Hobbies And Interests
Types of Pneumothorax
In cats, pneumothorax can be divided into five large categories. The first type, open pneumothorax, occurs when a wound causes air to enter the lung's pleural space, a tiny area between two layers of tissue surrounding the lung. Closed pneumonthorax, on the other hand, occurs when air holes are closed off, preventing air to enter the chest cavity completely. A third kind of dropped lung, known as spontaneous pneumothorax, occurs without any warning and does not result from any trauma. A fourth category is tension pneumothorax. This occurs when air is able to fill the cavity but is not permitted to leave it, resulting in a one-way valve effect. The last category of this condition is traumatic pneumothorax. Unlike spontaneous pneumothorax, this type results from injury to the chest cavity.
Causes
In cats, pneumothorax most often results from some kind of injury. Pneumothorax from injury is usually caused by the rupture of either the cat's bronchus, trachea, esophagus or some other lung tissue. Pneumothorax not resulting from injury occurs most often in older animals, caused by the rupture of a lung cyst. This type of pneumothorax can result from the burst of a bulla, a small pathological structure occurring inside of a cat's lungs, or the bleb, a small external pathological structure.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
If cats with pneumothorax are not given treatment immediately, they risk dying. Pet owners should take their cat to the veterinarian immediately if their cat seems to be breathing at excessive rates. More than 45 breaths a minute is considered unusual. Your cat may also have pneumothorax if it has difficulty breathing or is extremely weak during any type of physical exercise. Pneumothorax, in some cases, can cause a blue hue to appear in your cat's gums or tongue. When arriving at an animal hospital, the veterinarian on staff may immediately isolate the cat in an oxygen cage before doing any physical evaluation. Common evaluation procedures include chest x-rays, blood tests and pulse oximetry, a test to determine your cat's ability to breathe.
Treatment
Treatment for cats with pneumothorax varies by veterinarian. One common treatment is the use of supplemental oxygen in order to make breathing easier for your cat. Thoracocentesis is another common treatment for pneumothorax. Your vet will use a needle and syringe to remove excess oxygen from your cat's lungs. Vets may also insert a tube in your cats chest. This will allow air to enter and exit your cat's lungs at a higher rate, making breathing easier. Pneumothorax resulting from detrimental trauma may also require serious surgery. During surgery, your veterinarian will make large-scale repairs on your cat's lungs. This will ensure that any holes in the lungs are sealed.