Pulmonary edema in a dog is a serious pathological condition in which there is a direct threat to its life. It is very important that the owner knows what his symptoms are, can provide first aid to his pet and take him to the veterinary clinic without delay. How much time passes from the onset of the attack will determine whether it can be cured and whether the further life expectancy will be long.
Pulmonary edema in a dog
Pulmonary edema is a pathological condition in dogs, characterized by an increase in the amount of fluid in the lung tissue due to unequal pressure in the pulmonary capillaries and fluid leakage through the vessels. The disease is practically not diagnosed as primary, but is a consequence of various abnormal processes or diseases occurring in the animal’s body.
Prevention
Preventative measures include: medical management of dogs with heart disease and minimizing non-cardiogenic causes of edema.
How to reduce the risk of pulmonary edema
- Be attentive to your pet. Especially for dogs with heart disease. Keep all necessary first aid supplies in your first aid kit.
- Keep all medications, poisons, hazardous chemicals, and household chemicals out of reach.
- Do not grow poisonous plants in your home or garden.
- Provide the animal with protection from electric shock.
- Minimize stress.
- Provide the animal with adequate nutrition and proper water regime.
- Follow your vaccination schedule.
- Be attentive and careful when walking your dog. Avoid injuries and encounters with poisonous snakes.
- Make sure you create a safe home environment for your pet.
- Visit your veterinarian regularly for routine checkups.
Of course, you cannot completely protect your dog from the occurrence of this dangerous condition, but you can significantly reduce the risk of its occurrence!
Video:
Scheme of the respiratory process
If you look at the breathing apparatus schematically, you can imagine it as:
- Trachea.
- Main bronchi (two).
- Bronchioles.
- Lungs (right and left lobes).
Negative pressure is constantly maintained in the chest cavity; it is completely sealed relative to the external environment. Only thanks to this pressure are the dog’s lungs in an expanded state, functioning normally and not collapsing.
The breathing process involves alveoli, a bubble or a cluster of bubbles, with a thin wall; they are small structural units. It is in them that the main thing occurs - gas exchange between atmospheric air and blood, while oxygen is sent into the body to the tissues and organs, and carbon dioxide, formed during the process of tissue respiration, comes out.
Why does pulmonary edema develop: reasons
The mechanism of edema development is a complex, multifactorial process that can be presented in the form of three variations:
- Hydrostatic edema is diagnosed when there is an increase in blood pressure in the vessels of the lung. The capillaries become permeable, liquid sweats out through their wall and begins to accumulate in the alveoli.
- With membranous edema, toxic substances become provoking factors; under their influence, the integrity of the alveolar wall and capillaries is disrupted.
- The presence of a small amount of protein fractions in the blood leads to blood thinning; the liquid part is poorly retained in the bloodstream and sweats out through the vessels.
Edema is an acute pathology; the rate of fluid accumulation in the lungs usually occurs very quickly. But, for example, in chronic renal failure, edema is presented as a long-term (chronic) process and depends on the rate of progression of the underlying disease.
Important! The danger of edema, regardless of the cause, is a disruption of the functioning of the lung tissue, a decrease in its area and a decrease in the rate and quality of gas exchange. The dog develops oxygen starvation, hypoxemia, and a lack of O2 in the cells. In turn, all tissues and organs suffer; acute hypoxia is dangerous, first of all, for the heart and brain.
Causes
In fact, there are many causes of pulmonary edema - they are different for different diseases. Let us name, for example, a few general prerequisites:
- cardiosclerosis after a heart attack, acute myocardial infarction;
- hypertension, arrhythmia;
- heart failure;
- congenital or acquired heart defects;
- chronic bronchitis, lobar pneumonia, bronchial asthma;
- complications due to ARVI, measles, influenza, scarlet fever, whooping cough and other diseases;
- prematurity in newborns;
- serious kidney problems;
- traumatic brain injury, brain surgery, etc.;
- inhalation of toxic substances.
These and many other reasons are not direct factors contributing to the development of pulmonary edema. But against the background of such conditions, it can develop, which is necessarily taken into account during hospitalization with all of the above.
