Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Extraesophageal reflux and aspiration in dogs with and without lung
By Kouki, Sirkku et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2023·Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Extraesophageal reflux and reflux aspiration in dogs with respiratory diseases and in healthy dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs, including West Highland White Terriers with respiratory diseases like idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, were tested for extraesophageal reflux (EER), which can lead to breathing problems. Researchers found that these dogs had higher levels of bile acids in their saliva and lung fluid compared to healthy dogs, indicating that EER can happen in both sick and healthy dogs. This suggests that if your dog has respiratory issues, it might be worth discussing the possibility of EER with your veterinarian, as it could be contributing to their symptoms.
People also search for: dog breathing problems · West Highland White Terrier respiratory disease · extraesophageal reflux in dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Salivary bile acids are used to diagnose extraesophageal reflux (EER) and to evaluate the risk of reflux aspiration that is associated with respiratory diseases in dogs. OBJECTIVES: To study total bile acid (TBA) concentrations in saliva and in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) to investigate EER and reflux aspiration in dogs with respiratory diseases and in healthy dogs. ANIMALS:  Thirty-one West Highland White Terriers (WHWTs) with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), 12 dogs with inflammatory airway disease (IAD), 6 dogs with recurrent pneumonia (RP), 26 brachycephalic dogs (BD), 27 healthy WHWTs (HW), 52 healthy dogs (HD). All privately-owned dogs. METHODS: Saliva and BALF were collected from dogs in each group. RESULTS: Salivary TBA concentrations were higher in IPF (median 0.1692 μM, interquartile range [IQR] 0.1115-0.2925 μM, Cohen's d 3.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.2-4.0, P < .001) and BD (0.0256 μM, IQR 0.0086-0.0417 μM, d 0.5, CI -0.1 to 1.1, P = .003) compared to HD (0 μM, IQR not quantifiable [n.q.]-0.0131 μM). Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid TBA concentrations were higher in IPF (0.0117 μM, IQR 0.0048-0.0361 μM, d 0.5, CI 0-1.1, P < .001) compared to HD (0 μM, IQR n.q.-0.0074 μM). CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Extraesophageal reflux and reflux aspiration occur in healthy dogs and those with respiratory diseases.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36655626/