Evaluation of Cardiologic Alterations in Radiographs of Dogs with Bronchopneumonia Before and After Treatment

Pneumonia, a common respiratory disease in small animals, causes significant hypoxemia in dogs due to reduced lung capacity and cardiac output. In addition, pneumonia may lead to cardiac complications. This study aimed to evaluate the alterations in cardiac silhouette and main vessel views in dogs that underwent bronchopneumonia treatment, and the alterations were evaluated in radiographs of the dogs with bronchopneumonia before and after treatment. For this purpose, radiographic data from 26 dogs diagnosed with and treated for bronchopneumonia were analyzed. The measurements included left atrial size, long axis, short axis, the fourth thoracic vertebra length, aorta width, caudal vena cava width, and thoracic width. Radiographs obtained before and after treatment indicated no changes in the long and short axes of the vertebral hearth score, the fourth thoracic vertebrae length, aorta and caudal vena cava width, and thoracic width. However, in pre-treatment radiographs, the left atrial size was found to be larger compared to post-treatment radiographs. A strong positive correlation was observed between measurements of LAs and LAs/TV4 in both pre- and post-treatment radiographs, as well as in the measurement differences between pre- and post-treatment radiographs. As a consequence, the radiographs employed to monitor bronchopneumonia treatment may serve as an initial indicator of potential cardiac complications in affected dogs.