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Background: Brachycephalic dogs have several abnormalities in the airways, which generate clinical manifestations that impair the quality of life of these animals. Primary alterations promote airflow obstruction and increase intraluminal negative pressure, causing secondary alterations due to a cycle of inflammation with consequent obstruction. With the onset of inflammation and other alterations in the airways, clinical manifestations can be observed, such as snoring, reverse sneezing, coughing, dyspnea, cyanosis, syncope, and vomiting. Endoscopic examination of the airways allows visualization and diagnosis of morphological changes in these animals. This study aimed to evaluate the endoscopic findings of the airways and determine the quantitative and qualitative assessment of the severity of clinical manifestations in 14 dogs with brachycephalic syndrome (BS). Materials, Methods & Results: Historical and anamnesis data and clinical, respiratory, and digestive manifestations were collected from the owners' reports. The clinical manifestations were classified as mild, moderate, or severe. All animals were subjected to endoscopy of the airways, and image findings were grouped according to the anatomical site where they were observed, then the abnormalities were correlated with the severity of the clinical manifestations. When comparing the frequency of endoscopic abnormalities with the severity of clinical manifestations, it is interesting to observe that animals with severe disease more frequently presented the following alterations: prolongation and thickening of the soft palate, laryngeal changes, presence of hyperemia, lymphoid hyperplasia and polyps in the nasopharynx, hypoplasia and presence of tracheal secretion and thickening of the dorsal tracheal muscle; bronchial collapse, hypoplasia of the main bronchi and bronchial hyperemia and the presence of aberrant nasal turbinates. Comparison between the means of nonparametric variables was performed using the Mann-Whitney test, with a 5% significance level. Discussion: A higher frequency of French Bulldog dogs included in the study was observed, probably due to their greater popularity, although any brachycephalic dog may be affected by BS. Considering that nostril stenosis is a congenital alteration, which is usually diagnosed early, and since the animals included in the study were dogs referred for the rhinoplasty procedure the higher frequency of young dogs in the study was not surprising. The results revealed a significant difference in the endoscopic findings with the severity of the clinical manifestations in different variables, such as prolongation and thickening of the soft palate, eversion of the laryngeal saccules, presence of laryngeal inflammation and collapse, presence of polyps or lymphoid hyperplasia in the nasopharynx, thickening of the dorsal muscle of the trachea, polyps in the trachea and hypoplasia in addition to bronchial hyperemia. The larynx was the most affected anatomical site, with alterations present in 92.8% of the evaluated dogs. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that airway obstruction caused by primary alterations can cause secondary alterations, with consequent clinical manifestations in brachycephalic dogs it is possible to suggest that dogs with this syndrome may present severe manifestations of the disease, regardless of age. Furthermore, it can be concluded that in this study, dogs with BS had frequent laryngeal alterations and that alterations in the main bronchi were present in all animals with severe manifestations of the disease.