Clinical symptoms
Difficulty breathing is the most obvious and main symptom indicating that a dog is developing pulmonary edema. She begins to breathe frequently, and as the pathological process progresses, coughing, wheezing, and foamy discharge from the nostrils and mouth appear.
Normally, a dog breathes through its mouth only after physical exertion, in the heat or when excited. With swelling, this becomes a permanent symptom. The pet stops playing, becomes inactive, and does not respond to external stimuli.
During the examination, you can notice clear signs of hypoxia, insufficient oxygen supply to tissues. Poor ventilation of the lungs is characterized by cyanosis of the conjunctiva and mucous membranes, they become pale, with a bluish tint.
When does swelling develop?
Edema, in fact, is a decompensated condition that develops when the vital forces of the animal’s body are “at zero” and the body is unable to maintain homeostasis. There are mechanisms inside the body that can accelerate the development of the pathological process, putting the pet’s survival on the brink or, conversely, stopping it.
Causes and conditions that may cause pulmonary edema:
- Cardiorenal failure.
- Intoxication of the body.
- The presence of neoplasms of various localization and genesis.
- Infectious diseases.
- Anaphylactic shock.
- Foreign objects that have entered the lungs.
- Choking (fluid entering the lungs).
If a dog is diagnosed with at least one of the listed conditions, the owner should closely monitor the pet. And, if characteristic symptoms develop or difficulty breathing occurs, quickly seek help from a veterinarian.
How to correctly diagnose edema?
A complete examination of the animal is mandatory. It includes:
- Ultrasound of the chest and abdominal cavity.
- X-ray.
- Tonometry.
- Auscultation (listening).
- Study of blood gas composition.
In addition, general blood and urine tests are taken to fully understand what pathological processes are developing in the dog’s body. Whether or not there are hidden diseases that could cause the development of edema.
Thoracentesis, exploratory puncture, or pleural puncture is indicated. This way you can accurately say whether or not there is free fluid in the lungs.
An anamnesis (medical history) is collected, when the owner must remember exactly what preceded the deterioration of the pet’s condition, whether there were injuries or not, the effects of harmful substances (gases), etc.
Important! The more extensive the examination, the easier it will be to say what exactly was the impetus for the development of edema and what measures need to be taken to stop it immediately and prevent it from happening again in the future.
Diagnostics
The final diagnosis is established after studying the history and symptoms, examining the animal and analyzing laboratory tests. The life of the pet depends on the speed of diagnosis.
Diagnostic measures:
- Chest X-ray in several projections.
- Stethoscopy (listening to the lungs).
- Blood chemistry.
- Tapping the chest.
- Analysis of gas composition and blood clotting.
- Ultrasound of the heart.
- Pleural puncture (puncture).
- Blood pressure measurement.
For successful further treatment, it is important to identify the root cause that caused this condition.
Owner actions
As soon as symptoms of edema appear, you can’t hesitate! Every dog owner should remember this. The breeder has 1-2 hours maximum to quickly deliver the pet to the veterinarian, sometimes this time is reduced to several minutes; it is impossible to predict at what speed the swelling will develop.
Important! It is impossible to stop an attack and remove the condition that caused difficulty breathing at home. It is forbidden to independently administer any drugs, especially “human” ones.
If the development of edema is suspected, the dog is limited in movement, this way it is possible to reduce the consumption of oxygen by the tissues. The animal needs to be calmed down, you can’t panic yourself, the stress is transferred to the pet, and with poor ventilation, the animal’s condition can already be interpreted as stressful.
As quickly as possible, you need to increase the flow of fresh air, let the dog breathe, and open the windows in the car when transporting.
Urgent Care
The immediate care an owner can give a dog with suspected pulmonary edema is to get the animal to a veterinarian's office as soon as possible. This must be done correctly so as not to worsen the patient’s condition. The animal must be carried in a position on its side, so that its airways are not compressed.
You should remove accumulated foam in a timely manner so that it does not interfere with breathing. It is recommended to ventilate the car interior during the trip. You need to try to calm the animal.
Treatment for pulmonary edema
The pet is immediately placed in an oxygen box or a mask is put on its face. This is necessary to eliminate the lack of oxygen in the body and stop the development of hypoxia.
