Background: Pyothorax in cats is treated with intravenous fluids, antibiotics and while thoracotomy and debridement is less common necessary, thoracostomy tubes are the treatment of choice when repeated drainage of the pleural cavity is needed.
Case description: An 11-month-old British short hair cat was presented for a sudden onset of lethargy, dyspnoea and tachypnoea following an ovariohysterectomy 10 days prior. Pyrexia and muffled cardiac sounds on the left hemithorax were noted. A haemogram indicated the development of anaemia and neutrophilia with a left shift. Radiography and ultrasonography confirmed a pleural effusion and a CT scan ruled out the presence of any masses or perforating foreign bodies. A PCR on the pleural effusion ruled out Feline Coronavirus infection and fluid analysis was confirmed to be a septic exudate with Pasteurella multocida infection. A pleural access port was used to treat the pyothorax that resolved successfully with reduced hospitalisation time and lower overall financial outlay despite surgical implantation.
Conclusion: The present report describes the successful use of a pleural port for the treatment of pyothorax in one cat. This is the first time such device has been reported for the treatment of pyothorax.
Key words: pleural effusion, pleural port, pyothorax, thoracocentesis, thoracostomy tubes
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