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Section: Overview
Chylothorax is a condition in which a characteristic type of lymph fluid called chyle accumulates in the chest cavity and causes difficulty breathing. Lymph is the fluid that is drained from tissues and functions to carry protein and cells from the tissues to the bloodstream via small vessels, known as lymphatics. When the lymph is drained from the intestines, it contains a high quantity of fat and is known as chyle. Thus, chylothorax is a collection of chyle in the chest cavity. The accumulation of chyle in the chest cavity leads to difficulty breathing because the lungs cannot expand normally to take in oxygen. This condition may occur in any breed of dog, but some breeds appear to have a higher than expected incidence, including Afghan hounds and shiba inu dogs. Afghan dogs appear to develop signs related to this disease when they are middle-aged, whereas the shiba inu is often less than a year of age when the condition is diagnosed.
Respiratory distress, also called dyspnea, is labored, difficult breathing or shortness of breath. This can occur at any time during the breathing process, either during inspiration or expiration.
Pleural effusion is an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the pleural space, which is the cavity between the lungs and the thoracic wall. Normally, some fluid is present in the pleural space to lubricate...
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