Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Airway swallowing problems and signs in 100 dogs studied by X-ray
By Grobman, Megan et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2022·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Incidence, clinical signs, and videofluoroscopic swallow study abnormalities associated with airway penetration and aspiration in 100 dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that 39% of 100 dogs showed signs of airway penetration and aspiration during swallowing tests, which can lead to lung injury. Many of these dogs did not show any obvious respiratory symptoms, making it hard for owners to notice the problem. Dogs with weakness in their throat muscles and those experiencing reflux were more likely to have these issues. If your dog has trouble swallowing or shows signs of coughing or choking while eating, it’s important to discuss these symptoms with your veterinarian, especially if they have a history of throat weakness or reflux.
People also search for: dog swallowing problems · dog coughing while eating · dog aspiration pneumonia symptoms
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Videofluoroscopic swallow studies (VFSS) utilizing penetration-aspiration (P-A) scoring assesses airway protection in people. On VFSS, penetration (ingesta or secretions immediately cranial to the vocal folds) and aspiration (material caudal to the vocal folds) are associated with increased risk of lung injury in people. Penetration-aspiration (P-A) scoring has been validated in animal models, but the incidence of P-A, clinical signs (CS), and dysphagic disorders associated with P-A in dogs are unknown. OBJECTIVES: Using VFSS, identify the incidence of P-A, compare CS between dogs with and without P-A, and identify predisposing dysphagic abnormalities for P-A. ANIMALS: One hundred client-owned dogs. METHODS: Sequential VFSS and associated medical records from dogs presenting to the veterinary teaching hospitals at Auburn University (n = 53) and the University of Missouri (n = 47) were retrospectively reviewed. Statistical comparisons were made using Mann-Whitney tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) on ranks, multiple linear regression, and Spearman rank order correlation (P < .05). RESULTS: On VFSS, the incidence of pathologic P-A was 39%. No significant differences in CS were found between dogs with or without P-A (P > .05), with 14/39 dogs with P-A presenting without respiratory CS. Pharyngeal (P < .001) and esophageal (P = .009), but not oral-preparatory (P = .2) dysphagia was more common with P-A. Pharyngeal weakness (P < .001) and esophago-oropharyngeal reflux (EOR; P = .05) were independent predictors of P-A and were moderately and weakly positively correlated with P-A score respectively (P < .001, r = 0.489; P = .04, r = 0.201). CONCLUSIONS: Penetration-aspiration occurs in dogs in the absence of respiratory CS (i.e., occult P-A). Dogs with pharyngeal weakness and EOR should be considered at risk for P-A.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36259261/