Kennel Cough

Question 1

Common clinical signs of infectious respiratory diseases

Answer 1

Upper respiratory signs
Sensitive eyes - often red/swollen/sensitive to light
Nasal discharge
Congested sinuses
Coughing

Question 2

Which clinical signs are indicative of upper airway pathology?

Answer 2

Ocular discharge
Nasal discharge
Cough (receptors are in upper)
Stertor (snoring)
Stridor (high wheezing)
Inspiratory difficulty

Question 3

Which clinical signs are indicative of lower airway pathology?

Answer 3

Dyspnoea/tachypneoa
Expiratory difficulty
Crackles

Question 4

Which parts of respiratory tract are associated with inspiratory vs expiratory dyspnoea?

Answer 4

Inspiratory - Upper respiratory tract lesion
○ Nares
○ Nasal cavity
○ Larynx/pharynx
○ Trachea
Expiratory - Lower respiratory tract
○ Thoracic trachea
○ Pulmonary parenchyma
○ Bronchi
○ Pulmonary space

Question 5

Stertor

Answer 5

Low snoring sound on inspiration
Common in BOAS patients
Upper respiratory pathology
Involves soft palate/laryngeal saccules

Question 6

Stridor

Answer 6

High pitched wheezing sound often on inspiration but can be expiration
Upper airway pathology
Caused by laryngeal paralysis or tracheal collapse

Question 7

Rhoncus

Answer 7

A low sound heard on auscultation of the chest when the air channels are partly obstructed
Gurgles/bubbles
Often during expiration
Due to narrowing of bronchi/trachea

Question 8

Crackles

Answer 8

Lower tract pathology
Moist (low pitch popping)
CHF,
Most prominent on inspiration
Usually some resp distress
Dry (higher pitched)
Acute or chronic

Question 9

Where are cough receptors located?

Answer 9

Upper airway tract
Trachea
Main carina
Branching points of large airways
Distal smaller airways
Pharynx

Question 10

CIRD

Answer 10

Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease
AKA Kennel Cough
Most commonly infectious tracheitis

Question 11

Clinical signs of CIRD

Answer 11

Hacking cough - can be productive
Submandibular lymphadenopathy
Ocular/nasal discharge
Lethargy
Pyrexia

Question 12

What is the difference between pyrexia and hyperthermia?

Answer 12

Pyrexia - febrile response
○ Internal response
○ Inflammatory cytokines reset
○ Tries to compensate and results in hypothalamus increasing temp
Hyperthermic - external heat
○ Failure of thermoregulation
○ Body absorbs more heat than it can dissipate

Question 13

How do we treat pyrexia and hyperthermia

Answer 13

Unpleasant to cool pyrexic animal
○ Use antipyretics
○ Fluid therapy
○ Specific therapy to target cause
Hyperthermia
○ Cool with lukewarm water
○ Fans and vents

Question 14

What causes CIRD?

Answer 14

Canine Parainfluenza Virus (CPIV)
Canine Repiratory Coronavirus (CRoV)
Canine Adenovirus (CAV-2)
Secondary infection by Bordetella bronchiseptica

Question 15

What are body’s natural defences in respiratory system?

Answer 15

• Goblet cells producing mucus
• Cilia
  ○ Mucocilliary escalator
• Cough/sneezing reflex
• Alveolar macrophages
• Antibodies

Question 16

What is Canine Parainfluenza Virus - CiPV?

Answer 16

Enveloped RNA virus
(Less stable - easy to kill by disinfection)
More likely to mutate
Only affects URT
Subcutaneous and intranasal vaccines available (live vaccines)

Question 17

Canine Respiratory Coronavirus - CRCoV

Answer 17

Enveloped RNA virus
(Less stable - easy to kill by disinfection)
More likely to mutate

Question 18

What is Canine Adenovirus-2 - CAV-2?

Answer 18

Non-enveloped DNA virus
(more stable, need better disinfectants)
Part of core vaccine schedule

Question 19

Bordetella bronchiseptica

Answer 19

Gram -ve aeorbic coccobacillus
Can be primary or secondary
ZOONOTIC
Mild to severe clinical signs
Shedding up to 12 weeks!!

Question 20

What is Canine Distemper Virus (CDV)?

Answer 20

Enveloped RNA virus
(Less stable - easy to kill by disinfection)
More likely to mutate
Shed in all bodily fluids

Question 21

Clinical signs of CDV

Answer 21

Bronchopneumonia
Purulent ocular and nasal discharge
Haemorrhagic vomiting and diarrhoea
Neurological signs
Hyperkeratosis (“hard pad”)

Question 22

Other novel respiratory pathogens

Answer 22

Canine influenza
Strep equi (high morbidity/mortality)

Question 23

Routes of transmission for CIRD

Answer 23

Aerosol (most common)
Direct transmission also possible
RNA viruses are not environmentally hardy

Question 24

When should you diagnose CIRD?

Answer 24

If diagnosis will change management (e.g. antibiotics?)
If pattern of disease changes
If disease reoccurs

Question 25

Diagnostic options for CIRD

Answer 25

Paired serology
PCR (nasal/oropharyngeal swab)
Conjunctival swab for distemper

Question 26

Treatment options for CIRD

Answer 26

Symptomatic
E.g. paracetamol, clean eyes/nose, glycerine to moisturise

Antibiotics
(Use gram -ve cover)
Tetracyclines (doxy)
TMPS
Amoxyclav doesn’t penetrate trachea