What is Hemorrhage of the Lung?
A pulmonary contusion can be a life-threatening injury, depending on the severity of the hemorrhage so it is important to get your dog checked out thoroughly by your veterinarian if you suspect he has this injury. Since the pulmonary contusion is often caused by a traumatic injury, you should check your dog for other injuries right away. You should always be careful when moving your dog after a motor vehicle accident or any other traumatic injury in case of spinal injury or broken bones. A pneumothorax (collapsed lung from air in the chest cavity), hemothorax (blood in the chest cavity), broken ribs, and flail chest (2 or more broken ribs) can all be possible side effects from a pulmonary contusion, even if you do not see any visible injuries.
A hemorrhage of the lung (pulmonary contusion) is referring to lesions on the lungs that can happen after an injury to the chest wall. This can lead to hemorrhage and swelling which leads to the collapse of the lung. The pulmonary contusion is one of the most common wounds caused by a blunt chest trauma, which is most often from being hit by a vehicle or from a bite injury.
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Symptoms of Hemorrhage of the Lung in Dogs
- Rapid breathing
- Difficulty breathing
- Loud breathing
- Pain in the chest and abdomen
- Coughing
- Vomiting
- Blue or pale skin and mucous membranes
- Fainting
- Collapse
- Lung crackles
- Bloody nose or blood in the mouth
- Irregular heartbeat
Causes of Hemorrhage of the Lung in Dogs
- Vehicular trauma
- Bite from another animal
- Animal abuse (usually by owners)
- Falling from a high area
- Gunshot
- Stabbing or other wound that breaks the skin
Diagnosis of Hemorrhage of the Lung in Dogs
The first thing the veterinarian will do is make sure your dog is stable and has a clear airway while he does a thorough physical examination. This may require that your dog be sedated and provided with oxygen and fluid therapy so he may need to be hospitalized. As with any visit, you will need to provide your veterinarian will your dog’s complete medical history and any illnesses or changes in behavior. It is impossible to give a definite diagnosis of a pulmonary contusion with just a physical examination so your veterinarian will have to run some tests. These tests include:
- Blood pressure
- Complete blood count (CBC)
- Blood gases
- Urinalysis
- Blood clotting test
- Digital radiographs (x-rays) of the chest and abdomen
The radiographs may be enough to diagnose the severity of your dog’s pulmonary contusion, but it sometimes does not show the true damage, so the veterinarian may decide to do some more tests, such as:
- Bronchoscopy
- Electrocardiography (ECG) to check for arrhythmia or tachycardia
- CT scan for a 3-D assessment
- Ultrasound to see the true extent of damage
- MRI for further details
Treatment of Hemorrhage of the Lung in Dogs
The treatment plan will depend on the severity of the pulmonary contusion and any other injuries that your dog may have sustained. Your veterinarian will want to keep your dog on oxygen for some time to increase the oxygen in the blood that may have been lost. Many times, the damage to the lung does not completely show for 24-48 hours, so the veterinarian may want to keep your dog for one or two days for observation.
Pain medication such as Fentanyl or Morphine will be administered if your dog is in pain. The veterinarian may also prescribe corticosteroids to reduce swelling and antibiotics to prevent infection. Other treatment may be necessary for injuries sustained with the pulmonary contusion, such as:
Pneumothorax
If your dog has pneumothorax, the veterinarian will have to perform a thoracentesis, which means relieving the air from the chest with a needle. After three attempts to drain the air, a thoracostomy tube will be placed in your dog’s chest.
Hemothorax
In the case of a hemothorax, the blood between the chest wall and the lung causes the lung to be compressed, causing pain and shortness of breath. Your veterinarian will want to keep your dog in the hospital on oxygen and IV fluids for 24 to 48 hours for observation. If the blood continues to be a problem or increases, the veterinarian may want to do surgery to find the cause of the bleeding and fix it.
Broken Ribs and Flail Chest (Two or more broken ribs)
If your dog has one or more broken ribs, the veterinarian may want to wrap the chest to stabilize the ribs and help them to heal. Cage rest and a short hospital stay are necessary if the injury is severe.
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Recovery of Hemorrhage of the Lung in Dogs
The veterinarian will probably keep your dog for at least 24 hours for observation, and possibly longer if there are any complications or if your dog has surgery. Once you get home, your dog may be on cage rest for several days to keep him from hurting himself. You will have to take your dog on a leash to go to the bathroom when necessary. Be sure to follow your veterinarian’s instruction and do not miss your follow-up appointment. The chances of a full recovery for your dog is excellent if the damage was mild and was treated right away. Otherwise, your dog’s recovery depends on the severity of the damage and whether it could be treated in time.
