Hi Julie,

Most cats do very well with this procedure. It involves the cat lying on her side, a small area of the chest shaved and prepped, and the insertion of a small needle with a syringe attached. The fluid is drawn off slowly. Depending on the exact location of the fluid and how thick it is, a needle may have to be repositioned several times to drain the fluid.

If your cat is nervous and tries to move around it will complicate things. A younger cat can safely have a small amount of gas anesthesia, but I don't think this would be possible in a 19 year old. Perhaps, if you feel you can handle it, your vet will allow you to be present to talk to your baby and pet her head. I think in such an elderly cat this would make a big difference. Possibly a light sedative can be used as well if she is nervous.

This isn't a pleasant thing for a cat to go through, but it helps tremendously and the cat feels better immediately.

Please let me know how your kitty does.

Regards,
PHKitkat

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