Just like humans, dogs can also get pneumonia. This means that the tissue in the lungs is inflamed. Possible causes of pneumonia in dogs include pathogens such as viruses, fungi and bacteria.
Pneumonia in a dog is usually easy to treat. Nevertheless, you should definitely take the disease seriously. Because if there is no medical care, your dog can die of pneumonia in the worst case.
Below you will find out which symptoms indicate pneumonia, what treatment options are available and what the chances of recovery are for your dog.
Key facts at a glance
- Causes can be fungi, viruses and bacteria.
- Likewise, inhalation of toxic substances, ingestion and kennel cough can lead to pneumonia.
- The symptoms are varied – the stronger this progression, the more difficult it is for the dog to breathe.
- If detected too late, pneumonia can lead to consequential damage.
- Depending on the disease trigger, pneumonia in dogs can be contagious.
Pneumonia in dogs: possible causes
There are many different causes that can lead to pneumonia in dogs. In many cases, an infestation of the lungs with pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites is responsible for pneumonia.
Other conceivable causes of pneumonia in dogs:
- Inhalation of toxic fumes
- Food and water entering the lungs
- kennel cough
In addition, tumors and inflammatory diseases that affect the lungs and can be caused, for example, by medication or allergies, are also possible triggers of pneumonia in dogs.
The weaker your dog’s immune system is, the greater the risk of your dog developing pneumonia. Because a weak immune system is inevitably associated with an increased susceptibility to disease in dogs.
Pneumonia in dogs: symptoms
If your dog suffers from pneumonia, a number of symptoms appear. How severe the symptoms are essentially depends on how far the disease has progressed.
These symptoms can indicate pneumonia in dogs:
- Fever
- exhaustion
- Cough
- Rattling breath sounds
- loss of appetite
- nasal discharge
Also, as the pneumonia progresses, the breathing problems your dog suffers from become more severe. Sooner or later this leads to a lack of oxygen, which even non-professionals can quickly identify by the blue discoloration of the four-legged friend’s mucous membranes.
Pneumonia in dogs: vet visit and diagnosis
The treacherous thing about pneumonia in dogs is that it starts out harmlessly with a cough. Nevertheless, you should not waste any time and take your sick four-legged friend to a veterinarian as soon as possible.
Because the longer the pneumonia goes untreated, the more it weakens your dog’s immune system. This makes him susceptible to further infections, which can further worsen his condition. In addition, there is a risk that pneumonia can cause a circulatory disorder (embolism) in the dog, which without prompt veterinary care can lead to death.
In order to diagnose pneumonia, the veterinarian will carry out various tests on your dog. First he will listen to him. In addition, X-rays are usually taken and an ultrasound is performed. An endoscopy will also allow the vet to determine how far along your dog’s pneumonia is and collect a mucus sample to check for bacteria.
Pneumonia in dogs: treatment and prognosis
For a successful treatment of your dog’s pneumonia, it is first necessary for the veterinarian to know what is causing the illness. Because only then can he initiate the necessary treatment measures. If the pneumonia was triggered by worms, for example, deworming is necessary as part of the therapy.
Antibiotics are usually needed to heal the actual inflammation in the lung tissue. In most cases, the pneumonia can be treated well with them and your dog’s symptoms should be significantly reduced in a short time. In individual cases, however, it can also be the case that the antibiotics have to be taken for several weeks before an improvement occurs.
Apart from the administration of antibiotics, it can also be useful to support the healing process with a herbal expectorant. However, this is by no means a substitute for a visit to the vet and treatment with antibiotics.
Is pneumonia in dogs contagious?
There is usually no risk of one dog infecting another with pneumonia. However, depending on the cause, it may well be that the underlying disease that triggered the pneumonia is contagious.
Figo covers the treatment costs
If your dog falls ill with pneumonia, this will of course also result in costs. In addition to the examinations by the veterinarian, you also have to pay for the necessary medication. This applies at least if you have not taken out dog health insurance.
Dog health insurance covers most of the bill in the event of illness, so you can focus on your dog’s well-being without worrying about vet bills.