[Cagdu] FW: Pneumonia in Pets

[Tina Thomas]

Subject: Pneumonia in Pets

Pneumonia in Pets

 

January 28, 2013

 

By Dr. Becker

 

Not long ago I did a video about

 

aspiration pneumonia

 

, also called inhalation pneumonia, which can result when an animal, more
commonly

 

a dog, inhales solid or liquid foreign material into the lungs, creating an
inflammatory

 

condition that results in a lung infection.

 

This week I'd like to discuss two other types of pneumonia in pets,
bacterial pneumonia

 

and fungal pneumonia.

 

Bacterial Pneumonia

 

Bacterial pneumonia is inflammation characterized by cells and fluid that
accumulate

 

in the lungs, airways, and alveoli. The cause, as you might expect, is
pathogenic

 

bacteria. The condition is more often seen in dogs than cats and is more
prevalent

 

in sporting dogs, hounds, and large mixed-breed dogs.

 

No single type of pathogen is responsible for bacterial pneumonia, though
there are

 

some organisms more frequently seen than others in both dogs and cats. In
dogs, Bordetella

 

bronchiseptica and Streptococcus zooepidemicus are usually the culprits.

 

In cats, it's Bordetella bronchiseptica, Pasteurella, and Moraxella that are
more

 

commonly cultured. But other organisms, including anaerobic bacteria, can
also cause

 

infection.

 

Conditions that seem to predispose some pets to bacterial pneumonia include
a preexisting

 

viral infection, problems swallowing, regurgitation, and metabolic
disorders.

 

Symptoms of bacterial pneumonia include cough, fever, breathing difficulties
- including

 

rapid breathing - loss of appetite, weight loss, lethargy, a nasal
discharge, dehydration,

 

and exercise intolerance.

 

When your vet listens to your pet's lungs with a stethoscope, he may hear
abnormal

 

breathing sounds known as crackles (which are short, snapping sounds), as
well as

 

some whistling or maybe even wheezing.

 

If your vet suspects bacterial pneumonia, he may perform a transtracheal
wash to

 

obtain material from the lining of the trachea for analysis, including
cytology and

 

a culture and sensitivity test. X-rays of the chest and lungs may also be
ordered

 

along with a blood test to check for systemic infection.

 

Antibiotic therapy will be needed in confirmed cases of bacterial pneumonia.
The

 

proper medication can be selected from the results of the bacterial
cultures. If

 

there are other symptoms like loss of appetite, those will also need to be
addressed.

 

Pets in respiratory distress may need oxygen therapy. IV fluids are also
sometimes

 

ordered to either treat or prevent dehydration.

 

While he recovers, your pet will need plenty of rest. Exercise should be
limited

 

to physiotherapy and activities to help clear the lungs and airways.

 

Even though your pet will need lots of rest, you must ensure she doesn't lie
in one

 

position too long to allow fluid buildup on one side of the lungs or the
other. You

 

should encourage her to change positions often while she's resting.

 

During the recovery period, I recommend supportive therapies, including
antioxidants

 

-- specifically vitamin C and N-acetylcysteine -- as well as lung-specific
nutraceuticals.

 

Many pets have a full recovery from bacterial pneumonia when treated
appropriately

 

and promptly. Most deaths from pneumonia result from secondary
complications, including

 

hypoxemia (severely low levels of oxygen in the blood) and sepsis, which
occurs when

 

a localized lung infection spreads throughout the body.

 

Fungal Pneumonia

 

Fungal pneumonia is a whole different beast. This lung infection is a result
of a

 

deep fungal infection, sometimes called a mycotic infection. The
inflammation caused

 

by this type of infection can develop in the interstitial tissues, the
lymphatic

 

vessels, or in the peribronchial tissues of the lungs.

 

Like bacterial pneumonia, fungal pneumonia is more commonly seen in dogs
than cats.

 

Some breeds are more susceptible than others. For example, the German
Shepherd. Male

 

dogs are two to four times more likely to acquire this type of pneumonia
than female

 

dogs.

 

There are several types of fungi that can cause lung fungal infections,
including

 

Blastomyces, Histoplasma, and Aspergillus. Exposure to infection-causing
fungi can

 

happen through contact with soil that's rich in organic matter, bird
droppings, or

 

feces.

 

The method of contraction depends on the type of fungus. For example, some
fungi

 

enter the body through inhalation via the mouth and others enter through the
nasal

 

cavity.

 

Symptoms of fungal pneumonia include loss of appetite, weight loss, fever,
runny

 

eyes or a runny nose, coughing, difficulty breathing, eye problems, and
sometimes

 

lameness. Your vet may also hear abnormal lung sounds during an examination,
but

 

oddly, often a fungal infection will first present as an eye or skin
problem.

 

The only way to definitively diagnose fungal pneumonia is to analyze the
fluid collected

 

on a transtracheal wash. If there are skin lesions present, performing a
fine needle

 

aspirate, lumpectomy, or biopsy of an enlarged lymph node can also yield the
diagnosis

 

of fungal infection. Other tests your vet may want to run include a
urinalysis, X-rays

 

of the chest and lungs, a fungal PCR assay, and an abdominal ultrasound.

 

Sadly, many dogs and an even greater percentage of cats are unresponsive to
fungal

 

pneumonia medication. In addition, treatment is very expensive and can last
for two

 

to six months or sometimes longer. The exact treatment depends on the type
of fungus

 

that has caused the infection.

 

Because fungal pneumonia can develop from dogs sniffing around in the wrong
place

 

at the wrong time and inhaling a whopping dose of fungi from the
environment, discouraging

 

dogs from digging at organic debris can help reduce the risk of acquiring
fungal

 

infections.

_______________________________________________

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