Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Chronic cough in dogs linked to tobacco smoke exposure and history
By Hawkins, E C et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2010·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Demographic and historical findings, including exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, in dogs with chronic cough.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 115 dogs with a chronic cough lasting over two months was studied to find out what might be causing their symptoms. Most of these dogs were diagnosed with large airway disease, particularly tracheobronchomalacia (TBM), which was common in toy breeds. Factors like older age and smaller size were linked to a higher risk of coughing, but exposure to environmental tobacco smoke did not appear to be a significant factor. Understanding these associations can help veterinarians diagnose and treat coughing in dogs more effectively.
People also search for: dog chronic cough treatment · toy breed cough symptoms · tracheobronchomalacia in dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Controlled studies investigating risk factors for the common presenting problem of chronic cough in dogs are lacking. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: To identify demographic and historical factors associated with chronic cough in dogs, and associations between the characteristics of cough and diagnosis. ANIMALS: Dogs were patients of an academic internal medicine referral service. Coughing dogs had a duration of cough>or=2 months (n=115). Control dogs had presenting problems other than cough (n=104). METHODS: Owners completed written questionnaires. Demographic information and diagnoses were obtained from medical records. Demographic and historical data were compared between coughing and control dogs. Demographic data and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) also were compared with hospital accessions and adult smoking rates, respectively. Characteristics of cough were compared among diagnoses. RESULTS: Most coughing dogs had a diagnosis of large airway disease (n=88; 77%). Tracheobronchomalacia (TBM) was diagnosed in 59 dogs (51%), including 79% of toy breed dogs. Demographic risk factors included older age, smaller body weight, and being toy breed (P<.001). No association was found between coughing and month (P=.239) or season (P=.414) of presentation. Exposure to ETS was not confirmed to be a risk factor (P=.243). No historical description of cough was unique to a particular diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Associations with age, size, and toy breeds were strong. TBM is frequent in dogs with chronic cough, but descriptions of cough should be used cautiously in prioritizing differential diagnoses. The association between exposure to ETS and chronic cough deserves additional study.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20492480/