Asthma in dogs: symptoms, causes, treatments, reviews

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Asthma in dogs is a fairly common and very serious disease. It affects animals of any age and breed, however, asthma is more common in young and middle-aged pets. Poodles are especially prone to this disease.

Often, owners confuse asthma attacks with the process of expectoration of wool and do not pay attention to more obvious symptoms, such as coughing. However, every pet owner needs to know the symptoms and treatment of asthma in dogs.

There are two types of asthma: bronchial and cardiac. The article will cover both.

Description of bronchial asthma

A characteristic sign of the development of bronchial asthma in a dog is prolonged attacks of suffocation. Most often they occur as a result of chronic bronchitis. In the vast majority of cases, this disease affects dogs aged 2 to 7 years. In terms of the number of diseased individuals, poodles are in the lead. In second place are pugs and M altese lapdogs.

Often manifestationseizures is associated with exposure to allergens of natural or chemical origin, which are part of most dog food. The main distinguishing feature of bronchial asthma is a cough, accompanied by intense breathing with pronounced wheezing. Sometimes the dog may feel sick, it may start sneezing attacks.

The main danger of this disease is that the dog is not able to independently clear their bronchi from the accumulated mucus. This leaves the animal vulnerable to further infections.

Causes of disease

The most common factors affecting the development of bronchial asthma are:

1. Sudden changes in living conditions - change in humidity and temperature.
2. The presence of excessive physical exertion - a measured respiratory rhythm fails, which can cause asthma attacks.
3. Presence of severe stressful situations - this increases the heart rate, which can lead to lack of air.
4. Injuries to the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract caused by inhalation of smoke (including tobacco), chemicals or dust.
5. Exposure to infectious or non-infectious allergens.

Very rarely, such a disease can be inherited. In this case, the dog develops edema in the airways and excessive mucus is formed, which is manifested by common signs of the disease.

Symptomsbronchial asthma

The most dangerous symptom of bronchial asthma in dogs is the development of cyanosis, characterized by blue mucous membranes. This indicates a lack of oxygen. The sign is quite dangerous for the pet's life.

Also, symptoms of asthma in dogs can include:

1. The main symptom is whistling during breathing. Attacks of whistling can last from an hour to several days, so immediately after detecting such a deviation, you should contact your veterinarian.
2. Occurrence of allergic symptoms - dry cough, watery eyes, runny nose, frequent sneezing.
3. Irregular breathing - short convulsive breaths are replaced by calm exhalations, while wheezing is clearly audible.
4. Involuntary emission of urine that occurs against the background of abdominal spasms.

With the onset of an attack, the animal may experience a lack of coordination of movements - the dog begins to spread its front paws wide. In addition, she is tormented by intense thirst, which occurs simultaneously with weakness and lack of appetite. The animal begins to open its mouth wide, stretch its neck forward and stoop.

The production of adrenaline that occurs in stressful situations can stop an attack. If the animal is sick with a cold, then this will greatly complicate the identification of symptoms of asthma in a dog. In this case, only a qualified veterinarian can diagnose the disease.

Disease development

The development of asthma in dogs involves threestage:

1. Harbingers. This stage can occur at any time - from minutes to several days before the onset of an attack. It is accompanied by copious discharge from the nose, itching in the eyes and on the skin, a long and sharp cough, frequent sneezing, shortness of breath, apathy and lethargy.
2. Attack. He is characterized by severe shortness of breath and suffocation. During breaths, the dog clearly hears wheezing. In this case, the jugular vein swells, the nostrils swell, and the mucous membranes turn blue. The dog hunches over, opening its mouth. During bouts of coughing, thick sputum is produced, and the pulse quickens significantly.
3. The period of reverse development. Its duration depends on the condition of the dog. It can end quickly and without consequences, or it can last several days. At this time, the dog becomes weak, becomes lethargic and breathes heavily.

Diagnosis

Diagnosing asthma in dogs is quite difficult because an attack can start at any time. By the time the animal is taken to the veterinary clinic, its condition may be fully stabilized.

In order to determine the causes of a dog's poor condition with maximum accuracy, many activities are carried out:

1. Primary data is collected to help determine the severity of the disease, the causes of asthma are identified. For this, a chemical blood test, a general analysis of urine and feces are prescribed.
2. Testing for heartworms (if any) in progress.
3. A chest X-ray is ordered to allowdetect changes in the lungs.
4. Cytological examination of swabs from the trachea, bronchi and lungs to detect harmful microorganisms, fungal infections or helminths.
5. A dog is having a tracheoscopy and a bronchoscopy to examine the internal state of these organs.
6. With the help of auscultation, the localization of the disease is determined.
7. An ultrasound examination of the heart is performed to diagnose abnormalities in its work.

