Kvet Forum
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A cough is defined as ‘a reflex action causing sudden expulsion of air from the respiratory tract’. Coughing is a common clinical sign that occurs in several medical conditions and it is important to determine whether the cough is dry and hacking or whether the cough is moist and productive because this will determine the differential diagnosis. Animals do not often expectorate but usually swallow the material instead. A comprehensive history from the client together with a thorough clinical examination will ascertain the type of cough.
Coughing may be caused by:
1. Heart Failure - In left-sided congestive heart failure the patient may present with a moist cough caused by pulmonary oedema. Thoracic radiographs will show the severity of pulmonary congestion and help to decide the treatment regime. Thoracic radiographs should be taken with the patient in right lateral recumbency if possible. Alternatively, a dorsoventral thoracic radiograph will still be diagnostic and will also be more comfortable for the patient if severe coughing or respiratory distress is present. During radiography it is vital to cause a minimum of stress to the respiratory-challenged patient. It may be advisable to sedate the patient rather than administering a general anaesthetic and allowing the animal to adopt a near natural position will help to prevent further respiratory distress.
2. Upper airway obstruction – This may be due to laryngeal paralysis or an inhaled foreign body. Laryngeal paralysis is paralysis of the vocal folds, usually bilateral, and is often a degenerative condition of the older dog. Laryngeal paralysis responds well to a surgical procedure known as a laryngeal tieback.
3. Viral or bacterial infection – for example, kennel cough causes a dry hacking cough.
4. Tracheal collapse – most commonly a condition of toy and small breeds of dog. The tracheal rings collapse inwards and cause coughing on exercise, often accompanied by dyspnoea. Manual palpation of the trachea in the neck and the use of radiographs and endoscopy will confirm the diagnosis. Most cases are managed medically by treatment of underlying causes, e.g. bronchitis.
5. Aspiration Pneumonia – may be linked to forced feeding or feeding neonates.
6. Lungworm infection – i.e. Aelurostrongylus abstrusus in the cat and Angiostrongylus vasorum in the dog. The larvae are coughed up and swallowed and are then passed out in faeces. Oslerus osleri is another canine lungworm, which will also cause coughing in some infestations, although a number of animals show no clinical signs. Faecal tests are performed to diagnose parasitic infection.
7. Allergies
8. Bronchitis
9. Pulmonary Oedema
10. Inhalation of a foreign body
11. Tuberculosis.
Coughing may be caused by:
1. Heart Failure - In left-sided congestive heart failure the patient may present with a moist cough caused by pulmonary oedema. Thoracic radiographs will show the severity of pulmonary congestion and help to decide the treatment regime. Thoracic radiographs should be taken with the patient in right lateral recumbency if possible. Alternatively, a dorsoventral thoracic radiograph will still be diagnostic and will also be more comfortable for the patient if severe coughing or respiratory distress is present. During radiography it is vital to cause a minimum of stress to the respiratory-challenged patient. It may be advisable to sedate the patient rather than administering a general anaesthetic and allowing the animal to adopt a near natural position will help to prevent further respiratory distress.
2. Upper airway obstruction – This may be due to laryngeal paralysis or an inhaled foreign body. Laryngeal paralysis is paralysis of the vocal folds, usually bilateral, and is often a degenerative condition of the older dog. Laryngeal paralysis responds well to a surgical procedure known as a laryngeal tieback.
3. Viral or bacterial infection – for example, kennel cough causes a dry hacking cough.
4. Tracheal collapse – most commonly a condition of toy and small breeds of dog. The tracheal rings collapse inwards and cause coughing on exercise, often accompanied by dyspnoea. Manual palpation of the trachea in the neck and the use of radiographs and endoscopy will confirm the diagnosis. Most cases are managed medically by treatment of underlying causes, e.g. bronchitis.
5. Aspiration Pneumonia – may be linked to forced feeding or feeding neonates.
6. Lungworm infection – i.e. Aelurostrongylus abstrusus in the cat and Angiostrongylus vasorum in the dog. The larvae are coughed up and swallowed and are then passed out in faeces. Oslerus osleri is another canine lungworm, which will also cause coughing in some infestations, although a number of animals show no clinical signs. Faecal tests are performed to diagnose parasitic infection.
7. Allergies
8. Bronchitis
9. Pulmonary Oedema
10. Inhalation of a foreign body
11. Tuberculosis.