Primary treatment will be to relieve respiratory distress by drawing fluid out of the chest cavity with a needle. The treatment that will follow depends on the definitive cause your veterinarian is able to diagnose. Insertion of indwelling chest tubes, thoracic (chest) surgery, and pleuroperitoneal shunts (diversion of pleural fluids) are common treatments. A pleuroperitoneal shunt is when the veterinarian places a catheter in the chest cavity to transfer its fluid to the abdominal cavity.
Living and Management
Your veterinarian will schedule follow-up appointments with you as needed to treat your pet’s underlying disease, if one is present. The prognosis is usually guarded to poor, although some dogs will have a complete recovery of health.
A gland that aids in both digestive and insulin functions
Anything pertaining to the blood vessel system in the body
A process in which fluid accumulates in the space between the layers of pleura
Pertaining to the chest
An in-depth examination of the properties of urine; used to determine the presence or absence of illness
The condition of having a part of a body part protruding through the tissue that would normally cover it
The prediction of a disease’s outcome in advance
The collection of fluid in the tissue
The amount of pressure applied by the blood on the arteries.
A type of protein that can be dissolved in water; found in milk, egg white, certain muscle, blood, and some urine.
The muscle in the abdomen that aids in breathing
The widening of something
The space in the abdomen that holds the major digestive organs in an animal. Normally referred to as the area between the diaphragm and the pelvis. Also referred to as the peritoneal cavity.
A passage in the body with walls
The escape of fluid or blood into tissues or body spaces or cavities