Signs of pulmonary edema in dogs

Symptoms of pulmonary edema in dogs.

Pulmonary interstitial fluid accumulation causes the pulmonary parenchyma to appear hazy; pulmonary vessels become ill defined, and bronchial walls thicken. As pulmonary edema in dogs worsens, areas of fluffy or mottled fluid opacity progressively become more confluent. Alveolar edema causes greater opacity in the lung fields and obscure vessels and outer bronchial walls. The air-filled bronchi appear as lucent, branching lines surrounded by fluid density (air bronchograms).

Interstitial and alveolar patterns of pulmonary infiltration can be caused by many pulmonary disease as well as by cardiogenic edema. The distribution of these pulmonary infiltrates is important, especially in dogs. Cardiogenic pulmonary edema in dogs is generally located in dorsal and perihilar areas and is often bilaterally symmetric. In contrast, the distribution of cardiogenic edema in cats is usually uneven and patchy; the edema is either distributed throughout the lung fields or concentrated in the middle zones. Radiographic technique as well as the phase of respiration influence the apparent severity of interstitial disease.

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