Pneumonia in dogs is common. Dogs of all ages and breeds are susceptible to the disease, but most often it appears in hunting. Pneumonia is an inflammatory process that occurs in the lungs, it is dangerous to the health of the animal. If you start the disease, then it can cause death. We suggest considering the causes and symptoms of pneumonia in dogs. The article also describes methods of treatment and prevention of a dangerous disease.
The nature of pneumonia
By the nature of the spread of pneumonia in dogs, like humans, it is divided into two types:
- Lobar - focal or lobular pneumonia. The inflammatory process in this case spreads very quickly, covering the entire lung of the animal or its individual part.
- Lobular - lobular or ochazhny, does not spread so fast, easier to treat.
In addition to character, pneumonia is also divided into types, which we will consider in more detail.
Postoperative pneumonia in dogs
In surgery, this is the most common complication that occurs in about half the cases. The fatal outcome with this type of pneumonia in dogs is 15%.
The disease develops after surgery due to infection of the respiratory tract (viral pneumonia), including:
- candida;
- Proteus;
- staphylococci;
- pseudomonads;
- enterobacter;
- Escherichia;
- Klebsiella.
This type of pneumonia is difficult to treat, as harmful microorganisms become resistant to antibiotics. Therefore, it is better to apply preventive measures than to undergo complex and long-term therapy.
Pneumonia after surgery can develop in the following cases:
- the animal is in a supine position for a long time;
- postoperative care was not observed (immediately sent to guard the yard and so on).
The most difficult type of pneumonia is experienced by puppies and older dogs.
Dog Aspiration Pneumonia
This type of disease refers to bacterial, arises from exposure to lung tissue of foreign objects or fluid. When considering such pneumonia, it is not worth talking separately about aspiration pneumonia in adult dogs and puppies, since the causes of the occurrence are practically the same.
Foreign particles and liquids can enter the animal’s lungs by any means. Most often, this type of pneumonia affects old dogs and puppies. Older animals often have trouble swallowing, and bits of food can get into the airways. As for puppies, mother’s milk or pieces of solid food can get into their lungs when babies just learn to eat on their own.
Symptoms of such pneumonia are:
- delayed breathing;
- first a dry cough, then - with the release of frothy sputum.
These symptoms can not be ignored, you need to consult a veterinarian.
Other types of pneumonia
The causative agents of pneumonia in dogs can be various fungi, viruses, even parasites. Depending on the cause, pneumonia is divided into the following types:
- Viral It develops as a complication after diseases: plague, chlamydia, adenovirus, mycoplasmosis. Viral pneumonia also develops after surgery, as described above.
- Bacterial pneumonia occurs not only due to the ingress of foreign particles into the respiratory tract, but also after bronchotracheitis.
- Toxoplasmosis - protozoal pneumonia.
- Fungal - occurs due to fungi that cause the development of cryptococcosis.
- Parasitic - this type of disease affects dogs infected with worms. Larvae and adult worms can enter the lung tissue.
Development reasons
An animal with good immunity perfectly copes with bacteria and viruses that enter the body. As soon as the immune system weakens a bit, the pathogens begin to activate, penetrate the lung tissue and cause pneumonia in dogs. The reasons for the decrease in immunity can be:
- Sudden changes in temperature, especially in the winter, when the house is warm and the street is cold. Walking in the cold should be short, especially with shorthair breeds.
- Wrong conditions for keeping the dog - drafts, dampness. Even if the dog is a yard, he should have a warmed box and warm, dry litter, which must be changed stably.
- Inadequate nutrition. The diet of the dog should have vitamins, micro and macro elements, an abundance of fats, carbohydrates and proteins. Do not spare meat, meat soups for your pet, and if you feed with professional feed, then choose premium ones.
- Tissue injury in the chest area.
- Contact with already infected animals.
- Weak immunity from birth.
- Metabolic disorder. It can also be caused by diseases, such as uremia and diabetes.
- Some medications can weaken the immune system.
- Chronic sinusitis, infectious tracheobronchitis, tonsillitis and pharyngitis.
Stages of pneumonia
Regardless of the type of pneumonia and its causes, the disease develops in three stages:
- The first stage lasts an average of 5 days. At the same time, the well-being and behavior of the dog is satisfactory, many owners believe that the pet is prone to a mild illness.
- The second stage lasts about 10 days, with all the symptoms of pneumonia on the face.
- The third stage lasts differently. At this stage, the animal is either recovering or dying due to irreversible changes in the lung tissue.
The sooner the owner begins to take measures to treat the dog, the greater the chance of a favorable outcome.
