Hypercapnia in Cats
 
Hypercapnia is synonymous with hypoventilation, or inadequate inhalation of fresh air. It is generally the result of alveolar hypoventilation, a failure of the air cells in the lungs to take in adequate amounts of clean oxygen. It may also be related to lung disease or to environmental conditions that result in increased levels of carbon dioxide in the breathable air.
 
Hypercapnia is characterized by an increase in the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the arterial blood. Carbon dioxide is a normal part of the atmosphere, and a normal component of the c ...read more