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Expert: - 10/30/2010


Question
QUESTION: the vet suggests draining fluid from chest cavity with a big needle but says cannot use any anesthesia. Why would this be? I don't want to do it if it's too painful for the cat.

ANSWER: I'm sorry I feel like I came in the middle of a conversation here. What exactly are you talking about?

What is wrong with your cat? What was he diagnosed with? I may be able to explain things better if you would give me some details.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: they don't know what's wrong yet; they know she has one collapsed lung, but suggested to drain fluid from chest cavity to alleviate the pressure and help with the breathing.

Answer
OK, I understand now. Believe it or not, this procedure does not hurt the cat. Dogs and cats are more numb to certain pains then we are, and having things poked into their skin is one of them. Now they do have to go into the chest cavity, or maybe it's the abdominal cavity, but either way, they will do it in a sterile manner and make sure all is clean.

This will help her a lot with her breathing. I would let them do it for sure because it will help her.

We once had to drain buckets (not an exaggeration) of fluid out of the belly of a dog once and he slept through the procedure. It took us hours to do it. Once we had the needle in place he just lied down and went to sleep - with us right there of course so that he wouldn't move and disrupt the needle.

So yes, it's very possible to do this. Using an anesthetic at this point with a collapsed lung might be the end of your cat, so he is being cautious and that shows me that he knows what he is doing.

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

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Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

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Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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