Features of the development of pneumonia in four-legged friends
Pneumonia in dogs can be either chronic or acute, mild, moderate or severe. Animals most often suffer from acute pneumonia, which can be caused by the following factors:
- hypothermia;
- burn by inhalation of hot steam or toxic substances;
- pulmonary edema;
- filling the airways with water (often happens when bathing), blood (can occur with an injury in the chest area);
- trauma to the chest or respiratory tract.
Symptomatology
Pneumonia in dogs is always accompanied by the following symptoms:
- The dog begins to cough violently and loudly. At the same time, the animal experiences severe pain, which can be indicated by whining, the secretion of tears. In the future, the cough becomes softer and deaf, so many dog breeders think that the animal is recovering, and this is not at all the case - pneumonia has developed greatly.
- The dog's body temperature becomes high. Because of the heat, the animal will be very thirsty, drink plenty of water and eagerly, refuse food.
- Fever. At this time, the dog is trembling, it is shaking. The reason is a sharp change in heat to normal, and vice versa.
- The pulse becomes more frequent, tachycardia appears.
- All signs of dehydration are manifested - a dry nose, a tongue with a plaque, exhaustion.
- Shortness of breath, shortness of breath appears. In this case, the dog will walk with its tongue sticking out, and the visible parts of its mucosa can be assessed by a color change - with pneumonia they are bluish in color.
- The dog does not lie on the side of the affected lung.
- Wheezing is heard when the dog breathes.
Do not let the disease drift! When the first symptoms appear, it is urgent to visit a veterinary clinic for diagnosis and treatment. It is impossible to self-medicate the animal!
Diagnosis of the disease
The veterinarian makes a diagnosis not only on the basis of information received about the symptoms. You will need to undergo a comprehensive medical examination.
First of all, the doctor will examine the animal, prescribe urine and blood tests. If hemoglobin and red blood cells are few, then this indicates pneumonia in the dog. An x-ray is a mandatory shot for a disease; darkening will be noticeable on it - foci of inflammation.
To exclude or confirm parasitic pneumonia, it will be necessary to pass an analysis of feces for the presence of helminths.
Also, the disease must be differentiated from the common cold, sinusitis, lung abscess, pharyngitis, bronchitis, tonsillitis, tracheobronchitis.
Therapy
Treatment of pneumonia in a dog is best carried out in a hospital veterinary clinic. If this is not possible, then the therapy is carried out at home, but under the strict supervision of a veterinarian. For treatment of pneumonia in dogs at home, as in a hospital, 14 days are allotted.
The first thing a doctor will advise is a diet to increase immunity, foods should be rich in proteins and carbohydrates.
Before prescribing antibiotics, the clinic laboratory must isolate the microorganisms that led to pneumonia from sputum from the lungs of the animal. Next, an analysis is made on the response of microorganisms to drugs, thus identifying drugs that are most suitable for treatment.
For the treatment of aspiration pneumonia in dogs, as well as other bacterial and infectious antibiotics, broad-spectrum antibiotics are suitable:
- Ampicillin
- Amoxiclav;
- Amoxicillin;
- "Solutab";
- "Gentamicin";
- Cefotaxime and Ceftriaxone;
- Wilprafen
- Sumamed
- "Gentamicin";
- "Doxycycline."
This list is not complete, the doctor may prescribe another drug. It is worth noting that antibiotics for pneumonia are used in two, or even three types at once, since each has its own effect (on gram-positive cocci or on gram-negative).
Traditional antibiotics are used to treat chlamydial and world-plasma pneumonia. The veterinarian may prescribe:
- Ciprofloxacin;
- Sumamed
- "Doxycycline";
- Ofloxacin and so on.
If worms are detected in the dog's body, it will be necessary to get rid of them during therapy. Parasitic drugs are also prescribed only by a veterinarian; you should not buy the first drops that fall into a zoo pharmacy.
The course of antibiotics is at least 10 days with a mild course of the disease. If pneumonia is caused by chlamydia and mycoplasmas, then even in the mild stage, antibiotics will need to be used for at least a month.
Also, the animal will be prescribed physiotherapy and oxygen therapy in severe pneumonia.
Not only during the illness, but also at the first signs of recovery, you can not take the pet out for a walk, as this can cause a relapse, complications.
Prevention
To prevent the development of pneumonia in the animal, it is necessary to take the following measures:
- balanced diet;
- lack of contact with sick animals;
- treating even a mild cold in a dog;
- vitamins and minerals should be present daily in the diet;
- washing and drying litter;
- insulation of the booth;
- short walks during the rainy seasons and in winter.
Observing these simple rules, you will protect your pet from a terrible disease.