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Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

Chronic lung fibrosis causing breathing trouble in five dogs

By Lobetti, R G et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2001·Department of Companion Animal Medicine·View original on PubMed

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Original publication title: Chronic idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in five dogs.

Species:
dog
Breathing & coughDogs

Plain-English summary

Five dogs were brought to the vet because they were having trouble breathing, were easily tired, and had unusual sounds when they inhaled. X-rays showed serious lung changes, and further tests revealed thickened lung tissue and scarring. The dogs were diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a long-term lung disease that causes inflammation and scarring in the lungs. Unfortunately, this condition is not well understood in dogs, and treatment options are limited, focusing mainly on managing symptoms rather than curing the disease.

People also search for: dog breathing problems · idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in dogs · chronic cough in dogs treatment

Abstract

Five dogs presented with chronic and progressive pulmonary illness characterized by progressive dyspnea, exercise intolerance, and significant inspiratory crackles on auscultation. Radiographically, there was a widespread and diffuse interstitial lung pattern with varying degrees of bronchial involvement. Histopathological changes included thickened alveolar septa, interstitial fibrosis, and pneumocyte hyperplasia. Based on the clinical, radiographic, and histopathological changes, a diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis was made. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a chronic disease characterized by inflammation and fibrosis of the pulmonary interstitium and peripheral airspaces, which has been poorly characterized in the dog.

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Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11300517/