Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Breathing pattern changes in dogs with severe bronchomalacia
By Lin, Chung-Hui et al.·Published in The veterinary quarterly·2023·National Taiwan University Veterinary Hospital·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Quantifiable features of a tidal breathing phenotype in dogs with severe bronchomalacia diagnosed by bronchoscopy.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old Bulldog was brought in for coughing and difficulty breathing, which led to a diagnosis of severe bronchomalacia, a condition where the airways collapse. Tests showed that this dog had abnormal breathing patterns compared to healthy dogs, including a longer time to exhale and reduced airflow. The findings suggest that dogs with severe bronchomalacia have complex breathing issues that could help track the disease's progression and response to treatment. Treatment options may include medications to manage symptoms and improve airflow.
People also search for: dog coughing and breathing problems · Bulldog bronchomalacia treatment · severe bronchomalacia in dogs
Abstract
Dynamic lower airway obstruction is the primary component of canine bronchomalacia, but the ventilatory function remains underinvestigated. This prospective study analyzed tidal breathing characteristics in 28 dogs, comprising 14 with severe bronchomalacia diagnosed by bronchoscopy versus 14 without respiratory disease. Spirometry was conducted in all dogs. Bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage or brush under anesthesia was performed in 14 dogs with cough and expiratory effort. Severe bronchomalacia was defined by the severity of collapse and total number of bronchi affected. Ventilatory characteristics were compared between groups. Results revealed that dogs with severe bronchomalacia had lower minute volume (218 vs 338 mL/kg,= .039) and greater expiratory-to-inspiratory time ratio (1.55 vs 1.35,= .01) compared to control dogs. The tidal breathing pattern of dogs with bronchomalacia was different from that of normal dogs, and the pattern differed from the concave or flat expiratory curves typical of lower airway obstruction. Compared to control dogs, dogs with severe bronchomalacia had a significantly prolonged low-flow expiratory phase (< .001) on the flow-time plot and a more exponential shape of the expiratory curve (< .001) on the volume-time plot. Flow-time index ExpLF/Te (>0.14) and volume-time index Vt-AUCexp (≤31%) had a high ROC-AUC (1.00, 95% confidence interval 0.88 to 1.00) in predicting severe bronchomalacia. In conclusion, the tidal breathing pattern identified here indicates abnormal and complicated ventilatory mechanics in dogs with severe bronchomalacia. The role of this pulmonary functional phenotype should be investigated for disease progression and therapeutic monitoring in canine bronchomalacia.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37616027/