Pleural effusion in cats | VETgirl Veterinary Continuing Education Podcasts

In this VETgirl online veterinary CE podcast, we review pleural effusion in cats. Unfortunately, this is a situation many of you have likely faced. A cat presents to your clinic with tachypnea and decreased lung sounds on thoracic auscultation, perhaps a low pulse oximeter reading, and of course those all-too-familiar radiographs revealing small, sad lungs floating in an ocean of fluid. These cases can be profoundly stressful for the patient, doctor, and client alike. As a clinician, you must quickly juggle patient stabilization and client communication, along with any other cases that you are managing. Typically, stabilization involves some combination of oxygen therapy and sedation as needed, and of course an integral part of this process is a diagnostic and/or therapeutic thoracocentesis.