Resumo

Background: Laryngeal paralysis is a disorder that affects the movement of the arytenoid cartilages, creating an obstacle to the passage of air during inspiration. The disease is progressive and clinical signs are associated with upper airway obstruction. Diagnosis occurs through observation of laryngeal movements, and it is important to rule out concomitant diseases. In severely affected animals, surgery is recommended to alleviate clinical signs and improve quality of life. The aim of this report is to report a case of idiopathic laryngeal paralysis in a dog submitted to arytenoid unilateralization to clear the upper airways and evaluate the effectiveness of the technique. Case: A 5-year-old male Great Dane dog was referred to the Hospital de Clínicas Veterinárias (HCV) of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) with severe respiratory distress and respiratory stridor. The animal was taken directly to the emergency room, where it was promptly submitted to oxygen therapy with the aid of a mask, was medicated with nalbuphine hydrochloride 0.3 mg/kg intramuscularly and venous access was performed. After stabilization, complete blood count, biochemical profile, blood gas analysis and chest X-ray were requested. In the anamnesis, the tutor reported that the dog showed signs of fatigue with exercise intolerance, coughing similar to choking, breathing difficulties and noisy breathing, especially on hotter days and in situations of exertion, stress or euphoria. He mentioned that the signs were progressive, having started 2 months ago and that they were more frequent and lasting. The patient was diagnosed with laryngeal paralysis through transoral laryngoscopy and referred to surgery. The improvement in the breathing pattern and the absence of post-surgical complications resulted in the patient being discharged 6 days after hospitalization. Discussion: When the origin of laryngeal paralysis (LP) is undefined, the acquired form may be a consequence of generalized polyneuropathy, polymyopathy, neoplasia, endocrinopathy, iatrogenic or idiopathic injury. The patient under study did not present clinical signs or history of disease, therefore, the case was classified as idiopathic in origin. Laryngeal paralysis of unknown cause is the most common and affects mainly middle-aged to elderly males, large or giant breeds. The disease is often described in Labrador Retriever dogs, but it can affect other breeds such as Great Dane. This information corroborates the profile of the patient in this study. Although oral laryngoscopy is the recommended method for confirming the diagnosis in dogs with characteristic signs of LP, the diagnosis can also be obtained by transnasal laryngoscopy or echolaryngography, however, previous studies have shown that the sensitivity and specificity of diagnosis through echoaryngography is inferior to transnasal laryngoscopy, suggesting that direct visualization of the larynx is better to indirect visualization. Dogs with signs of moderate to severe respiratory distress or whose quality of life is affected as a result of LP are candidates for surgical treatment, as in this case, in which the patient had exercise intolerance and severe respiratory distress. The arytenoid unilateralization procedure proved to be effective in improving the quality of life of the patient under study, achieving excellent postoperative results and approval by the tutor. In this case, transoral laryngoscopy was essential to determine the diagnosis and establish the treatment. Although the goal of improving quality of life has been achieved without major complications, the animal must receive long-term follow-up due to a possible correlation with generalized polyneuropathy and long-term complications.

Resumo

Background: Summer Pasture Associated Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (SPAOPD), or Equine Pasture Asthma (EPA),has been described as an environmentally-induced respiratory disease that occurs during the warmer and more humidmonths, leading to reversible airway obstruction, persistent and non-specific airway hyper-responsiveness, and chronicneutrophilic airway inflammation. Exacerbation of clinical signs vary according to warm seasons and range from mildto severe episodes of wheezing, coughing, and laboured breathing, being highly debilitating to the equine. This reportdescribed two cases of Equine Pasture Asthma that showed clinical and environmental similarities with Summer PastureAssociated Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.Cases: The patients were crossbreed geldings that have never been stabled and were used for cattle management in a farmin southeastern Brazil. They presented poor performance and a persistent cough for over 3 years. Initially, the respiratorysigns were only observed after exercise but, over the years, it gradually progressed to being observed when the horses wereat rest. Both animals had a history of regular deworming and were previously treated by other veterinarians with antibiotics,clenbuterol, and mucokinetics. Little improvement was noticed by the owner and the signs returned over time as treatmentwas often discontinued. Clinical findings were compatible with the grade 3 mucus classification as well as with score 2for Severe Asthma. BALF cytology was done according to routine procedure. Animal 1 presented slides with free yeast,macrophages, and mucus with Curschmann’s spiral and counting of 29.7% of neutrophils (NE), 43.7% of lymphocytes(LP), 25.3% of macrophages (MC) and 1.3% of eosinophils (EO). Animal 2 presented slides with phagocytized yeast,mucus and counting of 27% of NE, 38.5% of LP, 33% of MC and 1.5% of EO...

