Symptoms of pneumothorax in cats

Feline pneumothorax will cause the air comrade space in the cat's chest to increase and the lung lobes to collapse, which can occur unilaterally or bilaterally. Pneumothorax in cats often causes breathing difficulties in cats. If not treated in time, it can easily lead to a life-threatening situation in cats.

The main symptoms of animals are dyspnea and shortness of breath. Lung sounds can be reduced during chest auscultation, and their resonance can be increased during lung percussion.

X-ray examination shows that there is air in the chest cavity, causing the lung lobes to shrink and separate from the chest wall, and the opacity of the lung lobes increases due to collapse. The outline of the heart elevated from the sternum can be seen on lateral examination when lying horizontally. For tension pneumothorax, the chest cavity is excessively inflated (barrel chest), causing the diaphragm to flatten and the secondary diaphragm valve to appear. The ribs and rib cartilage are vertical to the spine, and a tension pneumothorax requires immediate thoracentesis to reduce intrathoracic pressure. After removing the air through thoracentesis, x-rays should be repeated to prevent a variety of potential lung pathogens. ​​​​​​

Treatment of pneumothorax in cats

Cat pneumothorax can be unilateral or bilateral. When a cat has a pneumothorax, it will have symptoms such as difficulty breathing and shortness of breath. This disease must be treated by a professional pet doctor. Don’t delay, otherwise it will be easy. Putting the cat's life in danger.

If the pneumothorax is small and the cat is asymptomatic, it can be treated conservatively. Cage rest or close monitoring is necessary to prevent sudden deterioration of the condition. Simple thoracentesis is often effective after trauma, but close monitoring should continue to prevent recurrence. Spontaneous pneumothorax generally requires a catheter thoracostomy and surgical treatment to eliminate the underlying cause.