. I guess it could've been a bit worse - I had finished up with a week long overnight dog sitting job on Sunday morning. I would have been devastated if she died when I wasn't there. alone. So, at least I was with her for her last hour.

I suppose I will save the rest for the Rainbow thread...Thanks again.


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

I'm so sorry for your loss.


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## dweamgoil (Feb 3, 2010)

So sorry to hear about your kitty atback


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## sephi (May 9, 2010)

i am sorry for your loss.


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## koobe (Nov 8, 2009)

I am so sorry for your sudden loss. atback


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## CatnipCats (Feb 15, 2010)

I'm so sorry.


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## Kobster (Feb 1, 2007)

I'm so so sorry for your loss.


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## Nan (Oct 11, 2010)

I'm so sorry.


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## Time Bandit (Aug 17, 2010)

Oh my...what a terrible situation to have to go through. You have my deepest sympathies for the loss of your little girl. atback


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## Sabala (Mar 11, 2009)

Thanks everyone I appreciate the condolences...



Leni said:


> I know in humans they can get spontanoues pneumothorax which really has no cause. Perhaps the foam was from pulmonary edema, maybe there was fluid in the lung from swelling. Either way, I am so very sorry for your loss, that was very fast and unexpected it seems like.


So thinking on this, she was probably not vomiting up foam but coughing it up from her lungs. I think this is were my mistake was. Instead of trying to comfort her while she was "vomiting" I should have been taking her immediately to the vet, she had no asthma or other conditions...I knew something was different when I saw the rapid breathing following her "vomiting" spell, and then she started her crying, but it wasn't until then - maybe 20 minutes after she first woke me up that I took her to the vet. -

Then on top of that, to get to the vet I have to take the 10E freeway to 405N & just take the first exit and the vet is right there, not even a 10 min drive....but....the on ramp to the 405N was blocked off - I had to keep driving down to the next exit and turn back to 10W to get to 405N again but that was also blocked off as well. I then had to keep driving west(opposite vet) take the first exit, go onto city streets and make my way back towards the vet, so my drive took an extra 10 minutes or so. It was like everything was working against us.

I was cussing, yelling, crying and trying to comfort Kiki during that drive - I've never had such an explosion of negative emotions in my head at once - 

She had pretty much stopped breathing by the time I got there but her little heart was still beating. - I just gave the carrier to the receptionist who looked inside, saw her condition and immediately rushed her into the back. By the time they figured out what was wrong it was too late.

I just feel like I should have acted sooner or taken another route or found a closer emergency vet...anything other than what I did and maybe Kiki would still be with me...feel like I failed her big time in the end...


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## Xanti (Nov 4, 2008)

No, you didn't fail her. You couldn't help that the road was closed. As soon as you realized it was an emergency you took her. Also, you don't know if they could have saved her if you had got there any earlier. 

Don't beat yourself up about it, sometimes things just happen and there is nothing we can do.atback


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## Leni (Sep 21, 2010)

Xanti said:


> No, you didn't fail her. You couldn't help that the road was closed. As soon as you realized it was an emergency you took her. Also, you don't know if they could have saved her if you had got there any earlier.
> 
> Don't beat yourself up about it, sometimes things just happen and there is nothing we can do.atback


Exactly, I didn't post that to make you feel worse about it. Sometimes things like that just happen and you have no control over them. You did the best you could given the circumstances and like was mentioned by Xanti, you don't know if they could have saved her if you had gotten there earlier. The what ifs are always hard, just try to find comfort that she is at peace now. I'm so sorry about this *hugs*


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## kittywitty (Jun 19, 2010)

I am so sorry for your loss. I went through this a year ago with my cat only she passed away before I had the chance to get her to the vet. It's the worst thing to see your cat suffering and making meows that were never heard before. I am so sorry. Our kitties are resting peacefully at the rainbow bridge now.


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