Pleural effusion - Cat
Female , spayed, domestic short hair, 8 years old
Hi everyone just making this post for some reassurance I guess. Yesterday I noticed my cat’s breathing had changed a bit, so today I rushed her to the vet. She was diagnosed with a pleural effusion. The vet recommended a thoracentesis , x-rays, lab work and at least a 24hr stay. He recommended additional tests and the first estimate came to be around $4000 this came with a 48hr stay. The second estimate was $2500 and include 4 additional drainages if the fluid returned. A final estimate was $1300 and included the thoracentesis,sedation, and no overnight stay. He also discussed humane euthanasia. I stayed at the hospital for close to 4 hours just going back and forth.
I ended up deciding to put her to sleep, I feel incredibly guilty that I did not at least try to do any additional testing but the $1200 quote only meant they would test the fluid to see what it was. He told me the best case scenario would be an infection that could be treated with antibiotics. When I spoke with the vet ( different one) before we put her to sleep, she was incredibly kind and told me that we made the right decision and that most times even after they drain the fluid it comes back and is worse. I guess I’m just making this post to get additional reassurance. I know what the vet told me there but I just feel horrible. Should I have done the drainage and brought her home? Anyway if you read this far, thank you ❤️