Pneumonia in dogs: symptoms, causes, prevention and treatment

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

Pneumonia is common in dogs. Dogs of all ages and breeds are susceptible to the disease, but most often it appears in hunting dogs. Pneumonia is an inflammatory process that occurs in the lungs, it is dangerous to the he alth of the animal. If you start the disease, it can cause death. We offer to consider the causes and symptoms of pneumonia in dogs. The article also describes methods of treatment and prevention of a dangerous disease.

Character of pneumonia

According to the nature of the spread of pneumonia in dogs, like people, is divided into two types:

1. Lobar - focal or lobular pneumonia. The inflammatory process in this case spreads very quickly, covering the entire lung of the animal or its separate part.
2. Lobular - lobular or patchy, spreads less quickly, easier to treat.

Besidesnature, pneumonia is also divided into types, which we will consider in more detail.

Post-operative pneumonia in dogs

In surgery, this is the most common complication, occurring in about half of the cases. The lethal outcome with this type of pneumonia in dogs is 15%.

The disease after surgery develops due to infections (viral pneumonia) entering the respiratory tract, including:

• candida;
• proteus;
• staphylococci;
• pseudomonas;
• enterobacter;
• escherichia;
• Klebsiella.

This type of pneumonia is difficult to treat, as harmful microorganisms become resistant to antibiotics. Therefore, it is better to take preventive measures than to undergo complex and lengthy therapy later.

Pneumonia can develop after surgery in the following cases:

• the animal is in a lying position for a long time;
• postoperative care was not followed (immediately sent to guard the yard and so on).

Puppies and older dogs suffer the most from this type of pneumonia.

Aspiration pneumonia in dogs

This type of disease is bacterial, occurs as a result of exposure to lung tissue of foreign objects or fluids. When considering such pneumonia, it is not worth talking separately about aspiration pneumonia in adult dogs and puppies, since the causes of occurrence are practically the same.

Foreign particles and liquids into the lungs of the animalcan get in any way. Most often this kind of pneumonia affects old dogs and puppies. Older animals often have trouble swallowing and pieces of food can be inhaled. As for puppies, their mother's milk or bits of solid food can get into their lungs when they are just learning to feed on their own.

Symptoms of this pneumonia are:

• bad breath with delays;
• first dry cough, then foamy sputum.

These symptoms should not be ignored, you need to contact your 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:

1. Viral. It develops as a complication after diseases: distemper, chlamydia, adenovirus, mycoplasmosis. Viral pneumonia also develops after operations, as described above.
2. Bacterial pneumonia occurs not only due to foreign particles entering the respiratory tract, but also after bronchotracheitis.
3. Toxoplasmosis - protozoal pneumonia.
4. Fungal - occurs due to fungi that cause the development of cryptococcosis.
5. Parasitic - this type of disease affects dogs infected with worms. Larvae and adult worms can enter the lung tissue.

Reason for development

An animal with good immunityvery well copes with bacteria and viruses that have entered the body. As soon as the immune system weakens a little, pathogens begin to become active, penetrate into the lung tissue and cause pneumonia in dogs. The reasons for the decrease in immunity can be:

1. Sudden temperature changes, especially in the winter, when it's warm at home and it's cold outside. Walks in cold weather should be kept short, especially with shorthaired breeds.
2. Wrong conditions for keeping a dog - drafts, dampness. Even if the dog is a yard dog, he should have an insulated booth and warm, dry bedding that needs to be changed regularly.
3. Malnutrition. The dog's diet should contain 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 it with professional food, then choose premium ones.
4. Tissue injury in the chest area.
5. Contact with already infected animals.
6. Weak immunity from birth.
7. Metabolism disorder. Diseases such as uremia and diabetes can also cause it.
8. Some drugs can weaken the immune system.
9. Chronic sinusitis, infectious tracheobronchitis, tonsillitis and pharyngitis.

