Dog Asthma

Signs and Symptoms

This respiratory issue can affect many animals including humans. It is often a life threatening condition and needs to be dealt with quickly. It is a symptom of airborne allergies in most incidences. If the dog’s immune system is compromised, due to another health issue, asthma can develop.

While not usually fatal in dogs it can present serious issues. After a long coughing episode the dog may have difficulty breathing. This can be extreme. Collapse of the airway after the severe attacks can cause the dog to pass out and needless to say veterinary help is needed immediately.

Some symptoms of dog asthma include :

• Excessive coughing and/or wheezing. This is usually the first sign that is seen in dogs with asthma. Try not to mistake this with your dog trying to cough up something they have swallowed.
• Lethargy is a cause for concern in your dog. Although it may not be a defining symptom, it is something to be aware of when combined with other symptoms.
• Purple mouth, gums or tongue is a definite symptom of obstruction and respiratory distress. The lack of oxygen will cause this cyanosis in the dogs as a result of the red blood cells not getting enough oxygen.
• Respiratory distress can become severe in advanced cases of asthma in dogs. You may notice your dog breathing with their mouth open accompanied by wheezing and severe coughing. Loss of consciousness may also occur.
• Loss of appetite can cause excessive weight loss, malnutrition and hair loss along with a lack of energy. This too, needs prompt attention. Appetite loss can actually be caused by the dog’s difficulty breathing as well as fatigue.

Diagnosis

It can be difficult to properly diagnose a dog with asthma as there are many other diseases and health concerns that need to be ruled out first. A few examples include heartworms, lungworms, tumors, Dog Kennel Cough, Dog Heart Disease, and even Dog Laryngeal Paralysis.

If you suspect your dog has asthma or has, or is having, an asthma attack, you should immediately take him or her to see a veterinarian. Upon arrival, the vet will conduct a physical examination of your dog, followed by an x-ray of their chest as well as conducting a brochoscopy (taking a tissue sample to examine under microscope). This is done to eliminate any other possible respiratory problems in your dog.

If no other health problem is identified, the vet will prescribe asthma medications. If, after use of the asthma medications, your dogs’ breathing becomes better, then the diagnosis of asthma will be correct. However, if the asthma does not subside, then further testing will need to done to determine the actual cause.

Prevention

The effectiveness of prevention is minimal. In some cases obesity can antagonize the condition and the solution to this is to have your dog on a weight loss program and decrease the occurrence of attacks concurrently with the weight loss. If your dog is allergic to airborne allergens it is best to purchase a high quality filter for your home. Smoking can cause asthma attacks and if this seems to be the case in your dog you should smoke only outdoors. Some asthma in dogs can result from outdoor airborne allergens. In this case keeping your dog indoors for the majority of the day and using an air filter may help.

Treatment

There are many treatments available for dogs with asthma. Most have been proven to be very effective. Aminophylline, terbutaline sulfate, antihistamine or steroid therapy are some alternatives for your vet to consider. Metered inhalers have been designed to fit over a dogs muzzle and metered dose inhalers will dilate the bronchi and ease the breathing. Steroids reduce the inflammation and make it less laborious for the dog to breathe.

Humidifiers can aid a dog with asthma as much as it does a human. If possible to monitor, the humidity level in your home should be at least 40%. Humidifiers can significantly reduce the frequency and severity of asthma attacks.

Asthma causes may be difficult to diagnose, but treatment is easily determined by your veterinarian. Time lost can be very dangerous to your pet. If you suspect your dog has asthma, a checkup by the veterinarian will ease your mind with a diagnosis or with another cause of the issues at hand.