My pet is coughing or has trouble breathing

+ How we work it out

Coughing or breathing issues can be caused by many things. Viruses, bacteria, physical obstructions, anatomical abnormalities are but a few common causes. As with all unwell pets, we start with a physical examination, and then follow some common steps:

Step 1: Locate where in the breathing apparatus is affected**

• Physical Examination:

Breathing issues can be separated into upper airway, lower airway or non-respiratory causes. Upper airways involve the nose, throat, and wind-pipe, whilst the lower airway is focused on the lungs. Non-respiratory causes may sound contradictory, but certain metabolic diseases can causes rapid breathing, or an underlying heart condition may result in shortness of breath.

We carefully listen to hearts, lungs and breathing sounds to isolate where we believe the problem to be.

• X-rays and Ultrasound

Once we have located the location of the breathing is we may want to further investigate with imaging equipment. For lungs, X-rays are the best way of getting a complete image of the chest. We will take several views to get a better appreciation of how all the lung fields look. If we think the breathing issues are caused by a heart condition, we will use an Ultrasound to examine and measure the heart size and shape.

• Swabs and Samples

Where we think there is bacteria, or viruses at play, we will likely want to take samples. This could involve a swab up the nose, or in some lower airway conditions, we may have to take a fluid sample from in side the lungs themselves. The latter will involve an anaesthetic and won’t be undertaken without first ensuring the safety of your pet. We generally take X-rays at the same time.

Step 2: Diagnosis

Once we have the information, we will make a diagnosis. A diagnosis is important because it will determine the type and duration of treatment.

Step 3: Treatment What we use to treat will depend upon the diagnosis. Monitoring response to treatment is essential in all breathing cases because recovery may be slower than outward signs could suggest. Further X-rays, or scans could be needed but we will discuss them at the time of diagnosis.

+ How long does the treatment take?

The initial examination will take 15 minutes, after which a treatment, or diagnostic plan will be made.

+ How many visits are required?

This depends on the diagnosis. For a simple infection, an assessment and then follow up will be the least number of visits. For more severe conditions, several appointments with probable tests will be needed.

+ What can cause breathing issues?

The process of diagnosis often involves ruling out conditions as much as knowing exactly what is the causes upfront. We use a pneumonic to help focus our attention, with a common one being VITAMIN-ED:

V Vascular

I Idiopathic (No cause identified), Iatrogenic (Caused by a medicine)

T Traumatic

A Anatomical, Autoimmune

M Metabolic

I Infections: Bacterial, Viral, Fungal, Parasitic

N Nutritional, Neoplastic (Cancerous)

E Endocrine

D Degenerative