Pneumonia in dogs
Pneumonia is a common disease in very young and very old dogs. It is common in also common in dogs that have weak immune system. Pneumonia in dogs results in a severe inflammation of lungs and bronchi. It is important to treat it at early stage as of left untreated then dog may die of pneumonia.
Causes of Pneumonia in dogs
The causes of pneumonia in dogs can be fungal, viral, bacteria, parasitic infection or any of a foreign object that is inhaled into lungs. The major causes of pneumonia in dogs are immunosuppression from drugs, dyskinesia, reduced clearance of inhaled debris from the lungs, aspiration of ingestal material or gastric contents, malnutrition, viral infection and fungal or parasitic infection. If you have doubt that your dog has pneumonia or not then you should immediately take your pet dog to a vet for proper diagnosis, treatment and related complications. Though vet can diagnose pneumonia in dogs however there are some signs through which you can suspect that your pet dog has this disease. Mentioned below are some of the symptoms of pneumonia in dogs that will help you to identify pneumonia in dogs.
Symptoms of Pneumonia in dogs:
The common symptom of pneumonia in dogs is coughing. Some other symptoms of pneumonia in dogs are nasal discharge, fever, frequent coughing with mucous secretions, dehydration, difficulty in breathing, loss of appetite, lethargic behavior, dehydration and wheezing. Dogs suffering from pneumonia will have their lips bulging outward while breathing. The breaths of infected dogs are shallow and rapid. Also you may notice that the tongue, lips and gums of the dog are bluish or gray which is the sign of decreased amount of oxygen in the blood. If you notice any of these symptoms in your pet dog then immediately take it to vet for the proper treatment. If it left untreated, then there is a chance that it can become serious and can even pose a threat to a dog’s life.
For diagnosis of pneumonia in dog, vet will ask complete medical history and will perform a careful physical examination of the dog especially lungs and heart. For accurate diagnosis of pneumonia in dogs, vet will perform certain tests such as complete blood count, chest X-ray, airway cytology, sensitivity, heartworm test, tracheal wash cytology and bronchoscopy.
Treatment of Pneumonia in dogs:
If you found that your pet dog is suffering from pneumonia then you should immediately take infected dog to a vet for proper treatment. In rare severe cases of pneumonia in dogs, hospitalization is required with antibiotics, fluids, oxygen and proper care. Do not give any cough suppressants to infected dog. The vet will prescribe antiviral or antibiotics to treat this disease.