The Use of Endoscopic Diagnosis in Dogs with Upper Respiratory Diseases with Respect to the Localisation of Pathogens and the Subsequent Therapy

Bacterial diseases of the upper respiratory tract accompanied with various degrees of clinical signs are relatively frequent in a small animal clinical practice. The clinical signs are usually mild, mostly connected with clinical manifestation of nasal discharge, mild dyspnoea, sneezing, and coughing; however, in some cases they may convert to a chronic stage with serious systemic manifestations. The course and development of complications depends on the etiological agent and the success or failure of the subsequent therapy. An accurate diagnosis is of the upmost importance in order to develop an appropriate therapeutic plan for disease management. The present study focused on: endoscopic visualisation of the upper respiratory tract of the affected animals; localisation of pathological changes, and the targeted collection of the samples. This clinical study involved 26 patients with long-term signs of the affected airways that progressed to chronic stages after the failure of the prescribed therapy. Each patient was clinically examined, sedated and subjected to an endoscopic examination that involved the collection of samples. The samples were examined microbiologically, tested for antibiotic resistance, and a targeted therapy was implemented. The endoscopic and complex microbiological diagnosis enabled: more effective management of the bacterial infection; shortening of the therapy; and a convalescence period that reduced the risk of the development, or the spreading of resistant bacteria.