Hemorrhage of the Lung Average Cost
From 42 quotes ranging from $500 - $8,000
Average Cost
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Hemorrhage of the Lung Questions and Advice from Veterinary Professionals
Pointer mix rottweiler
Oreo sensibill
5 Months
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Bleeding
HI my dog oreo got hit by a car today. His breathing sound like it has liquid in his lungs at time he kinda hyper ventilate and at time he acts like he want to vomit but he does. He had blood coming from his mouth the vet did an xray and ultra sound. They said he had a little internal bleeding in the chest but nothing to worry about. Hey kept him over (tonight) but I'm worried because they did not give him any oxygen and his breathing is very bad he was given pain killer and anitbotics
If they didn't give him oxygen will he still survive?
Jan. 9, 2018
0 Recommendations
Without examining Oreo, I cannot say whether or not he would require oxygen therapy or not; I am sure your Veterinarian would have checked the oxygen saturation levels in the blood with a pulse oximeter which is normally clipped to the tongue, ear, lip or other areas to get a reading. Also, without examining Oreo I am unable to give any guidance about the extent of his injuries or if he would survive. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
Jan. 9, 2018
Hello, my puppy Chubz was ran over today.. he has no bleeding, he’s walking and wagging his tail when excited but he has been laying around mostly all day, also his breathing is really hard and loud.. do you think his lungs are punctured?
June 30, 2018
Kaylee H.
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Lab and rotwiler
Samsung
1 Year
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Bleeding From The Nose
My dog was hit by a car and hasn’t bleeding coming out his nose and has irregular breathing and has movement in his hind legs but has very little in his front legs and pushes up and flops back down the vet said he has severe damage to the lungs and was very cold when the vet arrived on seen of the accident my concern is they are not doing an x-ray CT or MRI just fluids and said his body needs to rest and reabsorb his blood and needs to allow time to let his blood clot. I get that but shouldn’t they make sure he doesn’t need a chest tube or something just letting lay there with fluids don’t seem right to me? There was a huge amount of blood loss and the vet was surprised he was alive when arrived at the vet.
Jan. 3, 2018
0 Recommendations
In road traffic accident cases like this, it is important to stabilise a patient first especially when there has been a large quantity of blood loss; your Veterinarian may be waiting for Samsung to be more stable before doing any further diagnostics like x-rays since we want to keep movement to a minimum. X-rays however should be taken at some point to check for any skeletal injury or other signs of internal trauma; ask your Veterinarian for an x-ray. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
Jan. 3, 2018
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Mutt
Max
3 Months
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Loss Of Appetite
Heavy Breathing
Unmobile
Crackling Sound In Ribs
Cries When Carried
Recently i found a puppy on the highway which was injired. We broivht him home because we didnt wanna let him die in the highway alone. I dont have money for the vet and i dont know whats wrong with him. Im sure hes suffered from perhaps a hit and his paw is hurt.
Dec. 24, 2017
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
0 Recommendations
Thank you for your question. That was very kind of you to pick up the puppy. He should be seen by a veterinarian if he seems injured, as he may benefit from pain medications. Without examining him, I can't diagnose anything or suggest any treatments, but many vet clinics offer a 'free first exam' that you may be able to take advantage of, and humane societies and animal control offices may be able to help with him. It may be more difficult to get low cost help for him since it is Christmas Eve, but many shelters will be available, and some clinics will be open today. If you feel that he is suffering, most emergency clinics will help him if you are willing to surrender him to them, as nobody wants to see a puppy suffering. You will just need to make a few phone calls to try and get help for him. I hope that everything goes well for him.
Dec. 24, 2017
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pitbull
Mowee
15 Weeks
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Gagging
Normal To Dificulty Breathing,
Constent Laying Down
My puppy was hit by an ATV today his breathing is sometimes normal and the next he is gasping for air or gags like he has a hair ball His gums were white but now they r a normal pink color I have not money to take him to the vet what cam I do to make him as comfortable as possible or if it's sevier what can I do to keep him alive till I can get the money to take him to the vet
Aug. 30, 2017
0 Recommendations
Trauma is a tricky thing and proper management from the first minute is important to give the best possible prognosis; without examining Mowee I couldn’t start to being to assess the severity or possible complications that may arise from this injury, if there are any puncture wounds to the thorax then veterinary care would be needed immediately. It would be irresponsible for me to suggest anything other than visiting your Veterinarian regardless of cost, ask them about payment plans or finance. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
Aug. 30, 2017
Hi my puppy was stuck in between the couches and when they pulled him out he coughed up blood she had the same problems she wouldn't eat,lay down,or open her mouth it was cold. I just need one answer how is your dog? Because I need to know if she can make this plz
Oct. 22, 2017
Ashanti H.
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Hemorrhage of the Lung Average Cost
From 42 quotes ranging from $500 - $8,000
Average Cost
$3,500
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