Resumo

Respiratory diseases cause significant veterinary costs, reduce performance and require withdrawal of horses. Yet, studies of the causes of pneumonia in horses are scant. This study aimed to describe the pathological and microbiological features of lung lesions in slaughtered horses in southern Brazil. In this study, 84 samples of lungs were examined, and a conclusive diagnosis was obtained in 74 cases. These were composed of bronchopneumonia in 50 cases, followed by granulomatous eosinophilic pneumonia (9/74), recurrent airway obstruction (7/74), lung fibrosis (4/74), lung hemorrhage (3/74) and pulmonary pythiosis (1/74). Bronchopneumonia had grossly firm focally extensive yellow to dark-red areas, which consisted microscopically of multifocal to coalescing infiltrate of degenerate neutrophils. Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus was identified in 21 of the 50 cases. Granulomatous eosinophilic pneumonia had multifocal pinpoint firm-hard yellow areas, which microscopically were composed of granulomas with a mineralized center surrounded by collagen fibers and severe infiltrate of eosinophils. Recurrent airway obstruction had mild multifocal pinpoint firm white areas that consisted microscopically of large amounts of mucus inside bronchi and bronchiole. Lung fibrosis had two patterns: focally extensive areas of consolidation and firm nodular areas. Microscopically, the first pattern had interstitial to peribronchial fibrosis, while the second had, in addition to the interstitial fibrosis, a severe pneumocyte hyperplasia and an alveolar infiltrate of neutrophils and macrophages with rare intranuclear inclusion bodies (equine herpesvirus 5, EHV-5). Pulmonary pythiosis presented a focal firm nodular area, with multiple kunkers observed in the cut surface, which corresponded microscopically to areas of necrosis surrounded by a mixed inflammatory infiltrate. At the periphery of the necrotic areas, multiple negatively stained hyphae were observed, which were evidenced through Grocott's stain and immunohistochemistry anti-Pythium insidiosum.(AU)

Doenças respiratórias causam em equinos custos significativos com tratamento veterinário, redução de performance e descarte de animais. No entanto, estudos que abordem as causas de pneumonia em equinos são escassos. O objetivo deste estudo foi descrever os aspectos patológicos e microbiológicos de lesões pulmonares em equinos abatidos em matadouro-frigorífico no Sul do Brasil. Neste estudo, 84 amostras de pulmões foram examinadas, e o diagnóstico conclusivo das condições foi obtido em 74 casos. Esses foram compostos por broncopneumonia em 50 casos, seguido por pneumonia granulomatosa eosinofílica (9/74), obstrução aérea recorrente (7/74), fibrose pulmonar (4/74), hemorragia pulmonar (3/74) e pitiose pulmonar (1/74). A broncopneumonia era caracterizada macroscopicamente por áreas focalmente extensas firmes de coloração amarelada a vermelho-escuras, as quais consistiam microscopicamente em infiltrado multifocal a coalescente de neutrófilos degenerados. Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus foi identificado em 21 dos 50 casos. A pneumonia eosinofílica granulomatosa era caracterizada por áreas multifocais puntiformes firmes a duras e amareladas, que microscopicamente eram compostas por granulomas com área central mineralizada circundados por fibras de colágeno e infiltrado acentuado de eosinófilos. A obstrução aérea recorrente era caracterizada por discretas áreas puntiformes firmes e brancacentas que consistiam microscopicamente em grande quantidade de muco no interior de brônquios e bronquíolos. A fibrose pulmonar exibia dois padrões: áreas de consolidação focalmente extensas e áreas nodulares firmes. Microscopicamente, o primeiro padrão exibia fibrose intersticial a peribronquial, enquanto no segundo padrão havia, além da fibrose intersticial, intensa hiperplasia de pneumócitos e infiltrado alveolar de neutrófilos e macrófagos com raros corpúsculos de inclusão intranucleares (herpesvírus equino 5, EHV-5). A pitiose pulmonar exibia uma área nodular firme focal com múltiplos kunkers ao corte, os quais correspondiam microscopicamente a áreas de necrose circundadas por infiltrado inflamatório misto. À periferia das áreas necróticas, múltiplas imagens negativas de hifas eram observadas, as quais foram evidenciadas através da coloração de Grocott e imuno-histoquímica anti-Pythium insidiosum.(AU)