If the situation is critical and the dog is practically suffocating, tracheal intubation is performed, a tube is inserted into it and passive ventilation is performed.
If there is a large accumulation of fluid in the lungs, it is removed forcibly. Prescribed drugs that support the functioning of the cardiovascular system and stabilize breathing. When the cause that triggered the development of edema is identified, it is eliminated.
Prognosis for the disease
With pulmonary edema, the functioning of the heart is disrupted, and acute heart failure develops. The liver, kidneys, brain, adrenal glands, etc. suffer from a lack of oxygen. That is, a failure in the functioning of the body at one point (the lungs) starts a chain reaction and all organs and tissues of the body begin to suffer from oxygen starvation.
If veterinarians do not intervene in a timely manner, irreversible conditions may develop that lead to the death of the pet, even despite treatment measures.
Can be:
- Atelectasis (collapsed lungs).
- Sclerosis (when the healthy part of the lung is replaced by connective tissue structures).
- Pneumonia, septicemia or emphysema.
It is very difficult to save a dog in the acute phase of edema; the functioning of the atria and ventricles is disrupted, cardiogenic shock develops, and airway obstruction is possible. The death of the pet occurs in 100% of cases.
With timely treatment, a relatively stable prognosis can be given for toxic pulmonary edema.
Important! The breeder should not expect that “everything will go away on its own.” The severity of the symptoms will only increase, and this, without treatment, is a certain death.
Dog help and treatment
In case of pulmonary edema, help should be provided to the dog immediately. The animal is placed in a cool room with good ventilation. The choice of therapeutic assistance depends on the etiology of the edema, but first of all, resuscitation and compensatory measures are carried out - calcium and glucose preparations are infused intravenously.
Treatment regimen for cardiogenic pulmonary edema:
- oxygen therapy to relieve hypoxia;
- sedation and limitation of mobility;
- decreased pulmonary circulation – furosemide;
- stimulation of cardiac activity - sulfocamphocaine, dobutamine and vetmedin;
- elimination of rapid breathing and shortness of breath with intravenous lidocaine;
- artificial ventilation;
- monitoring the condition of internal organs and systems.
Edema of non-cardiac origin in most cases resolves once the cause is eliminated. Also popular is the technique of maintaining cardiac and pulmonary function - relief of pathological symptoms leads to recovery. But the use of corticosteroids is not always effective - removing the inflammatory reaction without other measures does not allow the body to recover.
To stabilize the dog's condition and eliminate hypoxia, it is necessary to artificially supply oxygen. They resort to ventilation and tracheotomy. Oxygen can also be given in small doses intravenously. Artificial ventilation leads to filling of the alveoli, increasing the pulmonary surface, but for this it is necessary to create a pressure above 20 cm of water column. But you should not use pure oxygen for ventilation - at the beginning of the pathology, its content in the gas shift is 50%, and then gradually reduced. Prolonged saturation of the lungs with oxygen leads to poisoning.
Along with pulmonary edema, dehydration and decreased blood volume are often observed. But intravenous infusions of plasma substitutes should be used with caution - this may cause increased fluid effusion into the lung tissue. Both crystalline and colloidal solutions lead to increased permeability, so intravenous injections should be used only in emergency cases. It is better to give dogs blood transfusions instead of plasma substitutes - this will normalize blood volume and reduce oxygen starvation .
To maintain cardiac activity, dogs are prescribed:
- caffeine benzoate 20% solution;
- cordiamine;
- sulfocamphocaine;
- aminophylline.
The use of diuretics in most cases improves the condition of the animal - excess fluid is removed. But you should be careful, since with severe signs of dehydration, diuretics can greatly worsen the animal’s condition. Dogs are prescribed veroshpiron, diacarb, furosemide.
Pulmonary edema is often associated with an allergic reaction or it is aggravated by hypersensitivity to various factors. To relieve allergies, diphenhydramine, tavegil, and suprastin are used. In severe cases, glucocorticoid drugs are prescribed, but it should be understood that they are not treatment in themselves, but only complement the main therapy.
