![]() ![]() ![]() Often, ingesta (food material) can be seen in a tubular form and appear undigested. It can be delayed for several hours, or it can occur shortly after eating. ![]() Regurgitation is different from vomiting it is a passive response that expels the contents from the esophagus usually before the food reaches the stomach. The most common cause of aspiration pneumonia in adult dogs is regurgitation due to a dilated esophagus ( megaesophagus). Vomiting, regurgitation, or difficulty swallowingĭifficulty breathing or respiratory distressīreathing at a fast rate, but may not be pantingĮxamples of instances that lead to aspiration pneumonia in puppies include:īottle-feeding puppies that have a normal anatomy but may choke on milk that pours out of the bottle too quickly.įorce-feeding a mentally dull animal that may be unable to swallow properly.Ī puppy with cleft palate where milk enters the nasal cavity and continues down into the lungs. Symptoms of aspiration pneumonia in dogs may include: The level of infection may overwhelm a dog’s immune system instantly or may occur later in the disease.Ĭheck your pet’s symptom Symptoms of Aspiration Pneumonia in Dogs Lastly, a bacterial pneumonia may develop. This may cause bronchospasms and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) that can result in a medical emergency. This change in pH easily damages the respiratory surface layer (epithelium) and lung surfactant (a chemical substance that aids in breathing) function. This leads to coughing, wheezing, and overall makes it uncomfortable to fully breathe in and out.Īnother phase of aspiration pneumonia involves damage from inhaling acidic gastric enzymes. If you believe your dog is experiencing this, contact an emergency veterinary hospital immediately.Ĭommonly, smaller particles are inhaled and may block small airways which leads to an inflammatory response that produces mucus and inflammatory cells that create a tightening of the muscles of the airways, known as a bronchospasm. This would be considered a medical emergency. Stages of Aspiration PneumoniaĪspiration pneumonia can involve obstruction of the large airways and result in acute respiratory distress if large particles are inhaled. With aspiration pneumonia, the laryngeal reflex gets overwhelmed, or it does not function properly, so food and liquid make their way into the larynx, down the trachea, and into the lungs. When swallowing, there is a momentary stop in breathing to ensure that food travels down the correct path of the esophagus. The tongue, soft palate, and epiglottis work together to close the space leading into the trachea (larynx) and allow a food bolus to continue down the esophagus and finally into the stomach and intestines. The tongue is a large muscle that extends down the throat and attaches to other muscles and cartilage around the epiglottis. The epiglottis is part of the structures known as the voice box. The pharynx and larynx are separated by a piece of cartilage called the epiglottis. The larynx is the opening into the trachea. This space, called the pharynx, meets the end of the nasal cavity (nasopharynx), and is separated by a thin membrane of tissue called the soft palate. The food bolus is then pushed by the tongue to the throat (pharynx). In a normal anatomic structure, once food is chewed and mixed with saliva (food bolus), it is ready to be swallowed. In aspiration pneumonia, food makes its way into the airways and is inhaled into the lungs. This condition usually happens when there is an underlying problem with the normal reflexes of swallowing and pushing material down the esophagus. ![]() Aspiration pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs caused by an inhaled material such as food, regurgitation, or vomit. ![]()
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