Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Ultrasound and X-ray help diagnose asthma and bronchitis in dogs
By Łobaczewski, A et al.·Published in Polish journal of veterinary sciences·2022·Veterinary Clinic Auxilium, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Integrated basic lung and heart ultrasound with X-ray (TUSX) for the diagnosis of asthma, chronic bronchitis and laryngeal paralysis, and treatment with inhaled fluticasone using home-made mask in dogs and cats.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 55 dogs and cats with ongoing breathing problems, like coughing and noisy breathing, were diagnosed with asthma, chronic bronchitis, or laryngeal paralysis using a combination of lung and heart ultrasound and chest X-rays. They were treated with inhaled fluticasone using either commercial spacers or a homemade mask. Most pet owners reported significant relief from symptoms, with 72% seeing complete improvement and 19% noting considerable progress. This approach not only helped many pets feel better but also suggests that this diagnostic method and treatment could be beneficial for other animals with similar issues.
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Abstract
Basic lung and heart ultrasound examination combined with chest X-ray (TUSX) is currently considered to be very useful for differentiation of asthma, chronic bronchitis and laryngeal paralysis from other diseases with dyspnea/coughing. Among 252 client-owned animals with persistent dyspnea/cough/noisy breathing, in 197 of them: pulmonary edema, pneumonia, lung cancer, free pleural fluid, pneumothorax, lung contusion or heart disease were diagnosed. The remaining 55 animals (42 dogs and 13 cats) were diagnosed with asthma (in 13 cats), chronic bronchitis (in 37 dogs) and laryngeal paralysis (in 5 dogs) using TUSX. These animals were qualified for inhaled fluticasone treatment using 3 types of spacers - two commercial and a home- -made mask. 36 animals (65.5%) completed the trail. In 26 of them (72.2%) the owners observed complete, long lasting relief of the symptoms, and the owners of 7 animals (19.5%) declared a considerable clinical improvement, regardless of the type of spacer used. The owners of 3 animals (8.3%) did not see any improvement. The proposed diagnostic and therapeutic management improved long-term clinical status of the vast majority (91.7%) of animals. Therefore, it seems justified to include the TUSX diagnostic protocol in daily veterinary practice and to encourage owners to prepare home-made face masks for inhaled fluticasone treatment.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35861997/