Pneumonia in dogs - Contagion, care and treatment

Surely you've ever heard of pneumonia, a disease that our dogs may also suffer.In this article of Animals and Pets Online we will review their symptomatology so that you can recognize it and thus transfer your dog to the veterinarian, who, as always, will be responsible for confirming the diagnosis and establishing guidelines for proper care and treatment .

Keep reading this article from Animals and Pets Online to learn more about pneumonia in dogs, infection, symptoms and treatment You can't miss it!

What is pneumonia?

Basically, pneumonia is a inflammation of the lungs , caused by a variety of causes ranging from infectious agents, such as bacteria, to parasites, foreign bodies or allergens.classified according to the area of ​​the lung that affect, according to the predominant cell class, the cause and the type of reaction they cause in the lung.It is the veterinarian in charge of refining the diagnosis to be able to apply the most appropriate treatment.

The infectious agents are usually the most common cause of pneumonia in dogs.It is important to note that viruses do not cause pneumonia, but if the secondary bacterial infections associated with them.Addition, this condition usually affects to young, geriatric animals or those with the immune system compromised by medications or chronic diseases.

Pneumonia of non-infectious cause

Although, as we saw, pneumonias in dogs are usually related to infectious agents, these are not always the cause.Yes, we can find pneumonias in dogs caused by irritating substances as can be smoke, food that is inhaled, sometimes due to swallowing defects, mega esophagus, etc., foreign bodies such as seeds, some parasites or allergens.

In this section we can highlight the aspiration pneumonia that occurs in puppies that we must feed artificially, either by belonging to abandoned litters, or by having a mother who needs help with breastfeeding.In these cases it is very important to feed them with the bottle that we can find in boxes of specially formulated milk for dogs.

This should be offered by holding the puppy by the belly, never face up as if it were a baby human, since in that position it is easier than the ingested milk passes into the respiratory tract.Similarly, it is dangerous to feed them with a syringe since, with it, the puppy does not suck according to what it can swallow, it is we who introduce the liquid, with the risk of choking that entails and the danger of aspiration pneumonia.

The symptoms of pneumonia

Although the clinical picture will vary depending on the degree of lung involvement, the most characteristic symptoms of pneumonia in dogs are the following:

• Fever.
• Apatia, anorexia.
• Wet cough, which indicates the presence of fluid in the lungs.
• Rapid breathing in more severe cases or during or after Moderate exercise in less severe cases.
• Occasionally runny nose.

The appearance of any of these symptoms in our dog is a reason for veterinary consultation.The veterinarian can use X-rays, blood tests or bronchoscopy to reach the diagnosis.

Pneumonia treatment

The treatment of pneumonia will depend on the severity of the condition but is usually treated with antibiotics for several weeks.It will be the veterinarian who chooses the most suitable for our dog's pneumonia.Cough suppressants are not recommended because the cough helps clean the lungs, which facilitates breathing.For this same reason, mucolytics may be indicated.

Recovery will depend on the speed of treatment administration as well as on the eradication of the underlying non-respiratory cause.It should be borne in mind that severe untreated pneumonia can lead to chronic disease or even death of the animal.

The care of a dog with pneumonia

The following guidelines to combat pneumonia in dogs are basic :

• Provide a warm environment.
• Offer a adequate food, prioritizing dog preferences, since our goal is to eat.Yes, we can offer you cans in different textures, homemade food, etc.
• If necessary, administer fluid therapy, oral or parenteral, according veterinary prescription.
• It is advisable to keep the airways humidified.In dry environments we can have humidifiers.We can also try to inhale steam.A serious way would be to put it in the bathroom while using the hot water, so that it generates steam.
• Treat the causes that predispose to the appearance of pneumonia and/or avoid them if possible.

Of course, if it does not improve or worsens you have to go back to the vet .

Is pneumonia in dogs contagious to humans?

First of all, it should be clear that only infectious agents and parasites are capable of transmitting a disease, that is, speaking of pneumonia in dogs, only those caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi or parasites could pose a danger of infection.

Second, disease-causing pathogens are usually specific of each species , which means that contagion between animals of different species is not possible.Thus, a disease as contagious among dogs as parvovirosis does not affect humans or cats, for example.

Virtually all agents involved in pneumonia in dogs are exclusive to that species.It is true that one of the bacteria that may be involved, the Bordetella bronchiseptica , is found in humans, although rarely, but To date, a direct relationship has not been established to affirm that there is contagion between dogs and humans.

This article is merely informative, in Animals and Pets Online we have no power to prescribe veterinary treatments or make any kind of diagnosis.We invite you to take your pet to the veterinarian in the event that it presents any type of condition or discomfort.

If you want to read more articles similar to Pneumonia in dogs-Contagion, care and treatment , we recommend that you enter our section of Respiratory diseases.