In dogs, asthma is a fairly common and very serious disease. Animals of any age and breed are subject to it, however, asthma is more common in young individuals and middle-aged pets. Poodles are especially prone to this ailment.
Often, owners confuse asthma attacks with the process of expectoration of the coat and do not pay attention to more obvious symptoms, for example, coughing. However, each four-legged pet owner needs to know the symptoms and treatment of asthma in dogs.
There are two types of asthma: bronchial and cardiac. The article will discuss both.
Description of bronchial asthma
A characteristic sign of a dog developing bronchial asthma is prolonged asthma attacks. Most often they arise as a result of a chronic disease with bronchitis. In the vast majority of cases, this disease affects dogs aged 2 to 7 years. According to the number of diseased individuals, poodles are in the lead. In second place are pugs and Maltese lapdogs.
Often, the onset of seizures is associated with exposure to allergens of natural or chemical origin, which are part of most dog foods. The main distinguishing feature of bronchial asthma is a cough, accompanied by intense breathing with pronounced wheezing. Sometimes a dog may feel sick and may begin to have sneezing attacks.
The main danger of this disease is that the dog is not able to independently clear its bronchi of accumulating mucus. The result is the vulnerability of the animal to the development of additional infections.
Causes of the disease
The most common factors affecting the development of bronchial asthma are:
- Sudden changes in living conditions - a change in humidity and temperature.
- Excessive physical exertion - there is a malfunction of the measured respiratory rhythm, which can cause asthma attacks.
- The presence of severe stressful situations - this increases the heart rate, which can lead to a lack of air.
- Damage to the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract caused by inhalation of smoke (including tobacco), chemicals or dust.
- Exposure to infectious or non-infectious allergens.
Very rarely, such a disease can be inherited. In this case, the dog develops edema in the airways and mucus forms in excess, which is manifested by common signs of the disease.
Symptoms of bronchial asthma
The most dangerous symptom of bronchial asthma in dogs is the development of cyanosis, characterized by bluish mucous membranes. This indicates a deficiency of oxygen. The sign is quite dangerous for the life of the pet.
In addition, asthma symptoms in dogs can be as follows:
- The main symptom is a whistle during breathing. Attacks of whistling can last from an hour to several days, so immediately after detecting such a deviation, you should contact your veterinarian.
- The occurrence of allergic symptoms - dry cough, watery eyes, leak from the nose, frequent sneezing.
- Intermittent breathing - short convulsive breaths are replaced by calm exhalations, while wheezing is clearly audible.
- Involuntary urine emission, occurring against the background of abdominal press spasms.
With the onset of an attack, the animal may experience a violation of coordination of movements - the dog begins to widely place its front paws. In addition, she is tormented by intense thirst, which occurs simultaneously with weakness and lack of appetite. The animal begins to open its mouth wide, stretch its neck forward and hump.
The production of adrenaline, which occurs in stressful situations, can stop the attack. If the animal has a cold, it will greatly complicate the detection of asthma symptoms in a dog. In this case, only a qualified veterinarian can diagnose the disease.
Disease development
The development of bronchial asthma in dogs involves three stages:
- Harbingers. This stage can occur at any time - from a minute to several days before the onset of an attack. It is accompanied by abundant discharge from the nose, a sensation of itching in the eyes and on the skin, a prolonged and sharp cough, frequent sneezing, shortness of breath, apathy and lethargy.
- Attack. He is characterized by severe shortness of breath and suffocation. During breaths, the dog can clearly hear wheezing. In this case, the jugular vein swells, the nostrils swell, the mucous membranes turn blue. The dog is hunched over, opening its mouth. During coughing attacks, thick sputum is released, and the pulse is significantly increased.
- The period of reverse development. Its duration depends on the condition of the dog. It can end quickly and without consequences, and can last several days. At this time, the dog weakens, becomes lethargic and breathing heavily.
Diagnostics
Diagnosing asthma in dogs is quite difficult, as an attack can begin at any time. By the time the animal is delivered to the veterinary clinic, its condition can fully stabilize.
In order to determine the causes of the dog’s poor condition with maximum accuracy, many measures are taken:
- Primary data is collected to help determine the severity of the disease, and causes of asthma are identified. For this, a chemical blood test, a general analysis of urine and feces are prescribed.
- An analysis is performed to detect heartworms (if any).
- A chest x-ray is prescribed to detect changes in the lungs.
- A cytological study of swabs from the trachea, bronchi and lungs is performed to detect harmful microorganisms, fungal infections or helminths.
