Cats with pyothorax (pus in the chest cavity) has a good survival rate when treated. It was once thought to have a poor prognosis. Many vets likely still believe it does. It is, however, expensive to treat.
Pyothorax occurs when pus, the body's natural immune response to an invasion of bacteria, accumulates in the chest (pleural) cavity. Made up of white blood cells (neutrophils) and dead cells, pus gathers at the site of an infection. Eventually, the white blood cells die, leaving the thick whitish-yellow fluid that is characteristic of pus.
Cats with pyothorax that received treatment had a fair to good prognosis, with low recurrence rates in survivors. Hypersalivation and low heart rate were associated with worse clinical outcome. Cats with pyothorax were likely to come from multi-cat households.
Until recently, pyothorax in the cat has been generally considered to have a poor prognosis. However, it has become clear that most cats that survive the first 48 h following presentation can be successfully treated with aggressive medical management. In this second part of a two-part review, logica …
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