Stage : 4th Stage
Diyala University
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Subject: Internal Medicine
By: Dr. TAREQ RIFAAHT MINNA
(No. )
Diseases of the respiratory system
 Special examination of the respiratory system
In addition to the routine clinical examination of the
respiratory tract, there are a number of diagnostic techniques
that can be used to aid in making a specific diagnosis, providing
a reliable prognosis and formulating the most rational treatment.
Techniques for advanced evaluation of the respiratory system
include:
 Auscultation and percussion of the thorax
 Endoscopy of the upper airways, guttural pouch (in
Equidae), trachea, bronchi and larger bronchioles
 Invasive endoscopic examination of the sinuses using rigid
endoscopes
 Pleuroscopy using either rigid or flexible endoscopes
 Radiographic examination of the skull, pharynx, larynx,
guttural pouch (in Equidae), trachea and thorax
 Computed tomographic and magnetic resonance imaging
 Scintigraphic examination of respiratory function "
 Ultrasonographic examination of the soft tissue of the
pharynx and larynx, and thorax
 Collection and
secretions:
evaluation
 Nasal
 Paranasal sinus
 Guttural pouch
 Pharyngeal
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of
respiratory
tract
Stage : 4th Stage
Diyala University
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Subject: Internal Medicine
By: Dr. TAREQ RIFAAHT MINNA
(No. )
 Tracheobronchial (tracheal aspirates, bronchoalveolar
lavage)
 Pleural (thoracocentesis)
 Pulmonary function testing, including:
 measurement of tidal and minute volumes, pleural
pressure, forced expiratory volume, and CO2 breathing
 Arterial blood gas analysis
 Venous blood gas analysis
 Blood lactate concentration
 Lung biopsy
 Respiratory sound spectrum analysis
 Exercise testing
 Principles of treatment and control of respiratory tract disease:
 Treatment of respiratory tract disease
Treatment of diseases of the lower respiratory tract depends on the
cause of the disease. However, the common principles are:
 Ensure adequate oxygenation of blood and excretion of carbon
dioxide
 Relieve pulmonary inflammation
 Effectively treat infectious causes of respiratory disease
 Relieve bronchoconstriction
 Supportive care to minimize demands for respiratory gas transport.
A- Respiratory gas transport
Treatment of failure of oxygenation of blood and excretion of carbon
dioxide can be achieved through administration of supplemental oxygen
or mechanical ventilation.
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Stage : 4th Stage
Diyala University
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Subject: Internal Medicine
By: Dr. TAREQ RIFAAHT MINNA
(No. )
B- Oxygen therapy
Oxygen therapy is useful only when hypoxemia is attributable to
failure of oxygen transport in the respiratory system. Supplemental
oxygen is usually administered through a nasal cannula with the tip
placed in the nasopharynx, through a mask or through a cannula inserted
percutaneously in the trachea. The use of an oxygen tent is impractical.
Oxygen is often administered to newborn animals, either during
resuscitation after birth or in those animals with respiratory disease.
Maximal changes in arterial oxygen tension occur within 2 minutes of the
start of supplementation.
C- Respiratory stimulants : Use of respiratory stimulants, including
doxapram, picrotoxin, leptazol (Metrazol), nikethamide (Coramine),
caffeine.
D- Mechanical ventilation
Commercial bags (Ambubag®) are available in a variety of sizes
suitable for neonates and small ruminants. The animal's trachea is
intubated (nasotracheal tube ) and the bag is connected and squeezed to
supply a tidal volume of approximately 5-10 mL/kg B.W at a rate of
approximately 20 breaths per minute. In an emergency situation, artificial
ventilation of neonates and small ruminants can be achieved by mouth-tonose ventilation by the veterinarian.
E- Anti –inflammatory drugs
Anti-inflammatory drugs used in the treatment of diseases of the
respiratory tract include glucocorticoids and nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). are useful in the treatment of infectious
respiratory disease of cattle and horses, and likely other species. The
drugs act by inhibiting the inflammatory response induced by the
infecting organism and tissue necrosis. Meloxicam (0.5 mg/kg
subcutaneously, once), when administered with tetracycline, improves
weight gain and reduces the size of lesions in lungs of cattle with bovine
respiratory disease complex over those of animals treated with
tetracycline alone. Treatment can be administered orally, by intravenous
or intramuscular injection, or by inhalation.
Glucocorticoids are administered for control of inflammation in a
variety of inflammatory lung diseases but notably heaves of horses and
interstitial pneumonia of foals.
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Stage : 4th Stage
Diyala University
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Subject: Internal Medicine
By: Dr. TAREQ RIFAAHT MINNA
(No. )
Immunomodulators
Interferon is used for the treatment of inflammatory airway disease in
race horses and feedlot cattle with respiratory disease. A dose of 50- 150
IU of interferon-alpha administered orally once daily for 5 days reduced
signs of airway inflammation in young Standard bred race horses.
F- Antimicrobial therapy
Bacterial infections of the respiratory tract of all species are treated
with antimicrobial agents given parenterally or, less commonly, orally.
The choice of drug used will depend on its cost, previous experience on
similar cases and the results of drug sensitivity tests if available.
macrolide (azithromycin, erythromycin, clarithromycin), triamilide
(tulathromycin) and fluoroquinolone (danofloxacin, enrofloxacin).
G- Bronchodilator drugs
Administration of bronchodilators can relieve respiratory distress,
bronchoconstriction and improve arterial blood oxygenation.
Bronchodilatory
drugs
are
beta-2-agonists
(clenbuterol,
albuterol/salbutamol, terbutaline), parasympatholytic drugs (ipratropium,
atropine) and methylxanthines (aminophylline, theophylline) .
H- Mucolytics ,mucokinetic and antitussive drugs
Mucolytics are agents that alter the constituents of mucoid or purulent
respiratory secretions and make them less viscous.
Bromhexine reduce the viscosity of airway mucus and increase mucus
production, although its clinical efficacy has not been determined.
Dembrexine (Sputolosin: Boehringer Ingelheim) alters the carbohydrate
side chains of mucin and improves its flow properties and is reported to
decrease coughing and hasten recovery in horses with respiratory disease.
Hyperhydration the administration of large quantities of fluids
intravenously, has been suggested as being useful in the treatment of
horses with accumulation of excessive amounts of mucus or mucopus in
the lower airways.
I- Bronchomucotropic agents (expectorants) These compounds include
the iodides, and ammonium and glycerol guaiacolate. are supposed to
increase the production of a less viscous mucus.
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Stage : 4th Stage
Diyala University
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Subject: Internal Medicine
By: Dr. TAREQ RIFAAHT MINNA
(No. )
J- Surgery
Tracheostomy is often used in the emergency or urgent relief of acute
upper airway obstruction, and in the removal of large amounts of tracheal
debris, such as occurs in animals(horse) with smoke inhalation and
pleuritis.
K- General nursing care
One of the most important aspects of the treatment of respiratory tract
disease in farm animals is the provision of a comfortable, well-ventilated
environment during and after the disease episode. Affected animals
should be placed · in a draft-free area that is adequately ventilated and
supplied with an abundance of bedding for comfort and warmth,
particularly during convalescence. Feed and water should be readily
available and dusty feeds avoided.
 Control of respiratory disease
Prevention and control of these diseases include:
 Minimizing exposure to inciting agents (infectious or physical).
 Maximizing innate resistance by ensuring that the animals are in
excellent general health through attention to nutrition, housing and
animal welfare.
 Maximizing adaptive resistance by the administration of effective
vaccines such that maximal resistance is produced to coincide with
the time of greatest risk of the disease.
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