Pleural effusion is an abnormal amount of fluid between the parietal and visceral pleura. In dogs it is a sign, not a diagnosis: the same breathing pattern can come from heart failure, infection, a leaking thoracic duct, low albumin, bleeding or cancer. Draining the chest relieves the dog, and analysing what comes out tells you which disease you are treating.
Key facts
Pleural fluid (purulent, chylous, transudate) at a glance- Species and system: dog; pleural space (respiratory), often secondary to cardiac, lymphatic or systemic disease.
- Main fluid types: transudate (protein-poor or protein-rich), exudate (septic exudate = pyothorax), chylous, hemorrhagic and neoplastic.
- Classic presentation: rapid, shallow or asynchronous (paradoxical) breathing with muffled heart and lung sounds ventrally.
- First step in a dyspneic dog: thoracocentesis, which is both treatment and diagnosis; radiographs come after stabilisation.
- Key tests: total protein, nucleated cell count and cytology on every sample; culture (aerobic and anaerobic) if exudative; paired fluid and serum triglycerides if milky.
- Zoonotic or reportable: neither in itself.
What's inside
12 sections in the full guide- Key facts
- How the NAVLE tests this
- Cause and pathophysiology
- Clinical signs
- Diagnosis
- Differential diagnoses
- Treatment and management
- Prevention, control and public health
- Prognosis
- Quick review
- Test yourself
- References
The full guide also has 5 tables, 3 figures, 3 self-test questions and 17 references, available to NAVLE members.
Read the full study guide
The full guide is part of every NAVLE plan, with diagnosis and treatment tables, figures, a quick review and self-test questions. Start a free trial to try the question bank, or log in if you are already a member.