Stages of development of pneumonia

Regardless of the type of pneumonia and its causes, the disease develops in three stages:

1. The first stage lasts an average of 5 days. At the same time, the well-being and behavior of the dogsatisfactory, many owners believe that the pet is prone to mild illness.
2. The second stage lasts about 10 days, with all the symptoms of pneumonia on the face.
3. The third stage lasts differently. At this stage, the animal is either recovering or dying due to irreversible changes in 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 both chronic and acute, mild, moderate and severe. Animals most often suffer from acute pneumonia, which can be caused by the following factors:

• hypothermia;
• burn when inhaling hot steam or toxic substances;
• pulmonary edema;
• filling the airways with water (often happens when bathing), blood (may happen with an injury in the chest area);
• chest or airway injury.

Symptomatics

Pneumonia in dogs is always accompanied by the following symptoms:

1. The dog begins to cough strongly and loudly. In this case, the animal experiences severe pain, as evidenced by whining, the release of tears. In the future, the cough becomes softer and deaf, so many dog breeders think that the animal is on the mend, but this is not at all the case - pneumonia has developed greatly.
2. The dog's body temperature is getting high. Because of the heat, the animalwill be very thirsty, drink a lot of water and greedily, refuse food.
3. Fever. At this time, the dog is trembling, shaking. The reason is a sharp change in high temperature to normal, and vice versa.
4. The pulse becomes more frequent, tachycardia appears.
5. Showing all the signs of dehydration - dry nose, coated tongue, exhaustion.
6. Breathing is difficult, shortness of breath appears. In this case, the dog will walk with his tongue hanging out, and the visible parts of the mucosa can be assessed by a change in color - with pneumonia they are bluish in color.
7. The dog does not lie down on the side of the diseased lung.
8. When the dog breathes, wheezing is heard.

You can not let the disease take its course! When the first symptoms appear, it is necessary to urgently visit a veterinary clinic for diagnosis and treatment. Do not self-medicate an animal!

Disease diagnosis

The veterinarian makes a diagnosis not only on the basis of the 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 there is little hemoglobin and red blood cells, then this indicates pneumonia in the dog. X-ray is a mandatory picture in case of illness, darkening will be noticeable on it - foci of inflammation.

To exclude or confirm parasitic pneumonia, you will need to take a stool test 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 done in an inpatient veterinary clinic. If this is not possible, then the therapy is carried out at home, but under the strict supervision of a veterinarian. 14 days are allotted for the treatment of pneumonia in dogs at home, as well as in a hospital.

The first thing the doctor will advise is a diet to increase immunity, foods should be rich in proteins and carbohydrates.

Before antibiotics can be prescribed, the clinic laboratory must isolate the micro-organisms that lead to pneumonia from sputum from the animal's lungs. Next, an analysis is made of the reaction of microorganisms to drugs, thus identifying the drugs that are most suitable for treatment.

Broad-spectrum antibiotics are suitable for the treatment of aspiration pneumonia in dogs, as well as other bacterial and infectious diseases:

• "Ampicillin";
• "Amoxiclav";
• "Amoxicillin";
• "Solutab";
• "Gentamicin";
• "Cefotaxime" and "Ceftriaxone";
• "Vilprafen";
• "Sumamed";
• "Gentamicin";
• "Doxycilin".

This list is not complete, the doctor may prescribe a different 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 orto gram-negative).

Traditional antibiotics are used to treat chlamydial and myroplasmic pneumonia. The veterinarian may prescribe:

• "Ciprofloxacin";
• "Sumamed";
• "Doxycycline";
• "Ofloxacin" and so on.

If worms are found in the dog's body, it will be necessary to get rid of them during therapy. Only a veterinarian will prescribe drugs for parasites, you should not buy the first drops that come across at the zoo.

The course of antibiotics is at least 10 days for mild illness. If pneumonia is caused by chlamydia and mycoplasmas, then even in a mild stage, antibiotics will need to be used for at least a month.

Also, the animal will be prescribed physiotherapy and oxygen for severe pneumonia.

Not only during illness, but also at the first signs of recovery, you can not take your pet for a walk, as this can cause a relapse, complications.

Prevention

To prevent the development of pneumonia in an animal, the following measures should be taken:

• balanced nutrition;
• no contact with sick animals;
• treating even a mild cold in a dog;
• vitamins and minerals should be present in the diet daily;
• washing and drying bedding;
• booth insulation;
• short walks in the rainy seasons and winter.

By following these simple rules, you will protect yourpet from a terrible disease.