Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Treatment of recurrent hunting-associated respiratory distress episodes in 2 dogs.
- Journal:
- Journal of veterinary internal medicine
- Year:
- 2023
- Authors:
- Dumont, Renaud et al.
- Affiliation:
- Internal Medicine Unit · France
Plain-English summary
Two hunting dogs were having trouble breathing during and after their hunting activities. They were diagnosed with a rare condition called noncardiogenic pulmonary edema (NCPE), which means their lungs were filling with fluid not caused by heart issues. To treat them, the vets used medications that block certain signals in the body, but this worked for only one dog. The first dog stopped having breathing problems while hunting, but the second dog continued to struggle. After further tests, the vets found a lot of red blood cells in the second dog's lung fluid, suggesting a different issue related to exercise. They then treated this dog with a medication called furosemide, which successfully prevented more breathing problems during hunting.
Abstract
Noncardiogenic pulmonary edema (NCPE) in hunting dogs is an uncommon and poorly described condition for which no preventive treatment is available. Two dogs were presented for recurrent respiratory distress strictly associated with hunting activities. Diagnosis was based on bilateral, symmetrical, interstitial-to-alveolar pattern in the caudodorsal lung fields on thoracic radiographs, exclusion of other causes, and spontaneous clinical and radiographic improvement. Considering that the pathogenesis of exercise-induced NCPE likely involves α- and β-adrenergic overstimulation, treatment with sympathetic blockers was used in both dogs. The first dog no longer showed respiratory signs during hunting activities. However, treatment failed to prevent respiratory distress in the other dog. Based on the large number of red blood cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of the second dog, exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage was suspected, as described in racing horses. The loop diuretic furosemide successfully prevented further hunting-associated respiratory distress episodes in this dog.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37878243/