Just like human animals, non-human animals can also suffer from respiratory system pathologies, like our cold and our cough.
These pathologies can affect all compartments starting from the nostrils and nasal cavities, and then continue with the pharynx and larynx, trachea and bronchi, to arrive at one or both lungs.
Upper respiratory tract
The upper respiratory tract, which includes nostrils, nasal cavities e pharynx, can frequently be affected by rhinitis, inflammation / infections of the nasal cavities of our four-legged friends.
In case of rhinitis, the animal will produce more mucus, which will come out of the nostrils in the form of discharge of different colors and textures, may sneeze more or less frequently and will have nose discomfort. Foreign bodies are also very frequent here, such as forasacks, which can create inflammation, but also infection of the area where they infiltrate.
In older animals, in case of excess mucus or nose discomfort, we must certainly exclude the presence of a neoformation, unfortunately not so rare.
The diagnosis can be made with a general objective examination, with blood tests capable of highlighting, for example, an ongoing infection or an allergic phenomenon, and with the help of more or less invasive instruments, such as an otoscope and rhinoscope, but even more detailed investigations such as x-rays or others.
Lower respiratory tract
The lower respiratory tract includes the entire respiratory tract below the larynx.
La larynx, a tubular organ that also houses the vocal cords, is very sensitive and can easily get inflamed, as often happens to our throat. Since the larynx is positioned on the neck, its inflammation is very frequent due to traumas due to the collar and which, if repeated, can generate the classic trauma cough.
Also the trachea it can be subject to inflammatory problems, as well as a real "collapse", in which the rings of the trachea lose their consistency and are no longer able to keep the canal open. Tracheal collapse occurs in predisposed breeds but also due to drug therapies. The animal will present respiratory distress, respiratory noise and sometimes a typical cough called a honking cough.
As for i bronchi, we cannot fail to think of bronchitis whose causes are varied. This pathology can have an allergen (asthma for example) as its trigger, rather than a virus such as "kennel cough" or a bacterium, as well as parasites.
The diagnosis is made with a general examination of the animal, blood tests and possible bronchoscopy with washings and sampling of material useful for understanding the true nature of the problem.
in the cat theasthma it is quite frequent and is usually a chronic pathology that can seriously compromise the quality of life of the animal, even causing its death if not treated adequately.
Therapy
In order to implement the most appropriate therapy for the single individual, whenever there is a nasal discharge, sneezing, coughing or more or less serious breathing difficulties, it is essential to avoid the do-it-yourself and contact your trusted veterinarian.
If the problem encountered is for example a neoformation, the only possible therapy will be that surgery, while if the problem is of an inflammatory or infectious nature, the vet will be able to prescribe one systemic therapy with antibiotics or anti-inflammatories, and locally, with the help of suitable solutions to be dispensed through the classic aerosol that more or less we all have at home, or through new generation machines created ad hoc for our animals.
aerosol Therapy
THEaerosol therapy it is an additional weapon that we can use to reach the target tissues as quickly as possible, as well as to reduce the use of systemic drugs, especially in the case of chronic pathologies such as feline asthma. In fact, a tracheal or bronchial pathology justifies the use of aerosols, in particular to favor the drainage of mucous secretions, disinfection of the mucosa or bronchial dilatation.
Obviously it is not so easy to use this therapy in our animals, but it is not impossible either! In fact, animals tend to get used to the aerosol, especially when this treatment improves their breathing, giving relief (eg asthmatic cat). The classic aerosol can be used with the mask for human use close to the nose and mouth of our friends, or by letting the animals enter a confined space (for example a pet carrier), covering it with a blanket to favor the persistence of the vapor at inside it, inserting the aerosol tube into the chamber thus created.
The aerosol can include the use of simple sodium chloride solution (physiological), or of medicines for human use, As well as of natural formulations with active ingredients with balsamic, antitussive, antibacterial and/or antifungal action. The active ingredients available to us actually become interesting because, thanks to the aerosol, the concentration obtained in the organ to be treated is much higher than that achieved with parenteral administration, also because we obtain their localization directly where we want them to act.
Although still little used in veterinary medicine, theaerosol is an excellent treatment for pathologies of the respiratory airways, even for our 4-legged friends.
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