- The dog undergoes tracheoscopy and bronchoscopy in order to study the internal state of these organs.
- With the help of auscultation, the localization of the disease is determined.
- An ultrasound examination of the heart is performed to diagnose disorders in its work.
Carrying out all these diagnostic measures does not guarantee the identification of the cause of asthma in dogs. Symptoms may indicate the development of other diseases not related to asthma. However, proper medical care will allow the dog to live a long and full life.
Therapy
There is no special treatment for asthma in dogs. It is impossible to completely rid the animal of this disease with medicines for dogs, so veterinarians prescribe medications intended for humans. Since there is no special therapy, veterinarians seek to remove or alleviate the symptoms of bronchial asthma in dogs. Treatment is considered successful if the symptoms of the disease do not appear for a sufficiently long time (six months or more).
The veterinarian will be able to choose effective medicines only after finding out the root cause of the disease. Often prescribed drugs completely stop bronchial asthma.
Based on the condition of the animal, the veterinarian may prescribe the following medications for treating asthma in dogs:
- Antihistamines that help to expand the airways and reduce susceptibility to allergens.
- Antibiotics prescribed for secondary infections.
- Bronchodilators, relaxing bronchial walls.
- Steroids that prevent the development of inflammation.
- An oxygen mask used during severe asthma attacks.
The dosage of drugs is selected by the veterinarian taking into account the severity of the condition and age of the dog. To quickly normalize the condition of the animal, suitable vitamins are often selected to help strengthen the immune system and fill the dog's body with minerals. They are part of complex therapy.
Preventative measures
As prophylaxis, veterinarians can prescribe acupuncture and homeopathic preparations that do not cause side effects and complications. Herbs for homeopathy should be selected very carefully, since many of them can cause an asthmatic attack. The correct selection makes it possible to reduce the number of medications taken, consisting of chemical and synthetic compounds.
You should also protect the dog from contact with allergens. Having identified regular shortness of breath at light loads, it is necessary to consult a specialist for advice.
Compliance with preventive measures eliminates the development of the acute phase of the disease, and careful care ensures that there is no risk to the dog's life.
Cardiac asthma
The disease is the insufficient functioning of the left ventricle, resulting in the inability of the heart muscle to pump the necessary amount of blood. In this case, a significant decrease in the contractile function of the myocardium occurs.
Development reasons
Doctors consider acute primary or chronic left ventricular failure to be the main cause of such asthma.
Often, mitral and aortic heart disease (stenosis, insufficiency), which is associated with an obstruction of the outflow of blood, leads to the development of the disease. A large blood clot inside the atrium, or a tumor inside the heart, can disrupt blood flow in the left heart.
In addition, an infectious disease, as well as acute disturbances in the blood circulation of the brain, can cause a dog to develop heart asthma.
How does it manifest
Symptoms of cardiac asthma in dogs are almost the same as in bronchial. But there are some differences:
- There is no clear rhythm in the dog’s breathing.
- The mucous membranes become white with shades of gray.
- Asthmatic attacks most often begin at night, for no reason.
- often this disease develops in dogs in old age.
A dog’s asthma symptom such as an asthmatic attack does not have specific intervals and may not occur for a long time. To develop this disease, the dog does not need to come into contact with any allergens.
Diagnosis of cardiac asthma
In order to properly prescribe therapy, it is necessary to separate the attacks of cardiac asthma from suffocation that occurs during bronchial asthma.
In making an accurate diagnosis, it is very important to evaluate the clinical manifestations of this disease, to study the data obtained as a result of an objective examination and chest x-ray. An electrocardiogram may also be prescribed.
Treatment process
If you notice the symptoms noted above in your pet, treatment of cardiac asthma in dogs should be carried out with medications prescribed by the veterinarian. Relieving the condition of the dog, based on its assumptions, is impossible. The clinic must make a diagnosis, identify the causes of the ailment. Only after that a decision is made about the course of therapy.
The main method is treatment with diuretics. In addition, almost all salt is removed from the dog’s diet. To improve the quality of life of the animal, the use of oxygen masks is prescribed.
It is very important to notice the symptoms of cardiac asthma in the dog on time. Treatment of the animal directly depends on how attentive the owner is to the well-being of his pet. Often, the forecasts of veterinarians with such a disease are favorable. If the disease is neglected, treatment will take a lot of time and effort.
The main requirement for the owner of a sick dog is careful monitoring of clinical signs, as their rapid development can lead to death. Improper or interrupted treatment contributes to the transition of the disease into a chronic form. During therapy, the dog should not deviate from its usual way of life.