Performing all these diagnostic measures does not guarantee the identification of the cause of asthma in dogs. Symptoms at the same time may indicate the development of other diseases not associated with asthma. However, proper medical care will allow the dog to live a long and fulfilling life.

Therapy

There is no specific treatment for asthma in dogs. It is impossible to completely rid the animal of this disease with drugs for dogs, so veterinarians prescribe drugs intended for people. Since there is no specific therapy, veterinarians seek to eliminate or alleviate the symptoms of bronchial asthma in dogs. Treatment is considered successful if the symptoms of the disease do not appear for a sufficiently long time (six months or more).

The veterinarian will be able to choose effective medicines only after finding out the root cause of the disease. Prescription drugs often completely stop bronchial asthma.

Based on the condition of the animal, the veterinarian may prescribe the following drugs to treat asthma indogs:

• Antihistamines to help widen the airways and reduce susceptibility to allergens.
• Antibiotics given for secondary infections.
• Broncholytics, relaxing bronchial walls.
• Anti-inflammatory steroids.
• An oxygen mask used during severe asthma attacks.

The dosage of drugs is selected by the veterinarian, taking into account the severity of the condition and the age of the dog. In order to quickly normalize the condition of the animal, suitable vitamins are often selected that help strengthen the immune system and fill the dog's body with minerals. They are part of complex therapy.

Preventive measures

As a preventive measure, veterinarians can prescribe acupuncture and homeopathic-type preparations that do not cause side effects and complications. Herbs for homeopathy should be selected very carefully, since many of them can cause an asthmatic attack. Proper selection makes it possible to reduce the amount of medications taken, consisting of chemical and synthetic compounds.

You should also protect your dog from contact with allergens. Having identified regular shortness of breath at low exertion, it is necessary to consult a specialist for advice.

Compliance with preventive measures eliminates the development of the acute phase of the disease, and careful care ensures that there is no risk to the life of the dog.

Cardiac asthma

The disease is the failure of the left ventricle, resulting inthere is an inability of the heart muscle to pump the necessary amount of blood. In this case, there is a significant decrease in the contractile function of the myocardium.

Reason for development

The main cause of such asthma doctors consider acute primary or chronic left ventricular failure.

Often, mitral and aortic heart disease (stenosis, insufficiency), which is associated with obstruction of blood outflow, leads to the development of the disease. A large blood clot inside the atrium or a tumor inside the heart can disrupt blood flow in the left side of the heart.

In addition, the cause of the development of cardiac asthma in a dog can be an infectious disease, as well as acute disorders in the blood circulation of the brain.

How it manifests

Symptoms of cardiac asthma in dogs are almost the same as in bronchial asthma. But there are also differences:

• There is no clear rhythm in the dog's breathing.
• The mucous membranes turn white with shades of gray.
• Asthma attacks most often start at night, without any reason.
• often this disease develops in older dogs.

A symptom of asthma in dogs, like an asthmatic attack, does not have definite intervals and may not appear for a long time. A dog does not need to come into contact with any allergens to develop this disease.

Diagnosis of cardiac asthma

In order to correctly prescribe therapy, it is necessary to separate the attackscardiac asthma from suffocation that occurs during bronchial asthma.

In making an accurate diagnosis, it is very important to evaluate the clinical manifestations of this disease, to study the data obtained as a result of an objective examination and chest X-ray. An electrocardiogram may also be ordered.

Treatment process

If you notice the above symptoms in your pet, the treatment of cardiac asthma in dogs should be carried out with medication prescribed by a veterinarian. It is impossible to alleviate the condition of the dog, based on your assumptions. The clinic should make a diagnosis, identify the causes of the disease. Only after that a decision on the course of therapy is made.

The main method is treatment with diuretics. In addition, almost all s alt is removed from the dog's diet. To improve the quality of life of the animal, the use of oxygen masks is prescribed.

It is very important to notice the symptoms of cardiac asthma in a dog in time. The treatment of an animal directly depends on how attentive the owner is to the well-being of his pet. Often the prognosis of veterinarians with such a disease is favorable. If the disease is advanced, treatment will take a lot of time and effort.

The main requirement for the owner of a sick dog is careful monitoring of clinical signs, as their rapid development can lead to death. Incorrect or interrupted treatment contributes to the transition of the disease into a chronic form. During therapy, the dog should not deviate fromyour usual way of life.