Hi Sourdoahtoast - love your name.

Sorry to hear about Gracie, and I'm afraid I can't offer much help, but I know Bassett and I think Ozzy have had ultra-sounds done to determine just how much fluid they have and exactly where it's located so the tapping is more productive. Has Gracie had any ultra-sounds? I know not all vets have the capability of doing ultra-sounds, so it's a more expensive option, but I would think it would be worth it to get the tap done correctly which means it would have to be done less often.

Welcome to PT, and good luck with Gracie. Please let us know how she is doing, and also, you may have noticed that we really really like pictures here at PT.

BTW, my kitties are Tubby and Peanut. Tubby is 17 and Peanut is 15, so I'm quite familiar with senior kitties, just not they chylo thing.