Chronic Inflammation of the Bronchi in Dogs

COPD is a disease of the lungs that is not curable or reversible and it will gradually continue to get worse. The disease is caused by a chronic inflammation of the bronchial tubes, which are needed to move air into your dog’s lungs. Since dogs do not make spit, it is more difficult to know when your dog has too much mucus, so the best way to know if your dog has COPD is if they have a chronic (daily) cough. Any cough that lasts for more than two months is considered a chronic cough.

Chronic inflammation of the bronchi is actually called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or chronic bronchitis. COPD is an inflammatory disease of the airway that affects breathing and continues for a lifetime. COPD causes a chronic cough and too much mucus production, making it harder to breathe. This disease can also cause tracheobronchial collapse, which is a very common disorder in dogs.

In the beginning of the disease, COPD will only affect the small airways with slight inflammation. Continual inflammation will cause more airway obstruction with scars (pulmonary fibrosis), distention, and stretching of the small airways. The symptoms at this point will be just a dry cough and gagging. As it progresses, COPD will cause your dog to get tired easily and may pass out from not getting enough oxygen when playing or exercising. The symptoms of this disease can vary from dog to dog, but the main symptom is chronic coughing. Other symptoms that may accompany the cough are:

• Wheezing
• Breathing fast
• Shortness of breath
• Noisy breathing
• Lung crackling
• Fever
• Exhaustion
• Loss of appetite
• Losing weight
• Blue gums or tongue
• Fainting
• Depression
• Gagging
• Intolerance to exercise

According to the professionals, there are many different causes of COPD. These can be hereditary, environmental, allergenic, or just random. Here are some examples of each.

Hereditary

• Cocker Spaniel
• West Highland White Terrier
• Toy dogs

 Environmental

• Cigarette smoke
• Household cleaners
• Chemicals
• Pollutants

 Allergenic

• Allergy to certain foods
• Allergic to new shampoo or soap

 Random (Other)

• Dogs older than five years old
• Being overweight or obese
• Untreated acute bronchitis
• Repeated respiratory infections

Your veterinarian will first need to know all about your dog’s symptoms such as when they started and how they have progressed. You will also need to provide your veterinarian with all of your dog’s medical history, diet, activity levels, and any changes in your dog’s personality or attitude. Be sure to tell him if your dog has recently been around any kind of pollutants, such as cigarette smoke, chemicals, or cleaners. The veterinarian will then need to do a complete physical examination including blood pressure, body temperature, and listening to your dog’s lungs.

Some other disorders may mimic COPD and cause similar symptoms such as pneumonia, heartworm, congestive heart failure, and lungworms. To be sure your dog is not suffering from any of these conditions; your veterinarian will have to run some tests. The tests needed are:

• Complete blood count (CBC)
• Blood chemistry panel
• Urinalysis
• Urine specific gravity test
• Bronchopulmonary cytology
• Saliva culture
• Fungal and bacterial culture
• Fecal examination
• Digital radiographs (X-rays) of the chest and abdominal area

If the veterinarian is still unsure of the exact cause of your dog’s symptoms, other tests will be needed, such as:

• Fine needle aspiration of fluid in lungs
• Bronchoscopy (to see the inside of the airway)
• Tracheal lavage (to get cell samples from bronchioles)
• Microscopic examination and cultures of cells from the bronchioles

If all the other conditions have been ruled out, the veterinarian will determine how far the COPD has progressed so it can be treated.

Treatment of COPD depends on what is causing the problem. If your dog is having a lot of trouble breathing the veterinarian may administer oxygen therapy. Your dog will have to be hospitalized for this. If your dog has an infection, the veterinarian will prescribe antibiotics as well as a steroid medication (corticosteroids) and a bronchodilator. If the cause is environmental, your dog’s COPD may not progress any further if the environmental cause is eliminated. However, there is no cure for COPD, but the symptoms can be relieved with medication and therapy. Besides the steroids and bronchodilator, the veterinarian may also prescribe cough suppressant medication to control the constant coughing if the cough is not producing anything to clear the lungs. A dry cough does more harm than good so the cough suppressant can help your dog and his lungs get the rest they need.

The prognosis is good because it is not a fatal disease, but the COPD will usually progress and need more extensive treatment as time passes. The most important thing to remember with COPD is to keep the air clean enough for your dog to breathe. This may mean getting rid of carpeting, not using perfume, only cleaning with chemicals when your dog is outside, and making sure the house is aired out before your dog comes back inside.