The technical term for feline empyema is feline pleural empyema (feline pyothorax). From the literal meaning, we can understand that pus accumulates in the pleural cavity of cats. This disease is usually caused by thoracic trauma, and external bacteria enter the chest cavity, causing the cat's pleura to become suppurated and inflamed. ​​​​​​

When a cat suffers from pleural empyema, the symptoms are sometimes acute and sometimes chronic. In an acute attack, dyspnea immediately occurs and the body temperature rises. When sepsis occurs, the body temperature drops and even shock occurs. In chronic attacks, it usually manifests as low-grade fever, loss of appetite, chronic weight loss, poor energy, and dyspnea. When the course of the disease is prolonged, it may also manifest as sepsis.

Diagnosing this type of disease is actually quite easy. Just do chest auscultation and percussion to determine whether there is pleural effusion and roughly estimate how much effusion is in the pleural cavity. However, in order to make a more accurate judgment and see whether there is any intrathoracic disease, it is essential to take X-rays from two directions.